Last edited:  11/18/2005

Lloyd Frank Wright

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Lloyd and Steve Seifert have a new CD out called Duets.

In 1994, the Wright family was on vacation traveling through Missouri and Arkansas. While visiting caves in Missouri, three separate and complete strangers to Jerry and Margaret (Lloyd's mom and dad) approached them and said, "You should see Blanchard Springs Caverns in Mountain View, Arkansas." Thinking it would be a nice thing to do, Margaret looked for Mountain View on the map.

Arriving at the campground in the late afternoon, Jerry asked the owner of the campground, "Is there anything to do around here in the evening?" Now if you know about Mountain View, you will know that it is a great place to be if you are looking for folk music. There is the Ozark Folk Center with great shows in the evening, there are the private show places around town and then there is the Square. There are always musicians on the Square.

Well, Jerry, Margaret, Hollis and Lloyd cleaned up and headed for an evening at the Ozark Folk Center. After the concert they headed for the Square. By now they were hooked. Blanchard Springs Caverns were eventually visited about three days later. On the way to the Ozark Folk Center you pass McSpadden's Dulcimer Shoppe. The sign out front says that you can watch them build the dulcimers. Being a wood worker, Jerry wanted to stop in. The famous line for the day came from Margaret as the family was walking across the parking lot. Margaret commented, "We're not going to buy a dulcimer!" Jerry replied that he just wanted to watch them work.

Once inside, Jerry went to the back. Glass windows allow visitors to watch the workers. After a few minutes Jerry walked back toward the front to find Margaret. She was in a little area where the dulcimers were displayed. Lynn McSpadden was sitting next to her. Margaret had a dulcimer in her lap playing Bile Them Cabbage. In a few minutes a small crowd gathered, listening to Lynn and Margaret play. The next thing Jerry knew, Margaret had pulled out the old Master Card and was purchasing a fine new, walnut and spruce mountain dulcimer. Lynn said that there was a very active dulcimer club in Houston.

Jerry is from Hardin County in East Texas and Margaret is from Charleston, S.C. They met at church while Jerry was in Charleston in the Navy. They were married in 1975. Jerry was working for the Houston Police Department. Hollis was born in 1979 and Lloyd was born in 1982. When Lloyd was only a few months old, the Wrights moved from the City of Houston to a very rural East Texas community in Houston County. Jerry was a deputy sheriff and Margaret started teaching 6th grade music in Crockett, Texas. Since Margaret has a degree in music, on a couple of occasions she attempted to teach piano to the boys but it seemed the lessons would only last for about a week.

In 1990 Jerry was called back into the Navy for active duty because of Desert Shield/Storm/Sortie and was not released until 1991. In 1992, the family moved back to the City of Houston where once again Jerry went to work for the Houston Police Department.

So in September of 1994 Jerry and Margaret attended a meeting of the North Harris County Dulcimer Society in Houston, Texas. They returned home after the meeting and told the boys that they should go the next month. Hollis and Lloyd attended their first meeting in October of 1994. Lloyd was 12 and Hollis was 15. They were hooked. At that time the family only had one dulcimer. Larry Barringer loaned Lloyd a mountain dulcimer, an Autoharp was acquired for Hollis and Jerry ordered a pickin stick from Larry Barringer. By Christmas the family was playing in public. Jerry had sung in church all of his life but had no idea that he had any musical gifts. Their parents were amazed at how quickly Hollis and Lloyd learned their new-found instruments. Jerry and Margaret purchased a used McSpadden from Steve Heiser and gave it to Lloyd for Christmas. On a family outing to Galveston, some folks heard the family playing their instruments and gave Hollis and Lloyd $50 each. This money went for more instruments.

Everyone in the family learned fast, well Jerry was a little slow at first. The folks with the North Harris County Dulcimer Society were very supportive. The club members also played a lot in public. One such play was early in 1995 at Washington-On-The-Brazos. An old time string band was there also. Margaret and Jerry loved the music. Then at a break, Jerry noticed that one of the members of Sweet Song String Band was over in the corner jamming with Lloyd. Scott Jackson had his guitar and Lloyd was playing the mountain dulcimer.

Everyone said that we just had to go to Glen Rose. That is where the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival is held each May. In 1995 the Wright family attended their first festival. Polly Williams insisted that Lloyd enter the mountain dulcimer contest. He was only 13 and had been playing less that a year. He didn't make a showing but he played well. It was kinda fun. On Sunday when the festival was winding down, there was time for an open mike. Lloyd and Hollis wanted to play. They asked and were brought to the stage. Folks were impressed with these two young men playing old time music. Dana Hamilton asked them to play more tunes. Then he asked them to open the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival in 1996. On a trip to Tennessee in 1996, the Wrights visited with Bob and Maude Mize for the first time. Robert Mize is the featured dulcimer builder in Foxfire 3.

Early in 1997 the family traveled to Covington, Louisiana and attend the dulcimer festival. It was there they met Don Pedi. Don invited the family to visit him in North Carolina. In May Lloyd entered the state contest in Glen Rose and made it to the top five. In June the Wrights were in North Carolina where Don introduced them to Mars Hill. There is a lot of great old time music played in Madison County, North Carolina. Lloyd got to be friends with another young musician - Josh Goforth. 

In 1998 on a return trip to Covington, Lloyd was introduced to Steve Seifert and David Schnaufer. In the summer of 1998, Steve spent a week in Kennard (the country house) recording Hollis, Lloyd, James Butcher, Christina Ryan and Benjamin Hester - all teenagers.

In September of 1998, Jerry, Lloyd and Ken Ryan drove to Winfield, Kansas. Lloyd competed on the national level and did not place.

At the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival in 1999, Lloyd came in 1st place. At Winfield that same year he placed in the top five.

Two CDs were recorded in 2000, one with the fiddler, Bill Thurman. Lloyd joins Bill with his old time banjo, guitar and mountain dulcimer. The second CD is with Lloyd's family. On The Family Album, Lloyd plays old time banjo and guitar and even sings on a couple of the songs. Bill Thurman with his fiddle and Ken Ryan with his bass join the Wrights on the CD. Lloyd became the National Mountain Dulcimer Champion at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield in September 2000.

Margaret has written a series of Twelve Tune Song Books for the mountain dulcimer. Since the tunes are simple and easy to read, they have become very popular across the United States. There is also a CD that goes with the song books. Brother Hollis, is a two time 3rd place State Champion on the Autoharp. Jerry is known for his pickin stick and tall tales. Jerry also created and maintains a web site for dulcimer players in and around East Texas. East Texas Dulcimers

The dulcimer, it's music and the folks that you meet has added so much to the lives of Jerry, Margaret, Hollis and Lloyd. We sometimes wonder who those three people were who told us that we should see Blanchard Springs Caverns - sometimes we even wonder if maybe we had been visited by Angels.

Lloyd grew up in Kennard and Bellaire, Texas. Lloyd graduated in 2000 from Bellaire High School where he was very active in J.R.O.T.C. He lived in Nashville, Tennessee for about a year and now he is back in Texas.



Competition History of Lloyd Frank Wright

Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival State Mountain Dulcimer Contest

1995 - Did not place

1997 - Top five

1998 - 2nd place

1999 - 1st place

Mountain View, Arkansas Regional Mountain Dulcimer Contest

1998 - 4th place

Walnut Valley Festival National Mountain Dulcimer Contest

1998 - Did not place

1999 - Top five

2000 - 1st place

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