Bunkhouse Boys

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And so we say “Farewell” to Craig Week for another year.

Although his life was cut short, Craig lived it to the fullest.  I believe he accomplished everything he ever wanted.

When he was young, he went through phases like everyone else.  In Jr. High he wanted to be a Hell’s Angel. He read the Hunter Thompson book and became fascinated with the lifestyle it portrayed — outlaw rebellion that suited a teenager in the 60s.  But he never bought a motorcycle and I don’t believe he ever learned to ride one.

Likewise, he was wild about tattoos — from the Hell’s Angels age through when he owned a tavern with a magazine stand and got all of the motorcycle and tattoo magazines they offered.  But he never did get around to getting a tattoo.

He wanted to be a truck driver, and starting during the CB radio craze of the late 70s, he went overboard (as he did with all of his passions), erecting an antenna tower at our home and establishing a base station, making sure all of our family cars (mine, Dad’s and his) had radios and we all used them (with proper “handles” or code names).  Even Bart Ward, who was too young to drive, had a CB handle and new how to use the radio.

He finally went to driving school in the early 80s and became an over the road trucker — which he romanticized as a “knight of the road.”  That spilled over into his love of movies and videos and music. 

Yes, his main dream was to be a music man — and that he did.  From his early days in elementary school during the “British Invasion” led by the Beatles, he dreamed of being in a band, and he even assembled a few — before he knew how to play an instrument.

But he did learn and became a professional musician, starting the Legend-In-Their-Own-Mind country rock group, The Bunk House Boys. He bought music equipment, including many guitars and basses, and sound systems, and even a tour bus.  More than that, he guided his brothers into making music and buying MORE guitars.

He also found true love with his wife Joy, and spent the last years of his life with her. After marrying Craig, Joy also went to truck driving school and they became a driving team, crossing the country in every direction from their home base in Wichita.

They were able to buy a wonderful house together, and when they decided that life on the road didn’t fulfill everything they wanted, They bought an Old-Time-Photo business in historic Old Town Wichita.  He proclaimed himself Col. Ward, and then turned his love of Western lore and history to historical re-creation and re-enactments.

Although his last couple of years were not comfortable, he seemed to find peace in the face of death.

As his younger brother, I can truly say that Craig taught me all about life and how to get the most out of it — and he also taught me that when death is inevitable, the best thing you can do is die with dignity.

And now, maybe you understand what a marvelous fellow he was, and why the ones he left behind cherish and celebrate his memory.

To quote a song from his favorite band, The Eagles:

I once knew a man, very talented guy He’d sing for the people and people would cry They knew that his song came from deep down inside You could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes

And so he traveled along, touch your heart, then be gone Like a flower, he bloomed till that old hickory wind Called him home

My man’s got it made He’s gone far beyond the pain And we who must remain go on living just the same We who must remain go on laughing just the same.

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Willie Nelson has been a very influential person both in music and in other parts of life. He was certainly influential for the Bunkhouse Boys.

Craig and I saw Willie Nelson perform a few times and of course had some of his records. But another way he influenced us was the way he partied. Willie started a tradition of having a huge concert on the 4th of July. He called it his ” Picnic. “

Bunkhouse Boys picnic crowd gathering.
The Picnic gets lively, thanks to the Stickney Distributors’ Beer Truck back there on the left side of the photo.

Not long after the Bunk House boys got together in 1975 we decided we wanted to do a big full-day blowout. Craig had purchased the local tavern, and so had an “in” with the Coors beer distributor. They allowed us to use a refrigerated truck that held about 10 kegs of beer and had spigots on the outside of the body so you could pour all you wanted. It stored another dozen or so kegs inside the refrigerated section.

We also had volunteers to do the barbecue. I don’t recall exactly how much we charged, but I believe we started out having our own big party on the 4th of July with all the beer you can drink and free barbecue for the low price of $10. Each year was bigger and better.

For music, of course, we decided that the Bunk House boys would be headliners. However we would have other musicians come and play and sometimes jam with various members of our group. We also invited some of the bands and neighborhood towns to come and play.

The Extremes onstage

Mike Miller, a former Norton classmate of Craig’s and owner of West End Recording Studio in the Kansas City area, came down and set up an awesome sound system for us. The stage was a flatbed trailer.

John Hix, another Norton classmate and a talented musician who could play any stringed instrument, would also join the fun.

Those two (Mike played bass) performed rock and new wave music with Ron Bailey on drums and our brother Bart on guitar. We had quite a variety of music going on.

I don’t think any tapes of those concerts survived. I do remember that one time I had one of those large old-fashioned reel to reel tape recorders, and set it up and got quite a bit of a Fourth of July concert on tape.

When you remember what year of this, you’ll understand why I might have made copies off of the master tape onto 8 track tapes. Those things were notoriously fragile, and I doubt if any of them have survived. I believe I also may have made copies on cassette tapes, but those are notoriously low fidelity.

Although I’d love to have a copy of any of those tapes if anyone has any kind of recording from the Bunkhouse Boys, I wouldn’t bet that you would get rich on them because I doubt if they are collectors items.

The party usually started in the afternoon and lasted well into the night until either all the food was gone, the beer was gone, or all the people were gone.

Since we were basically our own bosses, sometimes discipline became a little bit lax. It was often hard to get all of the Bunkhouse Boys on the stage together to play, and sometimes the breaks between sets went on a little longer than expected.

The Bunkhouse Boys Fourth of July picnic was a success and was repeated several times over the next few years. But we did it for the fun mainly — oh, and the food, and the beer, and whatever else would happen during those wild parties.

The wildest one was probably one hosted by Willie and Carol Warren, at their spread out in the country.

They moved to the Hoisington area from the Kansas City area, and Willie had some friends who were bikers that he invited down for one of our parties. And what a wild party it turned out to be!

During the day when the sun was hot, someone got the hose out and soon after — the clothes came off. Pretty soon we had mud wrestling, starting out with a bunch of hairy guys wrestling around in the mud. However I don’t think it took long for some of the ladies to join in.

We also ended up at least one time having a wet t-shirt contest. And I feel safe in saying that since we know that there are photographs surviving from that, some of the participants may hope that those photographs are permanently buried.

These parties were the true Spirit of the Bunkhouse Boys– and that spirit was embodied in Craig — Wild, uninhibited, undisciplined, and a heck of a lot of fun for everybody.

In all the years that we did this, I do not recall a single fight breaking out. Yes there was a lot of drinking going on, and a lot of wild activities, but it was all a big Love fest.

I don’t think that I could handle one of those parties these days. For one thing, I don’t drink anymore. Back then I used to start early and keep a steady pace until late at night. Also I’m more of an early-to-bed person than I was in those days. I was usually one of the last men standing at a party like that.

But if any anybody asks me to describe my brother Craig, I would say the Bunkhouse Boys Fourth of July parties were basically a manifestation of Craig’s personality.

I believe there are quite a few survivors of those parties still around today. Maybe they will send in their reminiscence of those late 1970s parties.

But then again there may be a lot of them who will just take the fifth amendment.

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It is “Craig Week” again and we are almost finished.  I’ve been posting daily on my Facebook page with pictures and anecdotes about Craig and the Bunkhouse Boys.

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Today I posted an introduction to the various people who were a part of that scene all those years ago.  And there are plenty of pictures.

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Tomorrow will be the Grand Finale for this year and it should be a doozy.  I’ll tell about our annual Fourth Of July Picnics and show some incriminating, ummm I mean … “Intriguing” pictures.

Here is the latest chapter — I hope you enjoy!

BHB Core Membership

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This time of year is full of holidays and reasons to party and be glad.  But for me it  is also a time of reflection — thinking of those I’ve lost and that won’t be partying with me on any of these holidays.

Two close dates mark the beginning and the end of my big brother’s life — bookends that are too close together.

Craig was born on Dec. 4 and died on Dec. 6 — 49 years apart.

It sounds silly to say that we were very close, but I’ve found that not all brothers are.  Craig was very special and he made his two brothers feel very special.  The relationship he had with me was different than the relationship he had with our little brother, Bart, but they were both very strong and special in different ways.

One of the things we three brothers shared was a magical, musical time in the mid-1970s when we played music together professionally.  Looking back, it was a very brief period. But duration really isn’t relevant.  It was magic.

Unfortunately, I don’t think many — if any — recordings survive from that musical partnership.  And I know there aren’t a lot of photos.

I’m starting a special page on this web site to reminisce about my late brother Craig, and am framing it against the backdrop of his — our — musical journey.

I’d like to invite anyone who knew him, or anyone who experienced our music, or just those who are kindred spirits to post comments, photos or whatever else you’d like to share.

WADE

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