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'King of the Sidewalk' remembered

MULESHOE — Mike Jones has had plenty of encounters with popular musicians in his 62 years on earth.

He’s met George Strait, Olivia Newton-John, Reba McEntire and others, mostly when his Jaycees service club provided security at Lubbock’s municipal coliseum.

But his first, and most memorable, experience with celebrity royalty happened at his house on Muleshoe’s Cedar Street when he was 9 or 10 years old.

Jones’ dad, Owen Jones, was president of Muleshoe’s little league. Their neighbor, Donald Prather, grew up best friends with country music hall of famer Roger Miller in Erick, Oklahoma. The Muleshoe community was trying to raise money for a new ball field. And so Prather called his friend.

Miller played two sold-out performances at the high school auditorium.

After the concerts, Miller, Prather and others gathered at the Jones’ house to count the money, eat and have some fun.

“He (Miller) wanted fried chicken and mashed potatoes,” Jones said. “Some of the women in the neighborhood got together and fixed it for him.”

That was the least they could do for the “King of the Road” songwriter, whom Jones said waived all fees, even his travel expenses, and donated all the proceeds from the concert to Muleshoe’s little league. Roger Miller Park still hosts youth baseball games today.

Jones said Miller’s trip to Muleshoe was in 1963 or 1964, as best he can remember. Others who said they attended one of the concerts think it was closer to 1966.

Most agree it was prior to Miller’s TV variety show, which first aired Sept. 12, 1966.

The celebrity status didn’t have much impact on young Mike. He only knew Miller as a fun-loving friend of his father’s friend.

“I had a Stingray bike. He rode it up and down the sidewalk, singing ‘King of the Sidewalk’,” Jones said.

Tom Jones, Mike’s older brother, confirms at least part of that story.

“It was funny to see the man ride that banana-seat bicycle,” he said.

Tom Jones also confirms Miller was singing something, perhaps inspired by the Jack Daniels he started consuming during the concerts.

Miller’s nickname wasn’t “wild child” for nothing.

The memories of Miller’s visit were spurred last week when Mike Jones rediscovered some of the photos taken that evening.

“I have a baseball he signed somewhere,” he said.

He also kept a blackboard the family once used to leave notes for one another. They never used it again after Miller wrote, “Thanks to all,” and signed his name. “I sprayed it with hair spray so it wouldn’t get wiped off,” Jones said.

Not everybody today knows about Roger Miller. He died in 1992, at age 56, from lung cancer.

A few years ago, Jones said, some Muleshoe residents discussed renaming Roger Miller Park because they didn’t know about its history. They painted over the sign on the press box, and today there is no marking on the three-field complex indicating Miller’s role in its creation.

So Mike Jones tells the story whenever he can.

“King of the Road,” “Dang Me,” and “Chug-a-Lug” highlighted Miller’s career in the 1960s and led Country Music Television to rank him No. 23 among the Greatest Men of Country Music. He remained popular in the 1980s, especially after his “Old Friends” duet with Willie Nelson and his Tony Award-winning score for the musical “Big River.”

His fame may have faded with time, but for Mike Jones, Roger Miller will forever be the King of the Cedar Street Sidewalk.

David Stevens is editor for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at: [email protected]

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