Max (Barry) Booker - (1934-2011)
(1934 – 2011)
Max (Barry) Booker, 76, of Friendswood, Texas passed away on March 20, 2011 in Webster, TX. He was born to Thomas and Nina (McNiel) on May 1, 1934 in San Saba, TX.
Max was one of the first musicians who attended the monthly music event at Pearl and he was known for the friendly and helpful way he always welcomed new comers to join the jamming circle. Max loved playing his guitar with his friends and he hardly ever missed a single time at Pearl until he developed a problem with his breathing. Although Max lived nearly 5 hours away he continued to drive that long distance every month to play at Pearl even once he had to carry an oxygen tank along with him to breathe. Even after Max got too weak to drive himself he often still either found a friend who could come with him or paid a nurse to drive him to Pearl !
Max was a big fan of Chet Atkins' guitar style and he owned almost every recording Chet made. He loved to share and learn interesting tunes and chord progressions with the other guitar players in the Texas Swing room at Pearl. The photo of Max strumming his guitar was taken in that room at Pearl. A few of the songs Max especially loved to play were "Misty", "Starry, Starry Night", and "Sir John E. McDonald's Waltz". Max liked to provide guitar backup for the fiddle players and now whenever the fiddlers at Pearl play McDonald's Waltz we always remember him and say, "This one's for Max".
