Mouse and the Boys Frank Crumpler

While attending Jacksonville University, I received a call from Jimmy Moore (the other half of the Brass section of Mouse, the Boys and Brass) on Christmas night 1966. Jimmy told me this popular local band wanted to try out a new sound by adding 2 trumpets to the group. I said I would be interested and looked forward to the opportunity. We practiced for a few days, then played our first "gig" (I believe it was at the Cedar Hills Armory). The band and the crowd loved the sound and it seemed to be an instant success. We only played in a half dozen songs at first, but after a few weeks, we had added horns to a number of existing songs the band was playing and we added a lot more to our song list.

After enjoying five years of hard work, long hours, a lot of fun and success, I decided to leave the band and get a real job working for Texaco. The first thing my boss said was to get a haircut for my employee file.

After a couple years in Jacksonville, I transferred to the Ft. Lauderdale office as Office Manager. In my pursuit to reach the top, I transferred to Atlanta and on to Texaco USA headquarters in Houston in 1978 where I currently reside with my family.

In 1980 I moved into the Product Supply and Trading Department as a trader for Texaco gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuels and worked my up the ladder to become Manager of Product Trading in 1989 for Star Enterprise (a subsidiary of Texaco).

In 1998 Texaco, Star Enterprise and Shell Oil formed an alliance of refining, marketing and supply in the U.S. At that point I got back into trading gasoline in the New York Harbor and Chicago areas. After a couple of years of trading, I was promoted to Product Supply Manager for the Shell brand responsible for product (gasoline, diesel and jet fuel) supply and demand balancing in the US Gulf Coast and Northeast.

On the personal side I was married to the former Janet Bomar (Forrest High School) on April 4, 1975 and we have been blessed with three sons.

John was born in Jacksonville and, at age 35, he is married and has one daughter (age 5). John is employed as a area manager for a subsidiary of Home Depot.

Philip was born in Atlanta and, at age 28, is single and was graduated from Texas A&M in 1999. Philip is employed by one of the pipeline companies in Houston as a pipeline scheduler for products from the US Gulf Coast to the Chicago area.

Brandon was born in Houston and, at 25, is single and was graduated from Texas A&M in 2002. Brandon is employed as Asst. Superintendent of The Bear Creek Golf Club. All three of our sons reside in the Houston area.

I have enjoyed my years with Texaco, Star Enterprise and now Equiva Trading but nothing can compare with the fun that I had playing in the band from 1967 to 1972. We had some tough times along the way and we spent many hours together in the practice hall, on the road, in the recording studio and performing. I will never forget the friendship and camaraderie we developed over those years. All of the guys feel like brothers to me. It is so great that we are all in good health and can come together to have a 2nd reunion concert in 2005. Our ast reunion concert took place at the Riverside Women's Club in May 2003 - what a blast that was. And the next one will be even bigger.

I am looking forward to seeing all of our old friends and fans and I would very much like to hear from you! Please send me a message by clicking on Frank's Mailbox !