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Everyone needs a Texas brother-in-law
named Bubba!!! Indeed, I have one. Bubba, whose real name is
Edward Bates Tomlinson III, came into my life when he was
ten. Bubba is a guy who wears many cowboy hats…that is, he
has a lot of talents. On labor day weekend my wife and I
were with Bubba to discuss….well, wait, hold on… I am
getting ahead of myself….lets do some of Bubba’s life/
history first.
While in high school he realized he had musical talent, and
formed a TOP 40 band called the Galaxys. Bubba could sing,
and still can. I thought the group was good, and arranged an
audition with music publisher/record producer/concert
promoter Bill Lowery. Bill liked the band and took them to a
recording studio where they made a number of cuts….and would
you believe that Mercury records bought their masters,
released a single, and it made it to the 40 range in the
Billboard popular charts. At the same time the band was on
the road playing nightly in the southeast beach clubs. Bubba
was not impressed with the record world, and found the
nightly concerts tiring. As much as he loved music and
singing he concluded there must be a better way to make a
living. He temporarily put music on the back burner.
Bubba enrolled in college where he got his sheep skin from
TCU in Fort Worth, and a law degree from SMU in Dallas. Yep,
Bubba became a lawyer, and a pretty darned good one. Bubba
is no dummy, and he found that his law degree opened some
real estate business opportunities…so he opened a commercial
real estate business with some of his new real estate
friends. Somewhere down the line he partnered up with a
fella’ from Maui named Dorvin Leis. They have gone forth to
own, operate, and manage over 25 office buildings in Dallas
and Honolulu….a wonderful success story. The name of their
company is Tomlinson/Leis. And they are presently expanding
into new real estate concepts in downtown Dallas. They also
have been successful in the banking business in Texas.
But, as you would suspect, Bubba has missed the music world
a lot. It is his avocation. Once a music man, always a music
man!!!!!! So, about five years ago, he and Dorvin and some
partners opened a music publishing company in Nashville
called Song Planet. They bought a building on Music Row and
went to work. They haven’t had a number one record YET, but
they have many cuts on CD’s by name artists. I have heard a
hundred of their catalogue and new songs, and I can assure
you they have some number one hits which some artist will
record eventually.
Which brings us to today, and the events of the Labor Day
weekend!!!! Bubba and his group want to buy a small market
radio station in Texas. From my den and office he watched me
in the radio world through the years, and has become
fascinated with it. So, I found a couple of stations for him
to possibly buy. Labor Day weekend we met with the current
owner to conduct initial due diligence. Plus, the weekend
was full of his usual friends visiting Bubba’s home for a
cookout, a swim in his pool, and a sail on his lake. While
all that fun was happening Bubba, Pat (my wife, his sister)
and I found time to review the aforementioned due diligence,
and if all goes well in some future column I may write that
that his group indeed has bought the stations. One of the
stations has historical meaning to broadcasters. I know all
of the above about Bubba because I WAS THERE.
And one more item to attest to Bubba’s love of music and
performing. Years ago when he was practicing law he began
singing and picking at the annual Christmas party for Dallas
Judges. He still does …singing all of the great oldie hits.
Yep, Bubba sings Elvis, Jerry Lee, and Willie!!!!! The
Judge’s love it!!!!
e-mail Kent
kent@kentburkhart.com
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