Jim Whitsitt - Vocals, Lead & Acoustic Guitar

I started playing guitar at the age of 13 and quickly became submersed in what is now Classic Rock and Roll emulating the likes of my favorite rockers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, The Stones and the Eagles. “I actually learned to play the guitar by watching different guitarists on variety shows during the 1960’s”. I have played with a variety of musicians through the years ranging from rock to country & western and folk.

My first band was formed around 1965 or 1966 when I was in Jr. High. The band was called “The Rejects”. We played mainly class parties and a few gigs at the local bowling alley which is now Rick’s Electronics and is owned by Texas 281 steel guitar sideman Rick Smith. I continued playing in various venues with friends and performed in gospel musicals as vocalist and musician and even sat in with the High School Stage Band a few times while in High School. When I met Jimmy Hilliard in 1977, we would sit around for hours playing acoustic guitars together and I even sat in with Jimmy’s house band at the Chip-In Danceland on a couple of occasions. During the mid to late 1980’s, I formed a folk trio called Tres Compadres along with Mitchell Davenport, current Jack County Judge, and Phil Gilbreath, a finger picking wildman and school teacher in Jacksboro. It was at this time that I realized the need to perform in front of live audiences.  Once you get "the bug", it's hard to turn back.  It was also during this time period that Jimmy and I decided to build my Martin D-45. I carry this guitar with me to every performance. In early 2002 I began performing with Elvis Tribute Artist R.J. Quick and spent much of 02-03 traveling between Ft. Worth and Wichita Falls with R.J.. It was during this time period that I decided it was time to start a band that would play all of the types of music that I enjoy listening to. You can read about the incubation of Texas 281 under the “About Us” tab on the home page.

I enjoy guitar collecting as well as my music collection that I started in 1963 and now comprises some 35,000 songs.


Rusty Rayborn, Vocals, Acoustic & Electric Guitars

My early music roots were firmly planted in country music by my father. I was probably 12 years old before I knew there were any singers other than George Jones, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Porter Wagonner ( hated his suits ) and Dollie Parton ( loved hers ), Johnny Horton, Kitty Wells,…you know the list. And I loved it all. Then, I entered Junior High and found there was this other station on the dial that played something called “pop” music. Oh, my .... The Beatles, the Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, The Mamas and the Papas, The Animals,…you know the list. And I loved it all. I sang it with them. I lived it.

When you’re raised on country and western music, and discover the music of the early 60’s, and you listened to the words and understood the content of both genre, and you get filled up with the incredibly broad spectrums of sounds and voices and emotions of so much music….something had to come out. So, I began writing words into poems. I won my seventh grade poetry class award. I won my high school “creative writing award”. I’ve never stopped writing.

In 1972, I traded my high school trombone in on a 1970 Epiphone acoustic guitar. The first song I learned to play was “Your Song”, by Elton John. It took forever. But, I was hooked. I learned old and new, country and rock. I played with various friends on and off for years, but never considered playing with a bunch of guys. Most of my playing and singing was done in the security of my home and usually only in front of my family. Sometime in March of 2004, I asked David Inman if he knew anything about somebody putting in a recording studio behind Rick’s Electronics. David told me it was more like just a place for some guys to get together and play. I asked him who all was playing. And, gosh, it was mostly guys I had known for fifteen years or better…Rick Smith, Jim Whitsitt, Garry Little, Jerry Salazar, and Dave. I screwed up all my nerve and asked Dave if he would ask the group if I could come down and maybe just listen (although, I had other designs… I really wanted to play). In a couple of weeks Dave called me and told me to be down behind Rick’s about 7:00ish. That evening marked the beginning and culmination of my greatest latent pleasures and passions in life; writing, singing, and playing music. As the weeks and months followed, I began in earnest writing new songs and trying them out on the boys. I soon realized, being with this great bunch of guys not only made me a better musician, it freed me of certain self-conscious doubts, and gave me the courage to play and sing my songs. I am so proud they have welcomed songs I’ve written into our bands’ repertoire. You can’t believe how much fun it is. You can’t believe how at home I feel. And I love it all. Come see us.

Jerry Salazar - Drums & Percussion

I was born in Mexico in 1968 and came to the U.S. as a student in Idaho in 1982. My interest in music began to develop at that time, mainly because my friends and I listened to rock and roll all of the time, even though I couldn’t understand a word of what they were singing about. I was always interested in the drum parts of the songs and became enamored with the way Tommy Lee of Motley Crue played his drums. After working extremely hard to learn to speak, write and read English, I took a course in the high school band in the tenth grade. The teacher knew how to play all of the instruments except the drums, so I spent about 4 months learning how to read music for drummers. About that same time, a drummer from another school transferred to my school and helped me learn the basics of drumming.
I began to take the drums home on weekends to practice. A couple of older men happened to hear me practicing and stopped by and asked me to help out with their band. Their drummer has just quit and they needed a drummer for “traditional country music”. Now that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to be playing because I was 16 years old at the time and that was in the heyday of the “hair band” era. They said the magic words…. We pay money for our musicians! All of my friends made fun of me because I was playing with a bunch of “old guys” and playing old country.
I eventually teamed up with my best friend and started playing classic rock and 80”s and 90’s music. We played a lot of free gigs (birthday parties, etc.) And also had a few paying gigs. The band eventually fell apart because of internal problems. My cousin, Romeo Salazar, called me and asked me to move to Jacksboro in 1995, which was a lot closer to Mexico, and play with a band he had started. They already had three drummers, so I just drove the bus to the gigs. I was the only one in the group with a CDL, which worked out great for them.
In 2004 I happened to visit Rick’s Electronics in Jacksboro (Rick is the steel player) to purchase a new cell phone. I noticed some guitars and other instruments for sale in the window and told them I didn’t know Jacksboro had any musicians. I quickly found out that there are many musicians in this little town. I asked if there were any bands in town that needed a drummer and found out that Texas 281 needed a drummer and a bass player. That opened the door for me and I have been drumming with them every since that morning. Thanks to my wife, Sonia, and my daughter, Karen, for being supportive of my venture. I would also like to thank my boss, John Matlock of Jacksboro Welding Supply, for being understanding for my need to leave early occasionally for band commitments. I also want to thank Texas 281 for allowing me to be a part of a wonderful and fun experience. 

David Inman - Lead & Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica & Vocals

David has been playing guitar since he was in high school.  He played in various "garage bands" and with our friend, Joey Woolery of Hired Guns.  David loves the '70's power ballads and brings that "hard driving hit the road" sound to Texas 281. 

Rick Smith - Steel & Electric Guitar

Rick learned to play the guitar when he was in school in the 60's ( you'll notice a picture of him, circa 1969, at the bottom of this page).  When Texas 281 was first formed, he was one of our guitarists.  We kinda pushed him into the role of steel guitar player for the band and our sound took on a more traditional country sound from the addition of Rick's steel.  He has been playing steel for about a year and a half now, and it has allowed us to expand our song list to include songs we couldn't do justice to earlier.  His mentor on the steel has been another of our "occasional giggers", Charlie Armontroutt, an accomplished steel player for some 30 years or more.  Rick keeps picking up little tricks from Charlie and we expect future CMT style playing from him.  Rick is also our "sound engineer".  He's the one that makes us sound good.  Rick is currently working on recording several songs for our first Texas 281 cd that, hopefully will be out sometime in 2007.

Luke Bodey - Bass Guitar

I was born in Jacksboro in 1964.  My family moved to Stinnett, Tx when I was 6 and I spent my "growing up years" there.  Being a small town, there was little to do except enjoy fast cars, football and good music.  I almost drove my mother nuts, being that she loved country music and I listened to rock & roll.  I learned to play by ear and taught myself to play various instruments.  I can't read music but inherited an old guitar one day and have played every since.  I moved back to Jacksboro when I was 18 years old.  I have played in many local bands including Wanted Cowboy and Nashville Bound.  I also played with a group of old friends in a garage band (who hasn't?).  I also play in a local church band.  My favorite guitarists are Angus Young and Eric Clapton.  I learned to play the bass in my early 20's and enjoy it very much.  I am currently learning to play the fiddle, though the guitar is my favorite instrument.  I have been married since 1991 and have 3 children.  I am aware that my 2 year old is developing a musical talent already.  I am honored that Texas 281 was pleased enough with my style and sound to ask me to play bass for them.   I come from a long line of musicians.  My father, as well as a several uncles, aunts and cousins, play music also.  One of my cousins, Chrystal Workman, was a former bass player with Texas 281.