Adolph Hofner and the Pearl Wranglers, Mansfield’s Park, Bandera, Texas, 1951. L to R: J.R. Chatwell, Adolph Hofner, Al Fritsch, Bash Hofner.
A friend of Doug throughout his days was J.R. Chatwell, a renowned country fiddler who played with the Czech-German bandleader and singer Adolph Hofner, a man known in the Thirties and Forties as “the Bing Crosby of Texas.” Doug not only learned music from his mentor and pal; he got practical instruction on how to live the bohemian life. Doug called him “Chat the Cat.”
Jan Reid, Texas Tornado: The Times & Music of Doug Sahm
