Country Musician. Known as the "Man with a Million Friends," he combined his ability to sing a pleasant song and a charismatic personality into a successful Country music career in the late 40's and early 50's. Born in the same area of the Arkansas Ouachitas that gave America the Lum and Abner radio characters, T. Texas Tyler learned to play guitar at an early age and began aspiring to a show business career. Since his older brother was in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Rhode Island for a time, young Myrick stayed with him for a time in the early 30's and soon obtained a non-paying radio program on WMBA Newport. For the next four or five years he worked around the country, spending short periods of time at a variety of radio stations. He also appeared on the famous Amateur Hour network radio program hosted by Major Bowes and then toured with one of his units for several weeks. Somewhere along the line, he began using the name "Tex Tyler" by combining the names of Tex Ritter and Tom Tyler, popular cowboy film stars, and always appearing in western clothing. Early in 1939, Myrick came to WCHS Charleston, West Virginia, where he soon struck up a partnership with a young fiddler named Clarence "Slim" Clere (b. 1914). The duo of Slim and Tex worked together for three years, one in Charleston and nearly two for WSAZ Huntington, with a brief sojourn at Knoxville in between. While in Charleston, he began using his trademark good-natured "growl" during an appearance on the Old Farm Hour. While in Huntington, Tex met and married Claudia Foster. In the spring of 1942 Slim and Tex split and the Tex went to WMMN Fairmont, West Virginia. Here he worked both by himself and with Little Jimmy Dickens. Within a few months they moved to WIBC Indianapolis until Tex entered military service. Discharged in California, Tyler joined the local musical scene, signed with Four Star Records and obtained daily radio programs at KGER Long Beach and KXLA Los Angeles. Successful recordings included Filipino Baby (a Country Top 5 success in 1946), which he had picked up from Billy Cox in Charleston, Remember Me and Oklahoma Hills. However, it was the recitation Deck of Cards that provided Tex's biggest hit (charting Top 3) and ranked as one of the top songs of 1948. He followed up that year with the Mary Jean Shurtz recitation Daddy Gave My Dog Away, a Top 10 hit and in the fall, he had the double-sided success Memories Of France/Honky Tonk Gal. In 1949, he sang in the Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) film Horsemen Of The Sierras and had a Top 5 hit with My Bucket's Got A Hole In It. In 1953, Tex scored heavily with the Top 5, Bumming Around on Decca and the humorous Top 3 release, Courtin' In The Rain, which had an atypical Bluegrass instrumentation, on Four Star. Tex otherwise recorded with Western Swing accompaniment, using a studio band called the Oklahoma Melody Boys. Tex experienced some personal and career problems in the mid-50's with the advent of Rock'n'Roll, but signed a management contract with Hank Snow Promotions in 1957 and joined the Grand Ole Opry. The following March, Tex had a conversion experience and turned to evangelism and Gospel music, becoming a licensed Assembly of God minister. In 1962, Tyler recorded a sacred album for Capitol and in the mid-60's cut a secular album for Starday. He also made three custom Gospel albums that he sold at church appearances. Through the 60's, he managed to balance his evangelistic work and Country singing, again based on the West Coast, where he was better known. In April 1968, his wife, Claudia died and Tyler later remarried a Canadian whom he described as "a wonderful Christian lady." They settled in Springfield, Missouri, in 1970, where he continued to speak at Assembly of God services and make occasional musical appearances. However, in March 1971, doctors diagnosed him as suffering from terminal stomach cancer. He died ten months later and his next of kin returned his remains to Huntington for interment. Several of his Four Star recordings had been released on King albums and a variety of budget labels. The German firm, Castle, also released an album of material from those sources and Radiola put a radio program from January 11, 1950 on the flip-side of an Ernest Tubb transcription album.