TINKER CARLEN: AN ORIGINAL CRICKET
By Truman Dayon Godwin
Copyright 2007 by Truman Dayon Godwin
Smashwords Edition 2012
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Table of Contents
February 3, 1959 and Afterward
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The data for Tinker's story was collected from numerous taped interviews with him, plus additional personal memory notes he wrote specifically for my use. All facts regarding his life are from this material or by his personal testimony. References for all other material and sources are shown in the end notes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Buster Jones, a great musician, a well-known artist, and my friend, introduced me to Tinker and proposed this book. He also attended some of the interviews and asked questions related to music that were helpful in my research. I appreciate his contribution and thank him for his valuable input.
Preface
1937 was a year with many noteworthy events and circumstances. Many Americans were still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, and money was tight. Besides the devastating economic problems of the times, there were other tragic and discouraging occurrences written in 1937's history: the dirigible Hindenburg exploded and burned when it arrived at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 people; in the Far East, Japan invaded China and sank the U. S. Gunboat, Panay, in the Yangtze River; the German leader, Adolph Hitler, and his Gestapo became so powerful that no one, not even the courts, dared to interfere with their activities; religious suppression was common, and Jew-hating was encouraged; Germany, Italy, and Japan became allies, and this Alliance formed a foundation that would eventually consume the world in a dreadful war. On a more personal level, America's beloved and heroic Amelia Earhart and her co-pilot became lost over the Pacific Ocean during an attempt to make a round-the-world flight; they have never been found.
There was good news, too: the Golden Gate Bridge was finished and opened up to traffic; Walt Disney completed his first full-length animated file, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, and it was shown for the first time, much to the delight of everyone who saw it; the New York Yankees won the World Series for the sixth time and took the lead in total championships won; the Kentucky Derby was won by War Admiral; a drug called "antihistamine" was produced, which gave the medical profession potential for allergy treatment.
But the most important event for Jim and Irene Carlen occurred on January 1l, 1937: the birth of their fourth child, Hugh Carlen. They never imagined that this new child would someday be a prominent musician whose career would include composition, or that he would take part in the development of the "Rock-and-Roll" form of music, a genre that would sweep the world and cause immeasurable social changes. The impact of this type of music would be felt in the fashion world, in people's attitudes and lifestyles, and in their personal habits. It would also create new career opportunities for some, which would lead them to riches and notoriety.
Yet, there is a broader view of success, stardom, and fame that must be understood for one to appreciate the relative achievements of lesser known artists; for every musician that attains stardom status and an enviable pinnacle of fame and fortune, there are many others who assist them in their successful quest only to be lost to the public somewhere along the way.
Adoring fans often forget the talented musicians that supported their "star" during their early, unknown years, and who worked with them on their upward journey to fame. Usually, these important men and women become minor figures whose contributions are not recognized in proportion to their worth. In many cases, they and their works are forgotten completely.
When fans and music lovers listen to their favorite star perform, they normally don't think of the unknown musicians that dwelled tin that star's past, even though their talents influenced particular melodies, or created nuances of style, or produced different and meaningful chords that in mysterious ways became part of the star's repertoire and fame. To the credit of the "forgotten people," and mainly because of their love of music, they continue in the field—some as teachers, some as composers, some as little known participants in the music world, and some as advisors to other aspiring artists.
This book spotlights one who has dedicated his life and musical genius for the enjoyment of others by sharing, teaching, and promoting those techniques and qualities he found to be good and enjoyable. Perhaps this abbreviated account of Tinker's life and experiences will lead readers to a greater appreciation of his contributions to the industry.
1938
Tinker's recollections of this year come mostly from his brother and sisters who especially remember the Depression years. They had chickens and a garden, like most people of those times, and they recall how Hugh would accompany his mother to the hen house. While she worked, he used a cotton stalk to chase the chickens around the pen. This kept him busy while his mother attended to the more important matter of collecting eggs.
Glen was a good brother to Hugh. They played together a lot, and Glen made toys out of whatever materials he could find. Hugh remembers that Glen made toy cars out of empty thread spools and rubber bands. They spent many hours playing with these ingenious devices, which in those times were homemade symbols of the economic duress of the nation.
Sometime during the year, it became necessary for the family to move to Lubbock, Texas. Hugh's uncle provided a truck, and they loaded it with all their furniture and household goods. The mattress and mattress springs were set atop the load, and Glen and Hugh rode in back with the furniture. Glen sat atop the mattress, and somewhere along the way, the wind blew both Glen and the mattress off of the truck. When Glen hit the ground, he suffered a skull fracture. He was taken to the hospital and almost died.
They finally got settled down on Avenue A in Lubbock. Hugh's dad went to work for his father-in-law in a junk shop close to the underpass on Avenue H. (The name of this street was changed to Buddy Holly Avenue some years after Buddy's death). They had old cars in the yard, and Hugh sometimes hung around the place watching his dad work. One day he found a pop bottle filled with red gasoline, and he thought it was a strawberry soda. After he drank it, he went limp. He was rushed to the hospital, and fortunately, they saved his life by pumping out his stomach.
Even during this early time in his life, Hugh was showing and interest in music by the programs he listened to on the radio.
1939
During this year, Tinker has no memory related to music. Some of the "high" points of his life at that time revolved around his family's adjustment to a new location and the new challenges they face in making a living in the depressed economy.
The house they lived in had drop-down lights from the ceiling that were common at that time. Each one was equipped with a pull-string that controlled the light. One day he stood on a chair so he could reach the string and turn off the light. He fell from the chair and broke his leg. While he lay in pain, his mother had to wait until his father got home from work to take him to the hospital. His father carried him in his arms from their house on Avenue A to the Lubbock General Hospital on Broadway, a distance of about eighteen blocks. He had medical treatment and was sent home to recuperate.
Jobs were hard to get but his father managed to get one at the Lubbock Cotton Oil Mill on Avenue A, a huge place that processed cotton seed and produced cottonseed meal and cottonseed cake for cattle food. He worked eight to ten hours a day and made a dollar an hour. By working seven days a week, he managed to pay off their house and buy an old car. He worked steady, and over time he made enough to buy a small farm at 19th Street and Avenue A. The acreage extended south to 34th Street and east to Railroad Avenue. His father's hard work eventually gave him the opportunity to become a partner in a packing house, a cold storage business, and a chicken processing plant. These enterprises gave Hugh many opportunities while growing up to become involved in activities that were not music-related. They also gave him an environment where he could exercise his innate mischievousness in ways that were not always funny.
1940
During these economically spare times, about the only entertainment the family had was a Zenith combination radio and record player that played 78 rpm records. Therefore, Tinker's early musical influence was mostly country. The Lubbock radio station, KFYO, played the music of many country artists. The ones he remembers most are Gene Autry, Al Dexter, Bob Wills, Tex Ritter, Jimmy Wakely, Roy Rogers, and the Sons of the Pioneers. He also listened to and liked the music of Al Jolson. But Hugh was influenced most by the music of the singing cowboys and their expertise in singing and playing.
His brother built a crystal set and wired the antenna to a steel bed post to increase its range of reception. With this set, they were able to listen to the powerful Del Rio station down by the Mexican border. They listened to various artists on that station, as well as the Grand Ol' Opry in Tennessee, whenever the Del Rio station aired it.
On Saturdays, Hugh and his siblings went to a movie. Usually, they patronized Lyric or the Arcadia theater, and these particular theaters had weekly serials that used such stars as Buster Crabbe, Hoot Gibson, and Bob Steele, to name a few. He remembers Robert Blake playing Little Beaver in the Red Ryder movies. He and his siblings also loved the Abbot & Costello movies, and especially the spooky ones, like those with Wolfman and Frankenstein. The access to cheap candy and the door prizes the theaters gave were enticements that young people enjoyed, and which filled the seats in both theaters every Saturday.
It was during this time that Tinker built his first guitar. He got a cigar box, cut a hole in it, and attached a whittled-down 1" X4" board for strings. The "strings" were rubber bands stretched down across the hole in the cigar box. It was a crude instrument, but it served his purpose: at last he could make music of his own. He often entertained his family by strumming on the rubber bands and singing one of his favorite songs—Gene Autry's Back In The Saddle Again. This homemade instrument and the encouragement of his loving family when he entertained them, built strong roots of musical interest that nourished his nascent talent.
1941
At some time during his first four years, Tinker knew his real name was Hugh. His family called him Tinker, and this made him curious—especially when he heard someone use the phrase, "not worth a tinker's dam." He asked his grandmother about the two different names, and what "Tinker" really meant.
His grandmother sat him on her lap and told him that a tinker was someone who traveled around repairing pots and pans. She explained in detail how the repairs sometimes included the building of a small dam to hold molten metal poured of holes or leaks. After the soft metal hardened, the dam—no longer useful—would be scraped away.
"When someone says it's not worth 'a tinker's dam,' whatever they're talking about is worthless," she said. "But I'm the one that named you 'Tinker'."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because a tinker is a good person that fixes things and takes care of others. You're my little Tinker, and I'm sure you're gonna be that kind of man."
So little Tinker played with kids in the block. They made apple-crate cars and rode them down the hill at the entrance to MacKenzie State Park, which was just a short distance from his house. In building the car, finding wheels was a problem, but not an insurmountable one: he solved it by using the wheels on his sisters' doll buggies. He used tin cans for lights, and he controlled the steering using cotton ropes attached to the left and right ends of the front axle.
Near their house was a horse stable where they could rent horses for fifty cents an hour. Tinker, Glen, and their sisters saved up money by collecting and selling empty pop bottles for two cents each. It took time to save up that much, but when they got it, they used it to go horseback riding.