Businessman remembered
Tewell sold cars, operated the State Music Hall
Through the years, Clyde M. Tewell of Uniontown sold a lot of cars.
“We used to say you couldn’t throw a stone and not hit a car that didn’t have a Tewell license plate,” said his son-in-law Bill Davison of Uniontown.
Tewell, who died Monday at age 84 in Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, started Tewell Motors, located on Morgantown Road in Uniontown, in 1953. In nearly 60 years of business, Tewell sold thousands of cars to people throughout the region. He never retired.
“He was still going into the garage every day,” said Marcy Davison, his daughter.
Tewell was also known throughout the area as the owner of the State Music Hall in Uniontown, which opened in 1978 and operated into the mid-1980s. The music hall offered local residents an opportunity to hear legendary country music stars such as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson, the Statler Brothers and Alabama.
“Back in the day, those were the stars,” said Marcy Davison. “Alabama had just won their first award. They received the award right before they came here. It was exciting to us. The Statler Brothers sold out every time they came. And you’ve got to mention Bill Anderson. He opened the theater and it seemed he was here every year.”
Tewell opened his music hall in the former State Theater, which was designed by architect Thomas Lamb and opened on Main Street in 1922 as a venue for motion pictures and vaudeville before closing in 1973.
At the State Music Hall, Cash sang “Ring of Fire,” Lynn crooned her “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and Kristofferson pleaded “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”
An amazing array of acts took the stage, including Sister Sledge, popular for “We Are Family,” Three Dog Night, which sang “Joy to the World,” and B.J. Thomas, who lamented “Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head.”
“That was one of my favorites,” said Marcy Davison of Thomas.
Ed Wolinski, who was technical director at the State under Tewell and later worked as service manager at Tewell Motors, noted the theater had a young staff working there.
“It was a magical time,” he said.
Wolinski remembered, “I had a great time with the Statlers. The Oak Ridge Boys were phenomenal. We had Pure Prairie League when Vince Gill was with them. We had a basketball hoop on stage to kill time and Vince Gill asked if we had a basketball team. They destroyed us 21 to 6. We got the tar beat out of us. Marty Robbins was at the State Music Hall two days before he died. Dr. Hook played here. David Allan Coe played for two and a half hours straight without a break. Johnny Cash was a decent guy. He’d sit and talk your ear off. Waylon was here. Clyde had a thing for Waylon Jennings.”
The State also welcomed Barbara Mandrell, Charley Pride, Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, the Bellamy Brothers, Glenn Campbell, David Frizzell and Shelly West, Ray Charles, Charlie Rich, Kool and the Gang, Ray Stevens, Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee.
Wolinski said of Tewell, “He took great pride in the State. He was a lover of country music. He wanted to duplicate what Wheeling was doing at the time (with its Jamboree), and we did.”
Wolinski noted Tewell was concerned about the music hall’s sound system, investing money to make sure that every seat in the house had a good experience.
“You wouldn’t find a guy more particular about the people in the seats. He really cared about them being entertained as much as possible,” Wolinski said.
Marcy Davison noted her father also promoted and backed a country band called Abilene.
“They were fairly successful. They were runners up on ‘You Can Be a Star,”‘ she said, explaining the television show was a country version of “Star Search.” “They were popular. He ran them all over the country.”
Marcy Davison said she went to some of the concerts at the State but noted her mother, Nancy Tewell, who died last year, went to all the shows.
“She worked in the office and made a point to meet the singers when they were there,” Marcy Davison said.
The Davisons, who own Soundtrack and Walnut Hill Miniature Golf, still hear people talk about those days.
“People come in and say how much they miss it,” said Bill Davison.
They were glory days. But, eventually, stars began asking higher prices for their acts.
“It was too much for small theaters to pay,” said Marcy Davison.
Tewell sold the State in 1988 to Uniontown Heritage Consortium, which operates it as the State Theatre Center for the Arts with touring Broadway shows, musical acts and a classic film series.
Marcy Davison, who worked for five years in her father’s car business, believes her father missed the State Music Hall.
But she noted, “The music hall was a sideline. The car business was him. He wouldn’t know what to do without it.”
Tewell, who was born Dec. 5, 1926, in Uniontown, a son of the late Elmer Tewell and Ruth Shartzer Tewell Mitchell, turned to the car business after trying a few other jobs.
When he was young, he worked on Shartzer Farm, his grandparents’ home, which is now a part of Nemacolin Woodlands in Farmington. Tewell served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II, guarding German prisoners in Oregon. He also drove a truck for Frazee Lumber and Collier Truck Service before opening Tewell Motors.
Through the years, Tewell sold vehicles for Hudson, Nash and Rambler. He had dealerships for American Motors, Datsun and Suzuki, also selling Jeep, Renault and Saab.
“He sold a lot of Suzuki motorcycles when Shoaf motocross was in existence in the early ’70s,” Marcy Davison remembered.
Both the Davisons and Wolinski praised Tewell’s staff. Marcy Davison mentioned Bud Price, who has been with the company almost as long as her father.
Wolinski, who now works at Uniontown Toyota, credited Tewell’s skills as a salesman.
“A guy came in to buy a gas cap and Clyde sold him a car,” Wolinski said. “But he was an honest salesman. Everybody knew his handshake was worth more than gold.”
Wolinski added, “He was unpretentious. He was a regular guy.”
Marcy Davison said she talked with a friend who remembered her father for his willingness to help others.
She said, “He was a good-hearted guy.”
The Davisons noted in the late ’90s, the dealerships left as they wanted bigger venues and Tewell went back to selling used cars.
“He came full circle,” Marcy Davison said.
Tewell was also predeceased by his brother, Donnie Tewell. Survivors also include companion Genie Stender and her children.
Tewell was a member of Sansom Chapel United Methodist Church. He previously served on the board of directors for Smithfield State Bank.
Friends will be received in the Donald R. Crawford Funeral Home in Hopwood from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. today. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday with the Rev. Dale Rexrode officiating. Interment will follow in Sansom Chapel Cemetery in Farmington. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any local veterans organization.