Marshall - The Birthplace of Boogie Woogie Marker Dedication Ceremony

John Tennison and Jack Canson.

According to the text of the marker, "Most logging camps had a piano in the barrel houses to keep the workers entertained and in the camps at night. It was in these barrel houses of East Texas logging camps where the first Boogie Woogies were played as largely untrained piano players developed techniques to entertain working-class audiences under loud, chaotic and often dangerous conditions. The driving left-hand bass patterns that are uniquely characteristic of Boogie Woogie piano, so highly suggestive of a steam locomotive chugging over iron rails, clearly are inspired and influenced by the sounds of the logging camp and the rail yard.”

Tennison said, in fact, the music remains the most influential musical genre ever to have originated in Texas. Giving his history with the music, Tennison, who is originally from Texarkana and started playing Boogie Woogie in first grade, said he wasn’t initially aware of the wealth of evidence that linked the genre’s origin to Texas until he played a trivia card game on the topic in 1985.