"Picker of the Year" Award ~ 1982

The El Paso Friends of Folk Music was formed by Charlie McDonald, who ran it as an autocracy until he took to the road with Applejack in 1980. When he gave up the reins, it became a full-blown organization, with officers, committee meetings and politics. Before it collapsed under the weight of its seriousness, it provided El Paso with a fruitful acoustic music scene. "Name" artists were booked for the Border Folk Festival and concerts at the Chamizal Theater. Funds were raised through t-shirt sales, beer concessions, and concerts featuring local performers, who donated their services. These shows had such names as "West Texas Opry" and "Picker's Night," and I played in many of them. At one such event in 1982, I was mingling in the lobby during intermission when Jerry Boyer told me I was needed backstage. I couldn't imagine why. When I saw the "Picker of the Year" award was about to be presented, I assumed Buddy Winston was going to receive it and she wanted me there to congratulate him. I certainly had no expectation of winning it myself: I wasn't the best "picker" in town, and I was openly critical of the bureaucratic way in which the Friends of Folk was run. So, when Charles Harding announced my name, something akin to rigor mortis set in. I had to be pushed onto the stage like a stalled car to accept the honor. The concert was videotaped and shown later on the public access channel, at which time I captured the audio of the presentation.


(left to right)
Lee Gaston
Zoomer Roberts
Charles Harding