Dick Penner

Allen Richard (Dick) Penner was born in Chicago (IL) in 1936 shortly before his family moved to Texas. As soon as 1953, he started having local gigs with a musical partner named Dave Young. Together they performorned at the Big D Jamboree doin' some Johnny and Jack songs. Dick enrolled into North Texas State University in Denton (TX) where he met, in 1955, Wade Lee Moore. Wade was born in Amarillo in 1933. Soon they found their way to The Big D Jamboree were they sang 25th June 1955, two classic R'n'B songs "Hey, Miss Fanny" and "Dance with Me Henry". That day they shared the stage with Charline Arthur, Sonny James and Jimmy Patton to name a few. One week earlier, they were probably there too as Dick remember well Elvis coming late on stage after a date in West Texas. They also played various dates in Hope (AR), Little Rock (AR) and Dallas (TX).
He was Professor of English at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for 32 years until his retirement in 1990. Died September 24, 2024.