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On August 13th , 2025 , my wife , Monica (Chance) Hackler and I Gary Hackler left our home in Hemphill, TX to travel to Austin, TX to participate in the 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert Of The Singing Men Of Texas on August 15th at the Riverbend Center For The Arts . Six Chapters of Singing Men participated in the event from throughout Texas. The opening act was a group called The Texas Country Boys. Over the last five years I performed with the Singing Men Of East Texas at many churches throughout the area. We had a full orchestra that participated in the program along with all of the members of our Singing Men Choir. The group performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City several years before I moved to the area . I’m sure that would have been one , if not the best , venues to sing in anywhere in The USA, however singing in Austin, TX at a venue like the Riverbend Center was second to none. I was the only one who was able to participate in the event from my home church, FBC, Hemphill, TX ,due to others in the group that had scheduling conflicts . , I had the pleasure of joining the group after I moved from the Texas Gulf Coast where I sang in our choir for many years during Easter at FBC, Brazoria, TX. There our church performed The Great Passion Play with a full choir , live animals and the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I still sing in our choir at FBC Hemphill, TX. It has been my privilege to represent FBC, Hemphill along with others that previously participated from our church including our Former pastor , Troy Richardson , Former Music Director David Woods, Pianist Bob Wood, Former Youth Director, Charles Watson and others who may have been previously in the group. A huge thank you to all of those who directed us , were in the Orchestra, our family members that attended our 50th Anniversary Celebration, The Riverbend Center For The Arts that hosted us in our State Capitol in Austin ,TX . God Bless You All.
