George Palmer Macias “Firefly” CD Release Party – April 18, 2009 – Ringtail

The CD, Firefly, features ten original songs written and performed by Macias. One of these songs is titled, Ringtail. It is about Texas founding father, Martin Parmer. Martin Parmer was born in Virginia. He was an Indian agent for William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame). Parmer made a name for himself as an Indian fighter in Missouri and was elected as a State Representative to the first Missouri General Assembly. He was later elected a Senator to the third Missouri General Assembly.

In 1825, Martin Parmer came to Texas. In 1826, he was the leader of a group of men that instigated the Fredonian Rebellion of 1826-1827. This was an early attempt to declare Texas independent of Mexico. The Fredonian Rebellion failed and Martin Parmer became a wanted man in Mexican Texas for almost ten years.

In 1835, Martin Parmer was elected a delegate to the Consultation of San Felipe where he placed Henry Smith’s name in nomination for Governor of Texas. Smith was elected the first American born Governor of Texas. Parmer was then elected to the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas.

In 1836, the people of the San Augustine Municipality elected Martin Parmer a delegate to the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos. On March 2, 1836, Parmer voted for Texas independence from Mexico. In addition to signing the Declaration of Independence, Parmer was also chairman of the committee that drafted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas.

In 1839, Republic of Texas President, Mirabeau B. Lamar, appointed Martin Parmer Chief Justice of Jasper County, Texas. Parmer died on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 1850.

George Palmer Macias takes credit for all the songs and lyrics on his CD, Firefly, except one. On Ringtail, Macias credits Martin Parmer with writing the chorus. Martin Parmer called himself the Ring Tailed Panther and was known as such in Missouri, Arkansas, Mexico and Texas. About 1820, Martin Parmer who was the quentiscential frontiersman uttered the words that make up the chorus of Ringtail, “I am the Ring-tailed Panther, wild wooly, hard to curry. When I’m mad I fight, and when I fight I whoop!”

Our hats are off to George Palmer Macias for his fine song about Texas founding father, Martin Parmer. George Palmer Macias has a wonderful free Internet jukebox called Texiss Cafe spotlighting Texas singers and songwriters. You can also hear Ringtail there.