Bonnie Anderson

Class of 2026

Bonnie Faye Anderson was born February 2, 1955 in Big Spring, Texas to Vernon
and Pennie Anderson. She has two sisters- Vernica Anderson, a retired entry
counselor for pre-nursing at Prairie View A&M, Beverly Anderson-Eason, a twenty five year retired Neonatal ICU nurse at Ben Taub, and one brother H.T, (Hubert Taylor) Baker who passed in January 2020.

Bonnie began playing the clarinet in 6th grade with teacher Jo Hazel Dawson. She
moved to 7th grade as integration began and was bused to her new school, Runnels Jr. High. After two years, she moved to high school with Mr. Bill Bradley, Hall of Fame member, as her new director. Mr. Bradley helped Bonnie set up a few private lessons with Hall of Famer Barbara Lovett. Barbara was a band director, so the only time she was available to work with Bonnie was on weekends. Bonnie would stay over when Mr. Bradley needed to go to Lubbock. She was a good clarinet player and Mr. Bradley made sure her parents knew. He helped them find a way to purchase a new LeBlanc clarinet. Mr. Bradley had several students wanting to major in music in college so he taught a basic music theory class to introduce them to one type of class they would have the next year.

While in high school Bonnie also discovered she could sing. She auditioned for two singing roles, Purlie and Shirley Temple’s On the Good Ship Lollipop. After she won both, choir director Jack Bowers asked Bonnie to audition for the top high school choir, The Meistersingers. She earned a place in the top choir and participated in that ensemble her last two years of high school. In the summer of 1973, after graduation, the choir was invited to perform Carmina Burana in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Bonnie knew she wanted to continue school so help from Mr. Bradley and College Director, Hall of Famer Dr. Charles Trayler, was needed. They helped her attend Abilene Christian University qualifying for loans, grants, and scholarships. While attending ACU, The Big Purple was invited to perform at TMEA and marched halftime shows for pro football teams in Dallas and Houston. Bonnie graduated from Abilene Christian in 1977. After graduation she was unable to find a teaching job so she worked at Gibson’s Discount Center in Big Spring. While working at Gibson’s she had the opportunity to teach private lessons and travel with the band the rest of the school year.


Bonnie’s first real teaching job was in Seagraves, Texas with Hall of Famer Bill
Woods. Unlike a lot of West Texas small schools at that time, Seagraves was not
afraid to hire a Black teacher. She spent three years there working as choir director and assistant band director. Her second teaching job was in her home town of Big Spring. She worked there three years as assistant band and choir director and 5th grade music teacher. Mr. Bradley encouraged Bonnie to travel to San Angelo for three summers and earn her Master of Music Ed. degree. She also had the opportunity to work with Big Spring’s Winter Guard, known as Mariah. They competed in south Texas and traveled to Ohio for the National Winter Guard Championships. Mr. Bradley ran the Mariah organization and set up all trips.

Towards the end of Bonnie’s third year, Mr. Bradley passed away and she moved to her third job. While working eight years alone in Hamlin, Bonnie taught
grades 5-12. This was her first opportunity to compete in UIL as a head director. The Hamlin High School band earned numerous Special and Sweepstakes Awards. Bonniewas lucky enough that a very young J. Eric Wilson needed time to teach in Hamlin the Spring of 1992. That same spring she was named Outstanding Educator for the City of Hamlin and she left for her fourth and last teaching job.

Bonnie was hired by Superintendent Jerry Blakely for the head director’s job in Littlefield. Mr. Blakely, taught by Bill Woods, was extremely supportive and not concerned about UIL ratings. He wanted Bonnie to get control of the program and then she could worry about winning. Their marching bands were very competitive. Littlefield sent four consecutive marching bands to the UIL State Marching Band Contest in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. In 2019 the senior band class of Littlefield High went to the school principal and asked how to get permission to change the name of the high school band hall to The Bonnie F Anderson Band Hall. With help from Principal Ricky Hobbs, the school board granted them permission and the spring when Covid shut down Texas schools, Bonnie’s name was placed on the building.

The Littlefield bands placed in the top ten for ATSSB’s OPS (Outstanding Performance Series) awards in 2002, 2016, and 2018. In Bonnie’s thirty two years in Littlefield, the band earned twenty five Sweepstakes Awards. Bonnie was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu fraternity in 1994 and served on the membership committee. She was named Woman of the Year in 2005 by the Littlefield Chamber of Commerce and was chosen as Tafe’s Teacher of the Year in 2018 and 2025. In 2018 Bonnie was nominated for and received the UIL Service of Excellence Award by high school principal Ricky Hobbs.

Bonnie served as the 3A representative on the ATSSB State Board from 2021-2025. She was lucky to have worked with some really great directors, but Miss Gina Muela was the best. She was a great band director and a wonderful friend.
Some of the other directors working with her were Danny Norris, Sheila Huggins,
George Riddel, Mark Halimicek, Kevin Kreutler, and Talitha Cook. A big thank you
to her mentors: the late Bill Woods, the late Eddie Green, Byron Morgan, Anthony
Gibson, Stan Mauldin, Richard Crain, and Mr.Keith Bearden. They were there
whenever she needed them.

She is a member of the following: Delta Kappa Gamma, Mu Phi Epsilon, Phi Beta Mu, ATSSB, TMEA, TBA, and TMAA. She would alsolike to thank the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame Committee for this award.

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