Max Barton

I was born in April of 1949, I was raised on a farm and ranch just below the caprock of West Texas, in the small town of Matador. Being raised in a small town to a good Christian Mom and Dad, we went to church every time the doors were open, so naturally I learned to sing all kind of the old hymns. Having two older sisters, the radio was blaring good ole "Rock n Roll" from early morning until night, so, I knew the words to every Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke and just about every Do Whopper there was. When I was 7 years old, I sang "Way down Yonder in New Orleans" made famous by the late Bobby Rydell. Both mom and dad realized I had a natural talent. Mom made my sisters learn to play the piano, then "attempted" to have me learn as well, I never got the hang of it, but I did have a natural rhythm and I was beating on a box to every song on the radio, when they decided a set of drums might be just the thing, well needless to say I beat on those Red Peral drums from early morning to late at night (bless their hearts), but they encouraged me to keep going, I first started drumming with an old friend Robin Brown, (still to this day one of the best guitar players around). It was Robin and his older brother Benny that introduced me to country music. I later found my roots in country music from learning that Bob Wells dad worked for my Great Grandfather, (AL Barton from the Old F Ranch,) so Bob Wells and the Texas Playboys were frequent entertainers for all of the Barton get togethers for miles around, they would gather in the big red barn for dances, then everyone would bring food and make it a weekend thing. I later went to college at West Texas State University in Canyon Tx along with Robin and we established our first band "The Shy Guys" and later I sang with some of the top musicians in West Texas. I finally married and had a family of my own, that is when I discovered my writing talents, so I wrote of good times and bad and put into words and music some of my thoughts an experiences of what life brought my way. Since I had no way of playing the melody, I knew in my head what I wanted so I would hum it to a key boardiest or guitarist and we could lay down the tracks from there. I still enjoy writing and with todays technology , it makes it much easier to record, than back in the 60's when we first recorded "To Say No" on a 8 track system at Ray Ruff's Checkmate Studio in Amarillo, TX. (Where Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Waylon Jennings to name a few first recorded.) Today I still enjoy performing with The Flashback Showband, which we formed in 2001. I still have many songs left in me and as I live and learn, hopefully , what I experience today many be a song tomorrow.