Who We Are-WWR

WESLEY, WINONA, AND RAMONA

EARN A PLACE IN NASHVILLE’S

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Wesley Vowell and the Diamond Twins (Winona and her late sister Ramona) have been singing county music (and country-gospel music) for decades. If you click on “MUSIC TIDBITS” and listen to the brief musical excerpts, you’ll probably agree that, whatever their background or age, they sound as hip as anyone on the air these days.

Nowadays, whenever Vowell and his wife Winona perform on stage, they are joined by Winona’s daughter Susan, who sounds as hip as her mom and her mom’s sister.

The original trio was so well-known and so well-regarded, their photos and recordings from the past have just been added to the archives of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Their info is also scheduled to be published in a book later this year.

In the 1950s — long before “American Idol” came along — Winona and Ramona Diamond entered a weekly radio talent show on W-A-C-O radio in Waco, Texas. After winning the contest several times (you could call them “Waco Idols”), they were asked to sing the program’s theme song each week. After a few weeks, the Twins were then asked to perform on a weekly radio program with the Lone Star Playboys, a very popular local band. The Twins performed with the Playboys on W-A-C-O and did stage appearances with them for several years.

As teenagers, the Twins performed each week for quite sometime on the Big State Jubilee in Waco, along with the Lone Star Playboys, the house band.

About the same time, Wesley Vowell began his career on the Big State Jubilee. Combined successes on that show led Vowell and the Twins to an opportunity to appear on a bigger show, the Big D Jamboree in Dallas, Texas. The Big D Jamboree operated at the same level as the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry, all three of which featured Elvis Presley during his early days.

Vowell and the Diamond Twins became regulars on the Saturday night country music show, which was broadcast on KRLD-TV, KRLD radio, and the CBS Radio network. These shows and appearances afforded them opportunity to meet and work with the major country music artists of that time.

The Twins went on to become regulars on the Bluebonnet Barn Dance, a weekly television program broadcast from KCEN-TV,Temple-Waco. The show was extremely popular and afforded the Twins many personal appearances throughout central Texas. At one point, the Diamond Twins were invited to appear with the late Bob Wills and his band during an appearance in Waco. The girls were real excited about appearing with Wills and standing next to him as they performed. “I remember thinking,” Winona says, “that I was doing something that a lot of people wish they could have done — but never got the chance.” The appearance with Bob Wills is one of Winona’s fondest memories.

The Twins, along with Vowell, also had their own radio show on KWTX in Waco.

Wesley subsequently became a character on “The Uncle Elihu Show,’ a daily children’s program on KWTX-TV. Known as “Young Wes,’ he played the guitar and sang folk songs. The program was on the air for three years. Vowell than entered the U. S. Air Force, was assigned to Special Services, and entertained troops throughout the United States, Taiwan, The Phillipines, and Thailand.

Wesley Vowell and Winona Diamond married in 1967 and raised a family while performing all over Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida. Ramona Diamond moved to Florida, got married, and performed in a Gospel Quartet.

In the mid 1990s, Ramona returned to Waco and the Twins began to perform together again. They appeared on “Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue” in Fort Worth, “The Cross Timbers Opry” in Stephenville, “The Mesquite Opry,” and several others in the North Texas area. The Twins were also featured at a Western Swing Reunion with Johnny Gimble, Leon Rausch, and other members of the old Bob Wills band. Wesley Vowell appeared with the Twins on all of these programs. The Twins either sang backup for Vowell or the three performed as a trio.

Early in our new century, the Twins appeared on Ernest Tubb’s “Midnight Jamboree” broadcast on WSM radio in Nashville. The Twins and Vowell then appeared with Justin Tubb to mark the induction of Ernest Tubb into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. They also performed when Floyd Tillman was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Twins and Vowell renewed their friendship — and appeared with — the Light Crust Doughboys. They first performed with this band on the Big D Jamboree.

In 2003, Ramona passed away, but her voice and her music live on, thanks to her sister Winona, her sister’s daughter Susan, and her brother-in-law Wesley.

In recent years, Wesley, Winona, and Susan have performed gospel music with The New Day Band. In addition, Wesley has written numerous gospel songs that can be heard on www.sparklemusic.com