Thomas Esker Wheeler (1931 - 2015)

Born 1 Feb 1931 in Scottsville, Kentucky

Ancestors

Son of Palmer Esker Wheeler and Lena Maud (Bandy) Wheeler

Husband of Lima Beth (Wood) Wheeler — married 12 Jan 1956 in Dallas, Texas

Descendants

Died 21 Nov 2015 at age 84 in Cedar Hill, Texas

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Vicki Wheeler [send private message]

Biography

Tommy Wheeler was born in Scottsville, Kentucky on February 1, 1931. His father, Palmer, was then singing with the Vaughan Quartet and the Stamps Quartet, the two leading Gospel Quartets of the era. In 1937, Palmer left quartet work, and moved to Henderson, Tennessee where he secured a teaching post at Freed-Hardeman College, as music teacher and choral director. N.B. Hardeman was the president of the college at that time.

It was at this time that Tommy began school in the 1st grade in the "demonstration" school department of the college.

Palmer left the College in 1940 and began his full time work with the Church, where he spent his summers traveling from place to place, either singing for Gospel Meetings, or teaching singing schools. Tommy's pre-teen years and his teen years were spent traveling with his father all over the south and west learning the fundamentals of music from his father through the singing schools he conducted. Through these various singing schools, Tommy was fortunate to become well acquainted with, and learn more fundamentals of music from other great music composers of the Church, such as Tillet S. Teddlie, L.O. Sanderson, Paul Epps and others.

In 1948, Palmer and his family moved to Dallas, Texas where Tommy went to and graduated from Adamson High School in Oak Cliff. While still in school, Tommy formed a quartet, and sang, not only for their own enjoyment, but for other special occasions as well. They sang a mixture of popular, western, and Gospel songs. It is at this time that Tommy began putting his prior musical teaching to practice, and arranged much of the music the quartet sang. As their singing ability and talent improved, they were fortunate to land a singing job on a local Dallas radio station WRR. The program was a variety program broadcast each Saturday. They were regulars on the show for a year. At this point, they named themselves "The Trinity Melody Boys." The name was taken from the fact that they all lived in the Trinity Heights section of Oak Cliff.

After his graduation from High School in 1950, Tommy enrolled in Abilene Christian College, in Abilene, Texas. While there he majored in music education. He played trumpet in the college band, and had some excellent music professors in his various music courses, such as theory, composition, and arranging. One of his teachers was the then head of the music department, Leonard Burford, the blind music professor who directed the ACC Acappella chorus. Learning the essentials of arranging music for band and orchestra, Tommy excelled in his arrangements and had them played by the school orchestra and band. With his arranging ability in good order, he also formed a small band of his own. They played both swing music as well as a lot of Dixieland music. They played for gatherings, parties, and a few basketball games. Not only this, but two of his high school quartet members also came to ACC, and Tommy reorganized his quartet and continued to improve in the gospel quartet singing area.

After graduating with a B.S. degree in music education, Tommy moved back to Dallas, where he worked for a while in a bank. In 1956, he met and married Beth Wood, a young Christian girl from the Gulf coast. This union produced three children, two boys and a girl. Tommy and his family then moved to Matador, Texas where he became band and chorus director in the High School there. During his tenure at Matador High School, he attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas to work on and receive his Masters Degree in Music.

In 1960 he and his family moved to Port Lavaca, Texas, on the Gulf coast, where he again served as a band director for the High School serving for the next three years. Finally, deciding that school teaching was not in his best interest, he moved back to Dallas, to again work at his former job in a bank. It was at this point in time that he seriously began to compose hymns, and Gospel songs. He gathered his old high school and college buddies back together again to re-form their quartet. Again, he started arranging their song material, but this time, he included many of his own Gospel compositions. He attempted to write some pop and country music, but found that this style was out of his field and interest. Therefore, he concentrated mainly on Gospel music. His musical foundation was largely in the Gospel field using the rich harmonies and rhythms of the currently popular Gospel Quartets. As he wrote more songs, he submitted many of them to the Stamps-Baxter and the Vaughan Music Publishers, for the publication and use in their song books. Some of his songs were accepted and published.

Then suddenly, on September 11, 1965, tragedy struck. His wife of nearly ten years drowned in a tragic accident. His world was suddenly turned upside down, and with three children to take care of, he turned to the one thing he loved best, the discipline of music. God works in mysterious ways, and with His guidance, Tommy was inspired to begin composing again, and in 1966 he composed and published "God Knows," in memory of his late wife. This song put into words some of the feelings he felt at his loss, and his dependence on God to carry us through our various trials.

Throughout this period of time and for the next few years, Tommy wrote a few original songs and arranged some for the current Gospel Quartets who were singing at that time. Some of these were The Plainsmen Quartet, The Galileans, The Statesmen Quartet, and some others.

In 1968, Tommy's life changed again, this time on a much happier note. Some of his friends introduced him to Joyce Preston, a young widow. Her husband had died about the same time that Tommy's wife had died. Soon, time and perseverance had it's way and they were married. She had two children of her own, and so this made a combined family of five children.

Tommy would not be satisfied with just the ordinary ceremony. This wedding had to be special. And so, to make it special just for them, Tommy composed his own wedding music, and had it sung at their wedding ceremony.

Another special event in Tommy's life began about 1956, and lasted some thirty years. The Skillman Avenue Church of Christ in Dallas began a television program that was telecast over the CBS affiliate station called "The Way Of Truth." It was a weekly program telecasted every Sunday morning. The program consisted of four or five songs, then a Bible lesson by the preacher of the Skillman Church. The Chorus was made up of various individuals from various congregations in the Dallas area. Over the next thirty years, several preachers took their turn on the program, beginning with John Bannister. There was also Stanley Lockhart, Virgil Trout, and others. When the program ended in the mid 1980's, Mike Armour was the last speaker. Not too long after the program was on the air, and because of time constraints, the entire program went to pre-recorded status instead of live. Soon after Tommy moved back to Dallas in the early 60's, he became a member of the singing chorus. Then in about a year, he graduated to become the official announcer for the program for the next thirty years. At some point during this time, Tommy composed a new song that he named "The Way Of Truth." The song was recorded and became the official theme song for the program, until it left the air.

Sometime in 1969, Tommy became aware of a few melodic phrases running though his head. One day, he sat down and jotted these down and began to contemplate what words and theme would best fit these musical bits and pieces of musical notes. A few days later, the song "I Love The Lord" had been born.

Thinking this song to be somewhat better than anything he had previously written, he immediately submitted it to the Stamps-Baxter music publishers to be used in one of their convention books. Tommy then went about his usual duties, and soon the song was completely forgotten. About a year later, as he was looking though some of his manuscripts, he remembered the song, but couldn't find it. Wondering what may have happened to it, he finally remembered that he had given it to the Stamps-Baxter publishers for publishing. He went to them and asked for his manuscript back. Tommy then published the song himself, along with other of his songs, as well as the songs written by his father, Palmer. The song book was titled "Gospel Gems." After this, Tommy also submitted the song to the Howard Publishing Co. Alton Howard then put it in his new hymnal for the Church. The rest is history. Now the song has been published in over a dozen church hymnals, and many other song books.

In 1977, Tommy worked with his father Palmer, producing a biographical song book of the Wheeler family. It is called "Down Memory Lane With The Wheelers." It contains biographies of each member of the Wheeler family, as well as several songs written by each person represented. The people included begins with the father and mother of the family, W.D., and Jane Wheeler, then all eight of their children. Tommy was the only grandchild to be included in the book.

In 1983, Ray Walker, the bass singer of the Jordanaires, came to Dallas to do a series of recordings, produced by Bill Shockley of Shockwave Productions. Tommy became involved with the specially selected group of singers to record with Mr. Walker. Tommy supplied several special arrangements for the recordings, as well as some of his own original songs. As Mr. Walker became more popular in special church congregational singings, more of these tapes were sold.

Max Wheeler, a cousin of Tommy's, was also a member of these special recording groups. At this point, Tommy and Max teamed up to write songs together. Max would write the words, and Tommy would compose the music to go with the words. As a team, over the years, they produced hundreds of songs together. They began to send their songs to several of the convention song book publishers to be included in their song books. Tommy and Max began attending the various conventions that were held around the country. The various "conventions" were made up of hundreds of people from several states who come together to sing the hundreds of new songs in the books put out by the various publishers. At one point in time, there were at least seven different publishers all putting out their own books. As Tommy and Max made these conventions to promote their own songs, they traveled not only in Texas, but to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee as well. Once a year the various "state" conventions convene in a "National" convention at a pre-selected city and state. Thousands of people usually attend these, and all publishers are represented. They use set rules that a song director can direct only one time, and sing only one song. This is to allow for as many song directors as possible, and to also allow for a greater variety of songs. At the 1995 National in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Tommy was surprised and honored to hear his song "He's So Good To Me" sung, not once, but five separate times.

Through their involvement in the singing conventions, Tommy and Max were privileged to meet Bro. Robert Arnold, who wrote the song "No Tears In Heaven." Bro. Arnold was 92 years old at the time, and was also one of the song book publishers. He was a very active person, and was privileged to sing solos at these conventions. Max thought it might be good if he and Tommy could sing in a quartet with Bro. Arnold. He suggested the idea to Tommy, and considering Bro. Arnold's age at the time (he was 96 years old) thought it might be the last time they would get the opportunity to sing with him. Max set up the recording equipment, and secured another singer, and together they sang "No Tears In Heaven." Not long after that event, Bro. Arnold passed away.

In 1996, a special singing was held at the Cedar Hill Church Of Christ in Cedar Hill, Texas. It was to honor Tommy on his 65th birthday on Feb. 1st. Tommy published a song book to be used at the singing. It contained not only a few of Tommy's songs, but some of Max Wheeler's, and some of Palmer Wheeler's songs. The singing was successful with a coffee and cake reception to follow. There were an estimated 250 to 300 people present that evening. What made this unusual was that on that very day the whole of north and east Texas was under a heavy ice storm, yet even some braved the weather to attend from out of state.

In Dallas, Texas there is a Senior Choral group which is a community chorus, not associated with any religious organization. One must be 55 years of age to be a member of this group. They are called "Silver Serenaders of Texas," directed by Jim Palmer. The group varies in size from about 75 to 120 members. They sing a varied program, from popular standard numbers, western music, religious and Broadway musicals. They also travel extensively from coast to coast, as well as scheduling programs in the Dallas area.

In 1998, after his retirement, Tommy joined the group. In time, the director learned of Tommy's composing abilities, and asked him to compose a song for them. He composed and gave them "The Circle Of His Love" which they used for two years. Then he was asked for more songs, so eventually Tommy composed, and made arrangements of a total of five songs. Mr. Palmer then included all five numbers on their program schedule one year.

It eventually came about that Tommy and his wife moved from the Dallas area to East Texas, an area called Holly Lake Ranch. He stayed with the Silver Serenaders and continued to drive over 100 miles each week for rehearsals and performances. In 2008, he finally had to drop out, after singing with them for ten years.

Tommy has been a member of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers and Publishers, a national organization, as well as the National Hymn Society of America.^[1]

Tommy passed away November 21, 2015 in Dallas, Texas at age 84. Tommy is survived by his wife, Joyce Wheeler of Cedar Hill; sons, Dennis Wheeler and wife Vicki, and Gary Wheeler and wife Diane, daughter Kathy LeMay and husband Steve, and George Preston and wife Terry, and Sandra Smolensky and husband Sheldon; eleven grandchildren and ten great-grand children. Tommy is preceded in death by his first wife Beth Wood Wheeler in 1965. Tommy was a talented songwriter and musician. His most notable song was "I love the Lord" which is sung in churches throughout the United States and other countries. ^[2]

Sources

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a 150 cM Family Finder match between Dennis Wheeler and his paternal second cousin once removed, Joyce Lombardi. see Relationship Finder
• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a 99 cM Family Finder match between Dennis Wheeler and his paternal third cousin once removed, Neil Wheeler. see Relationship Finder
• Maternal relationship is confirmed by a 209 cM Family Finder match between Dennis Wheeler and his paternal second cousin, William R Miller.

1. ↑ First-hand information. Written by Tommy Wheeler. Edited by Dennis and Vicki Wheeler
2. ↑ First-hand information. Entered by Dennis Wheeler