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By Elaina Estlack, The Clarendon Enterprise

It was just a normal Saturday matinee showing of “Old Yeller” at the Mulkey Theatre in 1964, but for eight-year-old Garre LaGrone, the experience would last a lifetime.

Sixty-one years later, on Saturday, July 12, 2025, three young kids were given the opportunity to star in a music video at the Mulkey Theatre for the Grass Daddies, a bluegrass band. The song, entitled “Old Yeller,” was written by LaGrone, the band’s lead singer. He took inspiration from the film of the same name, focusing on the morals and themes presented throughout, rather than the movie itself.

“It’s got a great message of old-fashioned values and hard work – that life’s not perfect,” LaGrone said. “ You get knocked down, but you’ve got to get back up.”

LaGrone was born in Amarillo in 1956 and grew up in Canyon, but he has always had ties to Clarendon. His parents, Betty Thompson LaGrone and Odell LaGrone, grew up in Clarendon, and he had several family members in Clarendon.

“All of my school years were in Canyon, first grade through high school,” LaGrone said. “My mother and dad grew up in Clarendon. That’s my connection with Clarendon.”

LaGrone’s interest in music began at a young age, singing with his choir at the First Baptist Church in Canyon. He grew up with several influences in music, but the most significant was his grandfather, Jake LaGrone.

“He was probably the biggest influence on me when I was growing up,” LaGrone said. “He was an old-time fiddler and on my album there’s a song called ‘A Little Fiddlin’. That song was written about him.”

LaGrone’s only formal music education was piano lessons, which only lasted a week.

“The lady got so frustrated with me that I wasn’t trying to read the music,” LaGrone said. “I was just trying to figure it out.”

LaGrone went on to teach himself the piano, keyboard, and guitar.

“I never could read a note of music ever,” LaGrone said. “I just played by ear.”

As a kid, LaGrone attended several movies at the Mulkey Theatre in Clarendon while visiting relatives, but the most impactful was “Old Yeller.”

“I just always loved it, the story of the movie,” LaGrone said. “Sometimes, life’s not fair, but you just got to look at the good instead of the bad.”

It was this experience that inspired him to write the song and record the music video at the Mulkey. He was given the opportunity to have local kids Monroe Newhouse, Kylie Glover, and J.T. Shelton act in the video. Newhouse was the main star and is actually a distant cousin of LaGrone, bearing a resemblance to an eight-year-old LaGrone.

“He’s about the same age I was when I saw the movie,” LaGrone said. “He looks a little bit like I looked back then. He is so cute.”

The kids fit their roles perfectly, needing little to no direction for lines and scenes.

“They just acted it out perfectly. It was so cool,” LaGrone said. “It was just a God thing. It was meant to be.”

The video takes the viewers back in time to that Saturday in 1964 with “Old Yeller” on the big screen at the Mulkey. It pays homage to

LaGrone and his friends watching the film for the first time and how impactful that day truly was.

This, however, was not the original plan. At first, all LaGrone wanted was a few pictures of the Mulkey marquee to use in the video, but everything started to coalesce to create an entire story in the theatre. They were able to use the original ticket booth and concession stand, the same one used by LaGrone all those years ago, as well as a recreation of the original “Old Yeller” movie poster.

“It all just came together. It was really special,” LaGrone said. “It really turned out great.”

Editor’s Note: The “Old Yeller” song is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. The video can be seen at MulkeyTheatre.com.

The seventh annual Howardwick Hoedown raised more money than last year and was a huge success with a great day of fun and fellowship last Saturday at McMorries Memorial Park.

City Secretary Sandy Lynn Childress said the turnout was great and said more food was bought this year than ever before.

A total of $9,643 after expenses will be going to the City of Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department. That’s an increase of more than $500 compared to last year.

Jesse Burrow and Anna Broussard won the Challenger 200EX, which was this year’s big drawing. Several other prizes were raffled off during the day.

The Putting Contest winners this year were Judy Bland, first; D.K. Robinson, second; and Conrad Lucero, third.

Kay Philley Dye was the winner of the first annual poker run.

The community event was a great opportunity for fellowship, and many people attended to enjoy the vendors, food prepared by volunteers, and music throughout the day.

The Clarendon Enterprise received 14 awards at the 116th annual Panhandle Press Association Convention in Amarillo last weekend to claim the General Excellence Award.

Competing in Division One for weekly newspapers, the Enterprise earned 12 first place awards and placed second in two other categories.

Sandy Anderberg won First Place for the Enterprise for Sports Writing, and the crew of Tara Allred, Ashlee Estlack, and Roger Estlack won First Place for Advertising Designs. Entries by Roger and Ashlee Estlack and Kari Lindsey took first place in Human Interest Photos.

The Enterprise was also first place Front Page Layout, News Writing, Spot News Photos, Society & Lifestyles, Serious Columns, Special Section, Editorials, and Website. Feature Stories by Roger Estlack and Sandy Anderberg were first place as well.

Elaina Estlack was second in Sports Photos, and the Enterprise was also second in Headline Writing.

Cub Reporter Benjamin Estlack was named as one of this year’s PPA Scholarship Award winners.

Carol Whitmire of the Quanah Tribune-Chief and Shaun and Frank Wink of the Panhandle Herald were named to the Hall of Fame this year.

PPA officers for the coming year are President Tara Huff of the Eagle Press in Fritch/Borger, Vice President Shane Lance of Quanah, Immediate Past President Tim Ritter of the Canyon News, and Secretary Roger Estlack of Clarendon. They are joined on the board by directors Jeff Blackmon of Hereford, Shannon Cook of Canyon, Macee Sater of Groom, Suzanne Bellsnyder of Spearman, and Shaun Wink of Panhandle.

Attending this year’s Panhandle Press Association convention from Clarendon were Roger, Ashlee, Benjamin, and Elaina Estlack; Tara Allred; and Emmalyne Roys.