CZECH MATE
Never heard of Western swing legend Adolph Hofner? You’re hardly alone. Hofner, who died in 2000, may not be a household name, but he was once known as the “Bing Crosby of Country” and remained a popular South Texas draw well into the Nineties. The Oaks, the new honky-tonk at 10206 FM 973 in Manor, which regularly features singing bartenders Rosie Flores, Jessie Lee Miller, and Dave Insley, is hosting a tribute to Hofner at 5pm Sunday. Some facts to know before you go:
• Hofner was born June 8, 1916, in the small Czech community of Moulton in Lavaca County. His family moved to San Antonio when he was 10.
• Hofner’s younger brother Emil was a gifted steel guitarist who landed both brothers a job in Jimmie Revard‘s Oklahoma Playboys when they were teens.
• Hofner sang lead for Tom Dickey & the Showboys on Floyd Tillman‘s “It Makes No Difference Now” and soon thereafter started his own band.
• As Adolph Hofner & the San Antonians, he had hits with “Maria Elena,” “Alamo Rag,” and “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” on what is believed to be the first recording of the song.
• For obvious reasons, he began going by “Dub” or “Dolph” during World War II.
• Hofner is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Texas Polka Music Hall of Fame.
Chronicle writer Lee Nichols‘ review of Hofner’s 1996 Luckenbach show is here.
This article appears in June 23 • 2006.