COUNTY LIFE
Music: ‘You feel it or you don’t’ – Nocona musician keeps going back to his roots
By BARBARA GREEN
Mark Murphey is a man of many faces: Auctioneer, county commissioner, family man volunteer firefighter and professional musician.
While he has many business endeavors, music has been a constant in his life taking him down many colorful roads with adventures.
Murphey was born 51 years ago in Dallas to Fern and John Murphey, but his Montague County roots run deep. His great grandmother, “Zootie” Tombs Jennings ran the general store at Red River Station at the turn of the century. His ancestors are buried at Molsbee Chapel.
John and Fern moved his family to Nocona in 1965, and Mark recalls his dad “sorta quit” performing when he came along, although John still made some jamborees. With his musician father, it was no surprise music settled into his soul.
“As a kid I listened to the Grand Old Opry on the radio and we watched Hee Haw, then I saw dad at the jamborees. I was playing by age 10 starting with the banjo, mandolin and guitar. I couldn’t figure out my instrument. Dad told me to stick with one and I would get good at it, so I am still only halfway good at several,” laughs Murphey.
Meet this local musician in your weekend News and learn how music continues to be an integral part of his life.
Mark Murphey has been a musician almost all of his life, although his career path has taken many turns. (Courtesy photo taken at Texas Nightlife)
Nocona is preparing for the 74th annual Chisholm Trail Rodeo May 8 and 9 at the Chisholm Trail Arena.
The rodeo will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nightly with the Ryan Ready Band playing for the rodeo dance afterward on Saturday night. Tickets in advance are $12 and $15 at the gate.
All the traditional rodeo events are planned along with non-sanctioned events of junior barrels for 16 and under. There is $250 added each night, a jackpot nightly and contestants have a $50 entry fee. Entries open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 4-5.
The new Chisholm Trail Rodeo Queen and Princess will be crowned during Saturday night’s performance. Read about these young ladies in your Thursday Bowie New.
Clara Anderson
TxDOT is hosting a virtual meeting to review projects included in the 2027-2030 Rural TIP.
The program is at 4 p.m. on May 6 and 11:59 p.m. on May 19, all online at https://bit.ly/4uhDwMG
The Rural TIP is a list of local projects to be funded during the next four years in the Wichita Falls District of the Texas Department of Transportation.
The counties included are Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Montague, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young. Transportation projects cannot receive federal funding unless they are included in the Rural TIP. This includes projects for private vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, public transport, and commercial vehicles.
A section of Roach Street has been closed for the last few weeks as a new sewer line was installed replacing old clay tile line. It is phase two of multi-phase sewer line project across the city funded through a Texas Water Development Board loan of more than $9.7 million. The project will replace nearly10 miles of aging lines. (News photo by Barbara Green)
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