Everyone Dreams – Boswell High Alum Makin’ It in Nashville

Some people confuse dreams with wishes made on the flickering candles of a birthday cake – they won’t come true if you talk about them. Sometimes, though, dreams have a much better chance of flowering if you “speak them into existence,” and draw in the support of others.

Matt Skates, bass player for a band and entertainment act called the Cleverlys, graduated from Boswell High School in the Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD in 2000. Now 23 years later, he still remembers two educators from his music and band classes – Mr. Bell and Mr. Mayfield.

“They were both very encouraging when it came to my music, and they always had the time to give me advice and pointers,” he said.

“I had a classic rock band for a while and then in 2011, I moved to Branson, Missouri. From there, I relocated to Nashville.”

Matt’s dream of pursuing music on a professional level came true but with a significant handful of unexpected twists and turns.

“I joined the Cleverlys about 10 years ago,” Matt said. “It’s a very good band. We play good music, but we combine it with humor. The comedic aspect of our show uses fictional characters and backgrounds. For example, we say the band started in 1952 as a family endeavor.” The band actually started din 2005, and it was never family-based.

“My band character is named Ricky Lloyd, and I’m from Arkansas,” he said. “Most songs in the performance are introduced by a backstory which, of course, is make-believe. We even dress according to what we want our character’s persona to portray.

“The combination of music and humor is pretty unique, and we’ve been successful with it. We stay booked, and we play the Grand Ole Opry every month.”

Playing the Grand Ole Opry monthly is a HUGE feather in their cap. There are crowds of musicians who pant after a shot at the Opry.

Whether or not people recognize the name Cleverlys, they learn very quickly that it’s synonymous with entertainment.

“You’re going to have fun with us,” Matt assured. “We have lots of bells and whistles, and people get a real kick out of the way we ‘southern up’ everything.”

Skates’ “professional hobby” when not on tour is scouting out mid-century furniture, re-doing it, and selling it out of a Nashville storefront. Find out more at hoggrassentertainment.com