I played guitar with Al (Osteen) and his brother Louis in High School in Anderson, SC. Louis played banjo and bass. Louis and I would go over to Larry Jefferson's house to pick. We also played with Lance Leroy (Fiddle), Curly Ellis, Charlie Moore, Ansel Guthrie, Vern Rowland, and many others in the upstate SC area.

I went to the Mountain Rest festival in 64 and saw Curtis and his wife Bonnie sing gospel songs at the show. This was just after Al and I made a trip to Union Grove 65 where The New York Ramblers had just won best band. I thought Curtis could sing just as good. So I got Al and we went up to the Mountain Rest area to find Curtis. We did, introduced ourselves, got out our instruments and started to pick. We picked up Larry. Sam was with Curtis and started the Dixie Bluegrass Boys.

We played many a festival and some Community Centers, won the 1967 Asheville, NC folk festival, made a record while I was in Viet Nam. This is just for history of our band.

I live in Asheville now and still play music. We have had some "original" band member reuinons. The last was in Lavonia, Ga. Also Al and I were the Bluegrass band for Six Flags of Georgia the year they opened in the summer of 1968. I could fill you in on some of the other Atlanta pickers. Al, Louis and I went over to Walter's (Butler) house to play and listen at his pickin' parties. Walter Beckman

Walter joining with Curtis Blackwell and theDixie Bluegrass Boys including (L to R) Al Osteen - banjo, Larry Jeffries - mandolin, Martin Beckman - guitar, Walter, Curtis Blackwell on guitar,  and Sam Cobb on bass. Circa 1961.