The Charlie Willie Music Festival is a musical event sponsored by the Charlie Willie Foundation, which many Texoma residents look forward to each year. For many, it is a celebration of great music where locals can enjoy some great country artists. The festival showcases a local musical artist, an opening act, and a headliner, bringing talented Texas and Red Dirt country musicians to the Texoma area and allowing attendees to shop with great local vendors on site.
However, the organizers of the event hope that attendees will also recognize the purpose and reason behind the event and will celebrate the legacy of its namesake, Charles William Dishner, or Charlie Willie as his mother called him. Chuck, to his family and friends, realized the importance of family, faith, music, and service. Chuck’s life was filled with his love for his family, and he was a friend to many. An Air Force veteran with three tours in Vietnam, Chuck returned home to be there for his family as his children grew up. During his lifetime, his love for country music and a commitment to helping others continued to grow. He believed music was compelling and offered an opportunity to connect people and inspire change and joy. After Chuck’s passing, his family established the Charlie Willie Foundation to uphold these same values and serve and uplift our community.
Kay Dishner, wife of Chuck, shared some thoughts about her husband and the legacy he began, which lives on with his family as they carry out what he started. “We had eleven grandchildren, and they were the pride of Chuck’s life. He absolutely adored them. We both did.” According to Kay, the idea of helping the community started one Thanksgiving when the grandchildren were young. Each child was given some seed money and told that the money was theirs, and they could do with it as they wished. He told them that by the next Thanksgiving, if any money was left, he would double it. Almost every child brought back more than what they started with, knowing that Chuck would double it. Chuck then asked them if they would like to help other kids who aren't as fortunate at Christmas. They all decided they wanted to help the children.
Chuck had agreed to assist the Child and Family Guidance Center because he believed in the organization's mission to support families. Kay states, “Papa was a huge family man. He was a huge community man. He simply loved his family beyond all else, and he wanted his family to send love into the world, which they are all doing, and I am so proud of them. Now we all want to turn our hearts and heads to how to do it by making the Charlie Willie Music Festival a wonderful annual event that we can all take part in to keep Papa’s fantasy and memory going.” She added, “Chuck was a wonderful, steady, good man who never really talked much about himself. We all learned a great deal by living by faith. Now we, as Chuck’s family, his wife and his grandchildren, simply want to pass on what he gave us. A desire to help and to serve.”
According to their website, the Charlie Willie Festival benefits local charities, including the Child and Family Guidance Center of Texoma, which provides crucial support and mental health services to children and families in our community. "By partnering with organizations that uplift and strengthen families, we continue Chuck’s legacy of service and love, ensuring that his commitment to helping others lives on."
Tickets and information for the September 6, 2025 event can be found at CharlieWillie.org