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Following the stars, country style
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| Sandra and Bobby Smith |
BY CHARLYN FINN
Some people love country music and some love it even more.
Sandra Hayes Smith and her husband Bobby fall under the second classification. They took off with their family recently to Nashville, Tenn. and attended the Country Music Awards ceremony and paid $350 apiece for the tickets. And, that was a last minute decision.
Sandra is a CMA member and is entitled to vote on the nominees.
Sandra and Bobby have been country music enthusiasts throughout their entire marriage. He used to play the keyboards in a country band and apparently his love of country music was contagious. She fell for country music hook, line and sinker, just as she and Bobby fell for each other.
Their romance dates back to the days when the Air Force was on Matagorda Island and Hayes Electric had a very busy bus stop.
Hayes Electric has always been a family owned business and in her youth Sandra’s job was at the ticket counter. Bobby was temporarily stationed with the Air Force on the island. He was not too impressed with the recreation opportunities in Calhoun County in the early 1970s.
He called the bus service and asked Sandra about a bus going out of the county. He fell in love with her voice and kept calling her back asking if he could meet her. She told him to send her a picture. He did. She liked the looks of him so sent him her own picture. A date was set up.
He didn’t have a ride because his car was low on fuel and they didn’t sell gasoline on Sundays back then. So, Sandra drove to Port O’Connor to get him. The date turned out to be a family dinner where her grandmother was in attendance. That didn’t stop Bobby. They have been married 34 years (got married less than a year after they met) and have two daughters and grandchildren.
“Once he got here he never went away,” says Sandra, a perky red-haired grandmother.
Before they were married and he was in the Air Force Bobby, at the age of 16, played keyboards in dance halls in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Port Neches. He also played in church. He played with Bobby Lee and the Night Riders and in dance halls all over Texas.
“But he didn’t know how to dance because he was always on the stage,” Sandra says. “So I taught him how to dance in the back of Hayes Electric.
When they got married the shared hobby of following the stars began. In 1985 June Westerholm got them interested in joining CMA.
They love to photograph the stars but for some reason cameras are not allowed at the CMA concerts. Bobby found a tiny, un-obtrusive camera. He has been frisked three times at CMA concerts, he said.
The couple has scrapbooks full of country-western stars and many of the photographs are autographed.
Their travels to concerts have enabled the couple and their family to meet a lot of famous people. For instance, they have met former President George Bush.
The Smiths, to name a few of their country-western adventures, have met Conway Twitty, Johnny Rodriguez, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Elton John, they have seen Elvis Presley in person and they have sat on a Hee Haw set.
Being a CMA member allows Sandra to get tickets for the family.
The awards ceremony they attended recently was Wednesday, Nov. 12. They flew to Nashville to attend the 42nd CMA awards event. This was the fourth one attended by the Smiths. The more recent one was in the Sommet Center. They also attended one at the Grand Ole Opry.
Sandra Smith participated in the election of Kenny Chesney as entertainer of the year, “I Saw God Today” being selected as single of the year, and Stay as the No. 4 song of the year to name a few. Sandra actually voted in 12 different categories.
There were 28 different country-western individuals or groups at this year’s awards ceremony. A few of these were George Strait, Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Reese Witherspoon, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley.
Over 34 years the Smiths have seen a lot of country-western greats and the shows get better and better. The Smiths can’t wait for the next one.
Sandra Hayes Smith and her husband Bobby fall under the second classification. They took off with their family recently to Nashville, Tenn. and attended the Country Music Awards ceremony and paid $350 apiece for the tickets. And, that was a last minute decision.
Sandra is a CMA member and is entitled to vote on the nominees.
Sandra and Bobby have been country music enthusiasts throughout their entire marriage. He used to play the keyboards in a country band and apparently his love of country music was contagious. She fell for country music hook, line and sinker, just as she and Bobby fell for each other.
Their romance dates back to the days when the Air Force was on Matagorda Island and Hayes Electric had a very busy bus stop.
Hayes Electric has always been a family owned business and in her youth Sandra’s job was at the ticket counter. Bobby was temporarily stationed with the Air Force on the island. He was not too impressed with the recreation opportunities in Calhoun County in the early 1970s.
He called the bus service and asked Sandra about a bus going out of the county. He fell in love with her voice and kept calling her back asking if he could meet her. She told him to send her a picture. He did. She liked the looks of him so sent him her own picture. A date was set up.
He didn’t have a ride because his car was low on fuel and they didn’t sell gasoline on Sundays back then. So, Sandra drove to Port O’Connor to get him. The date turned out to be a family dinner where her grandmother was in attendance. That didn’t stop Bobby. They have been married 34 years (got married less than a year after they met) and have two daughters and grandchildren.
“Once he got here he never went away,” says Sandra, a perky red-haired grandmother.
Before they were married and he was in the Air Force Bobby, at the age of 16, played keyboards in dance halls in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Port Neches. He also played in church. He played with Bobby Lee and the Night Riders and in dance halls all over Texas.
“But he didn’t know how to dance because he was always on the stage,” Sandra says. “So I taught him how to dance in the back of Hayes Electric.
When they got married the shared hobby of following the stars began. In 1985 June Westerholm got them interested in joining CMA.
They love to photograph the stars but for some reason cameras are not allowed at the CMA concerts. Bobby found a tiny, un-obtrusive camera. He has been frisked three times at CMA concerts, he said.
The couple has scrapbooks full of country-western stars and many of the photographs are autographed.
Their travels to concerts have enabled the couple and their family to meet a lot of famous people. For instance, they have met former President George Bush.
The Smiths, to name a few of their country-western adventures, have met Conway Twitty, Johnny Rodriguez, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Elton John, they have seen Elvis Presley in person and they have sat on a Hee Haw set.
Being a CMA member allows Sandra to get tickets for the family.
The awards ceremony they attended recently was Wednesday, Nov. 12. They flew to Nashville to attend the 42nd CMA awards event. This was the fourth one attended by the Smiths. The more recent one was in the Sommet Center. They also attended one at the Grand Ole Opry.
Sandra Smith participated in the election of Kenny Chesney as entertainer of the year, “I Saw God Today” being selected as single of the year, and Stay as the No. 4 song of the year to name a few. Sandra actually voted in 12 different categories.
There were 28 different country-western individuals or groups at this year’s awards ceremony. A few of these were George Strait, Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Reese Witherspoon, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley.
Over 34 years the Smiths have seen a lot of country-western greats and the shows get better and better. The Smiths can’t wait for the next one.
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