Cleburne in Johnson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Alton Meeks Stricklin
1908 - 1986
Discover Cleburne Texas
Photographed By James Hulse, March 25, 2022
1. Alton Meeks Stricklin Marker
Legendary pianist Al Stricklin was born in Johnson County in 1908, he learned to play the piano at a very early age, accompanying his father who played fiddle. At age 15, Stricklin began playing at silent movies and at dances. After completing high school in Grandview, he attended Baylor University until the 1929 stock market crash. During the early 1930s, Stricklin played jazz piano for dances in Johnson County and surrounding areas and taught school at Island Grove. Stricklin was also staff pianist for Fort Worth radio station KFJZ and played with a band called the Hi Flyers. In 1935, Stricklin joined Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stricklin's jazz-influenced piano style added a new dimension to the musical style that became known as Western Swing. "Brother Al" played with the band during its heyday, entertaining devoted audiences at dances and through radio and recordings. When WWII broke up the band in 1942, Stricklin became foreman of a defense plant. After the war, Al, his wife Betty Zeigler Stricklin, and children made Cleburne their home. Stricklin's gregarious nature made him a superb salesman, a talent he used 
Photographed By James Hulse, March 25, 2022
2. The Alton Meeks Stricklin Marker next to the gazebo
this page online
Members of the prewar Texas Playboys were reunited in the early 1970s and formed Bob Wills original Texas Playboys. The group won a Cowboy Hall of Fame Award (1975) and a Country Music Association Award (1977), played at the Smithsonian Museum (1981), and traveled to Switzerland to perform on a U.S. State Department tour. Throughout his travels, Al Stricklin was a proud ambassador for his hometown, Cleburne, Texas.
Erected by City of Cleburne.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 32° 20.294′ N, 97° 23.186′ W. Marker is in Cleburne, Texas, in Johnson County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Hillsboro Street and West 2nd Street. The marker is located in the southeast section of Hulen Park near the gazebo. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1010 Hillsboro Street, Cleburne TX 76033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Cleburne American Legion Post Memorial (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); AT&SF Steam Locomotive #3417 (about 600 feet away); Johnson County (approx. 0.2 miles away); John L. and Annie Upshaw Cleveland House
Photographed By James Hulse, March 25, 2022
3. The view of the Alton Meeks Stricklin Marker in the park
Also see . . . Stricklin, Alton Meeks (19081986).
Stricklin's background in jazz made him ideal for the Bob Wills band because Wills played music for dancing, and the jazz idioms Stricklin learned were basic to dance music and dance bands. The "first commercial group" Stricklin played with was called the Rio Grande Serenaders. It was a standard Dixieland band with trumpet, trombone, clarinet, drums, banjo, and Al playing piano. Source: The Handbook of Texas(Submitted on March 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
