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TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME
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Waymon Bullock - Class of 2002
 

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Waymon Bullock was born on May 27, 1936, in Homer, Texas, to Leamon and Carnie Bullock. He received his public school education in Lufkin where he studied instrumental music with Carl Lively and the late Hugh Byrd. After graduating from Lufkin High School in 1954, he attended Lamar University where he studied trombone with Richard Burkhart, theory with the late Paul Holmes, and scoring, arranging and band techniques with the late Charles A. “Pete” Wiley—a member of the Hall of Fame.

His first teaching experience was in Diboll where he taught for three years. He then moved to Dayton for four years and in 1964 he returned to Lufkin. He taught in Lufkin for twenty-two years, first serving as junior high band director, and then as high school band director. During those years, Waymon completed a master’s degree from Stephen F. Austin University where he also earned his public school administrator’s certificate.

The Lufkin High School band was selected to represent Texas as the Honor Band at the Four States Bandmasters Association in 1982. His concert bands successfully competed in national contests in St. Louis, Kansas City, Daytona Beach, and Gatlinburg. While in Lufkin, Waymon’s bands received twenty UIL Sweepstakes Awards. His marching bands were at the forefront in developing the present military style drill used by many of today’s East Texas bands. Videos and films of Lufkin’s marching drills are distributed nationwide, and many innovations and creations used in those drills have become standard techniques for military marching bands.

Waymon retired from his teaching career in 1987, when he was granted disability retirement from full-time teaching after suffering a school-related accident in 1984.
Sometime in the late 70’s or 80’s, an election was held in the “State of the Tall Pines” and Waymon was elected ‘Band Czar.’ His duties were to oversee the bands, and serve as a mentor to young band directors. During these years he helped many schools solve problems because of band director shortages; serving Garrison in 1993, Huntington in 1998, and Hemphill in 2000. Other duties as ‘Band Czar’ include living close to good fishing, having plenty of space for pitching horseshoes and washers (a must for band directors in the area), and keeping a list of out-of-the-way Bar-B-Q places.

Waymon taught Brass Methods classes at Stephen F. Austin, and is presently acting as consultant to the Nacogdoches band program. He continues to be sought after in the area of music as a consultant, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Texas and surrounding states.

Waymon is the Executive Secretary for Region XXI UIL Music, and has been an area UIL marching contest director since its formation by the League. He is the Executive Secretary of the National Association of Military Marching Bands, an organization he helped form in 1979. In 1994, Waymon was inducted into the Stephen F. Austin University Band Directors Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was awarded the Lifetime Meritorious Achievement Award by TBA. He is past President of the National Association of Military Marching Bands, past President of TBA, a charter member of TMAA, a member of TMEA and Phi Beta Mu.

Waymon now lives in the small community of Etoile on Lake Sam Rayburn, where he enjoys fishing and gardening when he is not working bands. He and his wife Kay have been married for forty-five years; have four children, and thirteen grandchildren.

Texas, as well as the “State of Tall Pines,” is fortunate to have an educator like Waymon Bullock. Mr. Bullock passed away in November of 2014.


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