Celebrating Our Musical Community


Celebrating Our Musical Community LIBERTY, October 28, 2006 - Recently i-dineout.com has introduced a new page that continues to grow in popularity. The Help Page features the work of local musicians playing inspirational and gospel music. The purpose of this page is to encourage you as you listen to songs you may have heard last week, or you may have first heard decades ago. Hopefully you will recall as you listen to these songs where you were the first time you heard them. Some of the work of these musicians can be purchased on CD in the Community Store and more will be added in the near future. Currently you can listen to the work of the following local musicians on the Help Page.
	Dr. Henry Dugat, Sr. is a native of Dayton, TX and a graduate of Texas Southern University and the National Baptist Institute of the National Baptist Convention of America. Henry married his childhood sweetheart, Bennie Lee Durham in 1960 at the Trinity Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Liberty. Henry’s holds degrees in Music and Psychology and has served Liberty County Churches for over 53 years. He serves as Chairman of the Board for the Liberty County Martin Luther King Celebration Committee and Chaplain for the Texas Department of Corrections, Henley Unit.
	Jenny Gunter is a wife, mom to 3 wonderful guys, and has served as a church pianist in local Baptist churches alongside her music minister husband, Randy, off and on for the past 20+ years. She and Randy are both graduates of Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University, where oldest son Brian is a freshman) and holds a bachelors degree in music education with piano emphasis. Her whole family is musical with Brian playing trombone for the Texas State Bobcats; Matthew playing tuba for the Dayton Bronco Band; and Jonathan playing trumpet for the Liberty Middle School Band. Her involvement in church music has been a collaborative effort with the entire family for a number of years, and she sees her piano playing as both a precious gift from God and as a ministry of the church.
	Marilyn Hensley was born in Goose Creek (now part of Baytown) but grew up in the Fort Worth area. She holds a bachelor‚s degree from North Texas State University (now University of North Texas) in Denton, with a major in business education and a minor in music. She and her husband, Danny (a retired vocal music teacher) have been residents of Liberty since 1988. In 2004 Marilyn retired from the library at LHS where she also did some accompanying for the choir when her husband was teaching there. She and Dan have two grown daughters--Danna Hafner of Palestine, and Holli Hensley of Austin; and three granddaughters--Jordan, Kelsey, and Megan Hafner of Palestine.
	Bobby J. Kinard (1965-1998) is perhaps the finest pianist Liberty County has every produced. Gifted from the time he was a child he took his talent and musical education to heights not achieved by anyone from our local area before or since. He was a brilliant arranger, conductor and performer.
	Myra F. Smith, local writer and musician, had her first book of devotions, "Soul Food for the Sandwich Generation," Meditation Morsels for Caregivers, published in 2005 by Langmarc Publishers of Austin, TX. Her book for caregivers who are "sandwiched" between their children and aging parents is written from the heart of one caregiver to the hearts of others. Myra also writes for www.anchorlife.org an online devotional ministry that originated in Sarasota, Florida, and has over two million readers. Myra and her husband, Ray have lived in Liberty, Texas for 29 years. She enjoys spending time with her grown sons, Brad and Bryan, their wives, and children. Brad conducts the orchestra at the University of Pennsylvania and Bryan is a CPA with Ernst and Young in Austin. Check out Myra Smith online a http://www.myrasmith.com.
	Allen Youngblood is a 1978 graduate of the University of Houston College of Architecture and has lived and worked in several major cities in the United States. Returning to Liberty in 1992 from Washington, D.C., he brushed off his musical skills and began studying music again. His musical education consisted of private instruction as a child and hours of continuing education as an adult. Serving in local churches has been rewarding experience. Youngblood is Vice President of Youngblood Wholesale, Inc. and creator of i-dineout.com.
Some of the work of these musicians can be purchased on CD in the Community Store and more will be added in the near future.

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