Jess Cullison
Jess Cullison was born in Anthony, Kansas on July 21, 1941. In 1959 he made his first professional appearance at the Issac Walton League just outside Shepherdstown, West Virginia. It is rumored that this very same venue is where Patsy Cline began her singing career.
Cullison attended college at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma and helped with his mother's family farm. His mother became the Dean of Women at Northwestern in 1963. Alva has been the family home since that time.
In 1965 he became the lead guitar player for Little Caesar & The Gladiators, a well-known regional band. When the group decided to become an R&B band, Jess became a bass guitar player. They traveled throughout the southwest and the Midwest and were quite successful for a number of years.
Jess Cullison transferred from Northwestern Oklahoma State University to Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford in 1965. He became a guitarist with the University Stage Band directed by Dick Coy, a former Stan Kenton saxophonist. Jess graduated from Southwestern in1966 with a degree in Industrial Operations Management and a minor in music.
During the late 60's rock and roll music was undergoing an evolution which didn't appeal to Jess. Following college Jess played with The Aristocrats, a regional group with a big band swing sound. He was also a member of the Air National Guard and in 1968 was called to active duty. The next two years he was stationed in Korea and Japan. He used his free time playing at various military installations in the orient.
After the war, Jess started Cullison Manufacturing, a successful agricultural and oil field equipment company. However, that took Jess away from the music scene for twelve years. In 1983, Jess decided to pick up his guitar and start to make music one more time. He has not been away from it since.
In 1987 Jess and his wife, Sharon, started Tall Grass Productions. He is the general manager and sound engineer. They custom design lighting and sound systems for churches, schools and performance venues. And they have a complete recording studio with all the latest bells and whistles. Sharon, with a degree in music and retired from teaching vocal music, acts as the office manager and is the company's Pageant Consultant & Event Coordinator.
Jess and Sharon Cullison live in Norman, Oklahoma. Office phone: (405) 292-1776. You may visit his web site by going to www.tall-grass.com
Dorothy Cumming
Dorothy Cumming was born in 1926 at Waukegan, Ill. She married Kendall Cumming on Aug. 28, 1947. She holds the A.A. degree in Library Science from Mesa Community College and the B.A. in anthropology from the University of Arizona. She has done one year of graduate work in anthropology at George Washington University.
From 1950 to 1962, she worked as a secretary at the Fort Defiance (Ariz.) Hospital, as a case worker for the "Save The Children Foundation," as a case worker on the Indian reservations for the Red Cross, as a teacher on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Since 1980 she has been an instructor at Yavaycai College, teaching anthropology and Southwest Indian arts and crafts.
Cumming's articles have appeared in Persimmon Hill, Colorado Old Times, the Sunday Magazine of the Arizona Republic, the Prescott Currier Weekender, Arizona Quarterly, and Primary Treasure. She has been a member of WWA since 1984. She is also a member of National League of American Pen Women and Mountain Artists Guild.
Jack Cummings
Cummings is the author of these books for Walker & Company:
Sergeant Gringo (Walker, 1984; Critics Choice, 1987); Dead Man's Medal (Walker & Co., 1984), Tiger Butte (Walker, 1986); Lynch's Revenge (Walker, 1985); Rebels West!; Once a Legend; and Trick Shot.
He lives in southern California.
Chet Cunningham
Chet Cunningham was born in Shelby, Neb. on Dec. 9, 1928. He received the B.A. in 1950 from Pacific University and the M.S. in 1954 from Columbia University. He and Rose Marie Wilhoit were married in 1953 and they had three children.
Another "recovering newsperson," he was the city editor of the News-Times in Forest Grove, OR. from 1954 to 1955. From 1955 to 1959 he wrote educational and church films for Jam Handy of Detroit, MI. He has been a freelance writer since 1960.
Cunningham has sold more than 150 books, including over 30 westerns and juvenile, horror and romance. He often uses the pseudonyms of Lionel Derrick (a publishing house name), Dirk Fletcher and Cathy Cunningham. Among his books are six in the Jim Steel Western series for Pinnacle(1972-73), Remember the Alamo (Dell, 1981), and the first three books in the "Brad Spear" series for Jove: Cheyenne Payoff, Silver Mistress, and Tucson Temptress.
He is also the author of Bloody Gold (Tower Books, 1980), Devil's Gold (Tower Books, 1980), The Gold and the Glory (Leisure Books, 1977), The Patriots (Tower Books, 1982), The Power and the Prize (Leisure Books, 1977), Rainbow Saga (Leisure Books, 1979), Seeds of Rebellion (Tower Books, 1977), This Splendid Land (Leisure Books, 1979).
Cunningham has written nine books in the "Mack Bolan" series for Gold Eagle: Crude Kill (1982), Orbiting Omega (1983), Skysweeper (1983), Hellbinder (1983), Resurrection Day (1984), Baltimore Trackdown (1984), Nothing Personal (1984), Kill Trap (1984), Motor City Mayhem (1985).
He and fellow WWA-er Mark Roberts each wrote a large number of books under the name of Lionel Derrick for the "Penetrator" series published by Pinnacle. Under the name of Dirk Fletcher, he has written these books in the "Spur Western" series for Dorchester: High Plains Temptress (1981), Arizona Fancy Lady (1981), St. Louis Jezebel (1982), Rocky Mountain Vamp (1982), Cathouse Kitten (1983), Indian Maide (1983), San Francisco Strumpet (1983), Wyoming Wench (1983), Texas Tart (1983), Montana Minx (1983), Santa Fe Floozy (1984), Nevada Hussy (1984), New Mexico Sisters (1985), Hang Spur McCowy (1985), Rawhider's Woman (1985), Saloon Girl (1985) and Bald Knobber's Woman (1986).
He has also written several nonfiction books under his own name, including Your Bike (1973), Your Wheels (1973), Your First Car (1976) and 222 Ways to Save Gas (1981).
Eugene Cunningham
(Deceased)
Eugene Cunningham was born in Knoxville, Tenn. Gene served on a submarine patrol in the North Atlantic during World War I. He served with Navy Intelligence during World War II. He was the author of many Western novels, mystery and sea stories. Cunningham died of a coronary occlusion on Oct. 18, 1957, at the age of 60. He was survived by his widow and by three children.
Reba Pierce Cunningham
(Deceased)
Reba Pierce Cunningham wrote more than 400 food articles for True West, Denver Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Omaha World Herald and other publications.
She was the author of two books--Cowboys, Cooks, and Catastrophes (Barbed Wire Press, 1985) and How Do You Do It? Ask the Kids (1989)--and earmarked all proceeds from the books for the support of organizations which give aid to children throughout the world. In 1987, the Nebraska Mother's Association gave her the organization's first President's Award for her dedication to disadvantaged and starving children.
Reba Pierce Cunningham died on July 9, 1993 at Grand Island, Neb.
Michael F. Cusack
Michael F. Cusak was a co-author with Caleb Pirtle of Fort Clark on Texas's Western Frontier (Eakin Publications, 1985).
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Stan Paregien through his e-mail address.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap. For with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you.
--- Jesus the Christ (Bible: Luke 6:38)
© 2007 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
