Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost

279 Pages·2007·21.02 MB·English

by  Tony Russell

Country Music Originals
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Country Music Originals
The Legends and the Lost
TONY RUSSELL
1
2 0 0 7
1
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Copyright © 2007 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Russell, Tony.
Country music originals : the legends and the lost / Tony Russell.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and discographies.
ISBN 978-0-19-532509-6
1. Country musicians—Biography.
2. Country music—History and criticism. I. Title.
ML394.R87 2007
781.642092'273—dc22
[B] 2007008471
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
In memoriam
Charles K. Wolfe
Bob Pinson
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Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Notes on Playlists xvii
A. C. “Eck” Robertson 1
Fiddlin’ John Carson 3
Henry Whitter 7
Ernest V. Stoneman 9
Uncle Dave Macon 12
Vernon Dalhart 14
Fiddlin’ Powers 16
Charlie Poole 19
Kelly Harrell 21
Da Costa Woltz’s Southern Broadcasters 23
Uncle Jimmy Thompson 25
Dr. Humphrey Bate 28
Sam McGee 31
Gid Tanner 32
Riley Puckett 36
Clayton McMichen 39
Lowe Stokes 44
Earl Johnson 46
John Dilleshaw 48
Georgia Yellow Hammers 51
South Georgia Highballers 55
The Cofer Brothers 57
Dock Boggs 59
Frank Hutchison 60
viii Contents
Tom Darby & Jimmie Tarlton 63
The Carter Family 65
Jimmie Rodgers 68
Bridge: The Great Divide 71
The Allen Brothers 72
Fleming & Townsend 74
Chris Bouchillon 77
Ed Haley 79
Clark Kessinger 81
Blind Alfred Reed 83
Roy Harvey 85
Walter Smith 87
Asa Martin 90
Dick Burnett 92
John D. Foster 94
Emry Arthur 96
Alfred G. Karnes 98
Buell Kazee 100
Raymond Render 102
G. B. Grayson 105
Clarence (“Tom”) Ashley 107
Carolina Tar Heels 109
Carolina Twins 111
The Red Fox Chasers 113
Bascom Lamar Lunsford 114
Leake County Revelers 116
Narmour & Smith 118
Hoyt Ming 120
Dr. Smith’s Champion Hoss Hair Pullers 122
Fiddlin’ Bob Larkan 124
Golden Melody Boys 126
Walter Coon 128
Jules Verne Allen 130
Powder River Jack Lee 132
The Cartwright Brothers 135
Harry “Mac” McClintock 137
Goebel Reeves 139
Contents ix
John I. White 141
Bernard “Slim” Smith 143
Carson Robison 145
Frank Luther 150
Otto Gray & His Oklahoma Cowboys 152
Bridge: Country Music in Transition 155
Gene Autry 157
Jimmie Davis 160
Cliff Carlisle 163
Bill Cox 166
Mac & Bob 169
Bradley Kincaid 171
The Girls of the Golden West 173
Wilf Carter 175
Hank Snow 176
Bridge: The Radio Years 178
Lulu Belle & Scotty 180
Patsy Montana 182
Lily May Ledford 184
J. E. Mainer 187
The Dixon Brothers 189
The Callahan Brothers 190
Claude Casey 192
Snuffy Jenkins 194
Roy Acuff 195
“Ramblin’ Red” Lowery 198
The Delmore Brothers 199
Lonnie Glosson 201
Grandpa Jones 203
Carl Swanson 205
Bridge: Western Swing and Honkytonk 207
Milton Brown 208
Bob Wills 210
The Light Crust Doughboys 212
Adolph Hofner 215
Cliff Bruner 216
Hank Penny 219