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Home , Carl Belew, Frankie Miller, Horace Logan, James Burton, Joe Osborn, Louisiana Hayride

AT THE

TONIGHT…

featuring and many others More than 24 hours of original live recordings CD/DVD-LABEL

This is a preview of a BEAR FAMILY release. The full book is part of BCD 17370 At The Hayride Tonight… 20-CD Box-Set (LP-size) with 224-page hardcover book

Alle Menschen sind Ausländer. Fast überall. BCD 16100 LC 05197 Bear Family Productions Ltd. ÇxDTRBAMy160974z [email protected] 6 CD S • 200 TRACKS • 172 -PAGE HARDCOVER BOOK (LP- SIZE ) MORE INFORMATION : www.bear-family.com

(THIS PAGE ) Elvis Presley performs at the , December 15, 1956.

(BOTTOM RIGHT ) Elvis with announcer (CENTER ).

101 (LEFT ) Buffalo Yount at the Hayride.

(RIGHT ) Jimmy & Johnny

(BOTTOM ) Carl Belew on the Hayride stage.

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CD 7 | FEBRUARY 16, 1957 CD 7 | JULY 20, 1957 THE GEEZINSLAW BROTHERS 7-6 Intro 7-5 Orange Blossom Special (E.T. Rouse) BUFFALO YOUNT Bile ‘Em Cabbage Down (trad.) Moving into 1957, here's a track that was Geezinslaw Brothers were among recorded on one of the first days of the rest the youngsters and the up and coming, JIMMY & JOHNNY of the Hayride's life. Elvis Presley had been though they soon left the Hayride and their 7-7 I’ll Do It Every Time (Horton - Mathis - Franks) and gone, he'd shaken things up, and it bigger days were still to come. On this CARL BELEW was a matter of what to do now. Presley show, brother Sam jokes with the an - had been embraced by the Hayride and the nouncer about brother Son Smith, who 7-8 Lonely Street (C. Belew - K. Sowder - W.S. Stevenson) circuit generally as much for adopted the stage persona of a dumb hill - JACK FORD his novelty value, fame and the reflected billy called Elvis – a man whose disc was 7-9 Lonesome Letter (T. Ollier - J. Ollier) glory and funds that came to KWKH number 543 on the hit parade "and still through him – but now it was back to busi - climbing." Their version of the classic fiddle HAYRIDERS ness as before with a mix of old songs, es - tune Orange Blossom Special shows that 7-10 Little Maggie (trad.) tablished artists, up and coming they could play it fairly straight as well as Talk and outro theme youngsters, and Presley copyists. The for laughs.

It's mid-1957 now and both country music ple of the show. Cliff Yount, known as 'Buf - and rock 'n' roll were starting to change, falo,' was from Victoria, Texas and had the hillbillies moving a little closer to rock been placing well in Young Fiddlers con - and the rockers a little closer to pop. Nev - tests for some years. He was aged 19 when ertheless, as these extracts illustrate, the he placed third in 1952 in Abilene behind Hayride formula remained essentially the Little Red Hays, where the definition of same – old time fiddling, hillbilly, modern young was under 50 years old. In 1955, country and a tinge of blues – and all the aged 22, he did well in an old time fiddle better for it. Dobber Johnson was still contest in Amarillo having flown in by pri - around but another fiddler, Buffalo vate plane and in 1956 he won the south Yount , came into the picture as well. Texas fiddlers' contest in Sinton. Aside Texan Yount proved as adept as anyone on from appearing on the Hayride, he formed the old hillbilly fiddle tunes that were a sta - the Nation's Playboys band in Victoria and

102 later the Country Boys, to play dances and clubs in his local area. He had three singing sisters on KCEN in Austin who also performed on the Hayride in 1959 and 1960 and who briefly appeared on WSM in Nashville.

Some two years after an acrimonious split, both Jimmy and Johnny were still singing on the Hayride, and sometimes together. They were no longer touring together because, as said, "they just about drove me crazy. They would argue every night, putting each other down." In - stead, Lynn Fautheree was working as 'Johnny' with Jimmy and they had just recorded I'll Do It

Every Time for DECCA when they promoted it here on the Hayride. As always, the act combined Jimmy Lee's excellent playing with the duet vocals. (LEFT ) Johnny Horton and Martha By September 1957, three things had Johnny Mathis, meanwhile was taking local solo Lynn promoting Southern Maid donuts at the Louisiana Hayride. changed at the Hayride. In terms of busi - gigs in the area. He continued to write ness, this was the month when KTHS radio and to sell songs, and this was one of his. (ABOVE ) The Four B’s (FROM LEFT ): Ben Nordine, Brad Ingles, Bob in Little Rock took the entire three hour McGee, and Buddy Sepaugh. A relative newcomer to the show this year was 26 show, widening the broadcast reach of the year old Carl Belew , from Salina, Oklahoma, Hayride. At the same time, long-time pre - who'd worked as a plumber before starting to get senter Horace Logan left to move to Cali - his songs recorded on the West Coast by 4 STAR in fornia to manage and other 1955. He'd been on the Town Hall Party show in Shreveport area musicians. And a far as Campton, and had a stint on the Hayride music was concerned, this month marked en route to the and to . the elevation of bass player and promoter

He was still on 4 STAR when he recorded Lonely Tillman Franks to boss of the Artists Serv - Street at the end of 1956, one of several brooding, CD 7 | SEPTEMBER 7, 1957 ice Bureau, overseeing all touring dates for bluesy songs that hit the country market in the artists as well as what went on within the JOHNNY HORTON wake of Presle's . It was picked up show. Franks had an off and on relationship 7-11 I’ll Do It Every Time (Horton - Mathis - Franks) by Kitty Wells in 1958, Patsy Cline in 1962, and by with the Hayride, playing bass with most who made it a pop hit in 1959. MARTHA LYNN artists and managing many of them but also being prone to an argument. He'd Jack Ford 's Lonesome Letter Blues harks back 7-12 I Can’t Live Without Love (M. Lynn) been fired in October 1955 by Horace to the days when he was in a Police band with JAMES O’GWYNN Logan for telling Jimmy and Johnny to take honky tonk singer Buddy Jones. Here he and the 7-13 Do You Miss Me? (J.D. Miller) an encore when Logan didn't want them to. band evoke the heyday of honky tonk swing and as But now he was riding on a wave of suc - always Ford provides a high quality vocal perform - BETTY AMOS cess with Johnny Horton's recordings and ance, complete with a little yodel at the end. Ford 7-14 Loose Talk (F. Hart - A. Lucas) he formed a publishing company, Cajun would go on to make records in a newer style for Music, with the aim of publishing all the the local MOA label of Wilson Evans after he left JACK FORD AND THE FOUR B’S Hayride artists. He brought Hayride owner the Hayride in the late '50s. 7-15 Heaven’s Just A Prayer Away (T. Tomlinson) Henry Clay in as a partner, for insurance. It Introduced as The Hayriders , the staff band JIMMY & JOHNNY paid off when Franks wanted to change the was joined by banjoist Ron Teofan, a dentist from 7-16 What You Doin’ To Me? (M. Tillis - W. Walker - W. Pierce) staff band membership and had a stand-off Mesquite, Texas and at one time a member of the with bass player Don Davis. Davis was on 7-17 Outro and theme Geezinslaw Brothers band, to play the show out the board of the local musicians' union. with the traditional tune Little Maggie . Franks said, "When I came to the Artists

103 (RIGHT ) George Jones performs at the Louisiana Hayride.

(BOTTOM ) with Jean Shepard.

CD 10 | JULY 19, 1958 10-30 Intro and theme FARON YOUNG 10-31 Everytime I’m Kissing You (F. Young - C. Belew) 10-32 Blue Blue Day (D. Gibson) FARON YOUNG 10-/33 Live Fast Love Hard Die Young (J. Allison)

10-34 Talk and Outro

This July show was under the direction of "nervous" Norm Bale as emcee in the ab - sence of , and he brought in Faron Young as co-host. CHECK , in - troducing Margie Singleton and singing some of his own songs. These in - cluded his first hit, from 1954, Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young , a jaunty number written by top Nashville disc jockey, Joe Al - lison, who'd started out in Texas and who knew many of the Ark-La-Tex artists. Young also sang Every Time I'm Kissing You , his current CAPITOL release, a tune which gave the band a chance to shine too. Singleton's theme for the day was Blue Blue Day , the much-copied hit song of .This live version includes an entertaining guitar solo and classy support from the whole band.

128 DISC TRAVELING THE HIGHWAY HOME 12 CD 12 | DECEMBER 13, 1958 CONTINUED (BELOW ) Norma Jean Beasler JIM REEVES 12-1 Have I Told You Lately (S. Wiseman)

12-2 According To My Heart (Gary Walker)

Continuing with the Jim Reeves set CTOBER from December, we have two more exam - CD 12 | O 17, 1959 ples of his ballad style. First, he sings a JOHNNY MATHIS powerful version of the Scotty Wiseman 12-3 Lonely Night (E. Hallowell) song Have I Told You Lately That I Love 12-4 Grin And Bear It (Loudermilk - Wilkin) You , an early album track, and then a quick version of his two year old single, Accord - MARGIE SINGLETON ing To My Heart . 12-5 Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (S. Willet) JIMMY MARTIN 12-6 Rock Hearts (B. Otis)

12-7 Jimmie Brown The Newsboy (A.P. Carter) THE GAYS 12-8 Alone At The Harbor (J. Horton) NORMA JEAN BEASLER 12-9 The Lady And The Gambler (M. Wilkin)

12-10 Talk about KWKH shows and theme

After the Jim Reeves show at the end of was having to be known as 'Country' 1958, there was a period of some ten Johnny Mathis, or "the country Johnny months when relatively little audio of the Mathis" as far as Frank Page and Norm Bale Hayride has survived. The shows had seen were concerned, to distance himself from some important visitors, from Hank the emerging popular entertainer of the Thompson to Patsy Cline, and the featured same name. Mathis was something of a regulars included Johnny Horton, Carl feisty character and not always the easiest Belew, Jimmy Martin and Margie Singleton. to handle, witness his problems working Some new Hayriders were establishing with Jimmy Lee, but he was probably the themslves too, including the Gays, who ef - best singer in the Ark-La-Tex over a period fectively took over ' role on the of many years, capable of both haunting show, and one long-established duet singer and stirring up the audience with his adapt - was employed more and more as a solist, able voice. So, it was not to his pleasure Johnny Mathis. that the other Johnny Mathis, a pop and By the end of 1959 Johnny Mathis jazz singer based on the West Coast, but

136 (BELOW ) The Lewis Sisters , Rose and Margaret, at the Louisiana Hayride in the late .

165 Margaret Lewis (RIGHT ) and ( PICTURED BELOW ) singing with Mira Smith (Grace Tennessee).

So, Margaret Lewis was a livewire. She Skyway Club in Bossier City. By now, she came from Snyder, Texas, born there in had moved with her mother to Bossier City 1942, and went to high school in the west and she had met Mira Smith, the guitarist

Texas town of Levelland near Lubbock. and owner of RAM RECORDS who would be - come her agent and songwriting partner for Lewis was always interested in music, and many years. more so after she was given a cheap guitar and an instruction book. She learned to Mira Smith was born in Shreveport in 1924 play the Bill Doggett tune Honky Tonk and and was on radio KRMD in the 1940s. A was inspired by the DJ shows on radio that good guitarist, with the help of her cousin played R&B as well as hot country. She Alton Warwick she opened a custom sang on stage for the first time aged 15 in recording studio in 1955 alongside her Brownfield, Texas when she was intro - record store called Royal Audio Music. The duced to , and was amazed when RAM record label came from that and Mira Wills invited her to sing with the Texas issued many discs on her label by local Playboys. She sang Singin' The Blues . artists like Linda Brannon as well as pro - Then she formed a band in school with pi - viding a studio for use by other record label anist Bob Davis, the Thunderbolts, after bosses including Dee Marais and Pappy seeing live gigs in the Lubbock area by Fats Daily. Sometime Hayride musicians James Domino, , Elvis Presley, and Burton, , Billy Sanford, and Faron Young. She and singer Sonny West became studio musicians played flatbed truck shows around Lub - there. bock for a local politician in 1956 and the following year she won a prize on a Johnny By the time of this Hayride performance in Horton talent show on KDAV radio which April 1960, Margaret Lewis had seen three led to her first appearance on the Hayride discs issued by RAM , and she performed in 1957. She sang rock 'n' roll including two of her recorded songs along with two Ruth Brown's Mama He Treats Your other favourites. One Guy Today, Another Daughter Mean , leading to a number of ap - Tomorrow was from her second RAM disc, pearances for her and Rose. She was also issued in May 1959 and from the moody on the Cowtown Hoedown with Johnny bass note intro and the bluesily rocking Horton that year and she and Rose worked guitar it was clear that this was not going local shows with too, includ - to be standard Hayride fare. When her ing the Hayride in March 1958. In the sec - voice comes in, Lewis's song is different, ond half of 1958 Dale Hawkins and the too, about a guy she meets and about how Lewis Sisters played a regular gig at the she might get another, "as long as he be -

166 haves." Mira Smith is the assertive guitarist Introduced as "a very consistent seller ... with Lewis, appearing under her stage always good for a fine song," Frankie name of Grace Tennessee. Together, they Miller performed an excellent version of had worked up a rocking version of the old a Wayne Walker song, She's Gone , Carter Family song, Bring My Blue Eyed recorded a couple of years earlier by Lefty Boy To Me and Lewis sings it confidently Frizzell. Like Lefty, Miller was a real vocal to good applause. Returning later for two stylist and his voice combined with the more songs, she starts with a bluesy Fats band led by Dobber Johnson and Felton Domino song of the moment, You Said You Pruett to make this a memorable experi - Love Me . After an extended announcement ence. Miller then joined with Tony Douglas thanking Coach Floyd and Billy Sandford and Dee Mullin to make the gospel slot just for playing for her and thanking all the local as memorable as they sang the Hank DJs, she sang her third and latest RAM disc, Williams song How Can You Refuse Him Goin' To St. Louie , an original bluesy song Now? with real fervour. that contained elements of several R&B and country songs. As if to trump the other artists with their star musicians, Johnny Seay brought Margaret Lewis continued to record for out guitarist to help him cre - RAM until 1962 when she joined CAPITOL for ate the Johnny Cash sound. Seay was from three singles between 1963 and 1965. She Gulfport, Mississippi and had been on the worked at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas in Georgia Jamboree in Atlanta and the Cow - those years and on the nightclub circuit town Hoedown in Fort Worth. Managed by more locally. In 1963 Lewis and Smith , he was nineteen years wrote a song for David Houston, Mountain old when he briefly moved to the Hayride Of Love , which became a hit on EPIC and on the back of his gaining some notoriety which eventually led to their moving to for his vocal style based on that of Johnny Nashville. In 1967 Margaret recorded for Cash. He started to be billed as Johnny C the SSS label of Shelby Singleton, and that or Johnny Sea, a trademark move by Sin - led to her and Mira feeding songs to Sin - gleton. Tillman Franks said he fired him be - gleton's artists, most successful among which were Oh Singer by Jeannie C. Riley, cause he did not like imitators, but Singleton was always a man for a gimmick, (ABOVE ) Margaret Lewis with . Reconsider Me by Johnny Adams, and Soul Shake by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Ben - witness the career of Jimmy Ellis as Orion son. In 1981 Lewis moved back to Shreve - in the 1970s. Sea could certainly sing like port and married Alton Warwick and she's Cash as he shows here on the local been a mover and shaker locally ever since, favourite song, Nobody's Darling But Mine , working tirelessly to promote the city and written by Bill Nettles and sold to Jimmie its music and to raise money for various Davis before his 1934 hit recording, and charities. She formed the Shreveport- also something of a hit for Sea on NRC in Bossier Entertainment and Music Associa - 1959. Sea recorded an album of patriotic tion, and she and Alton have promoted a songs and had some small hits in the number of shows celebrating the Louisiana 1960s, but he left music to become a cow - Hayride. boy in west Texas.

167 FRANKIE MILLER RECALLING THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE IN CONVERSATION WITH HANK DAVIS, DECEMBER 20, 2016 (LEFT ) Frankie Miller at the Louisiana Hayride, April 8, 1962.

I was a regular on the Hayride from around May records. We would intermingle our own songs, When I first appeared on the Hayride I'd use the kind of disagreement with Tillman Franks in the 1959 until it shut down in the summer of 1960. but we would do a lot of Top 40 country staff band there. Later on I had two guys who dressing room. He didn't think Tillman was And I was a frequent guest before then, back records. That's what the people wanted to hear. traveled with me, but most of the time I'd use treating him right. When you drove into the when I recorded for COLUMBIA around 1954 - They expected it and it worked good with the the musicians there. I traveled with a guitar Hayride there was a high concrete stairway 1955. It was Tillman Franks who signed me to audience. One particular time I was on with player named Cecil McCullough. He was from going into the back door where the dressing be a regular. I was a guest one night when Carl Smith. This is the time he was married to Fort Worth. He's still down there, mostly re - rooms were. There was pea gravel all over the Blackland Farmer was going strong in 1959. I June Carter. I had done some shows with Carl tired, but he still plays on special occasions. He parking lot. When he left, Tillman was carrying did a few encores and Tillman came up to me and June out in California. He used to jab me had lost some of the fingers on his right hand; his bass over his shoulder. He had this big up - and said, "I want you on the Hayride." And I with some jokes onstage. He'd say "There's all he had were his little finger and his index fin - right bass, what we used to call a doghouse said, "Well I want to be on the Hayride" Frankie Miller out in the wings. He's wearing ger and his thumb. The other two he lost in an bass. So Tibby saw him and picked up a handful (laughs). And that was that. a brand new shaving lotion, called Come And accident when he was a boy. They found a rail - of pea gravel and started showering it down on Get It." June would say, "If I got it, I wouldn't road torpedo along the tracks. They were play - him. And Tillman is shouting up at him, "Tibby, Hayride days were pretty much a routine for know what to do with it." ing with it and it exploded and he lost his two you can't do this to me." And meanwhile this me. On Saturday we'd leave Fort Worth where middle fingers. But he was good guitar player. gravel is raining down on his bass. I'm sure Till - I lived and drive the 181 miles to Shreveport. Back in August 1955 I was doing a segment of He was kind of a comedian on stage. My bass man started to treat Tibby a lot better after that We'd leave in the morning and get there that af - the show and the same night that boy from player was named Roy Styles; he was from Fort (laughs). ternoon. We'd arrive at the Municipal Audito - Memphis was on. He was just a newcomer. He Worth also. They'd ride with me to Shreveport rium and first thing we'd do was check in and went on to make it pretty big (laughs). When we It seems every Saturday night something was every Saturday. When we got there the whole give them a list of what we we're gonna sing. were backstage I had my wife and my six month going on. One thing that sticks in my mind was staff band would join in; the fiddle player, the They would show us what time we were going old daughter, Sandi, with me. He came over an argument between Jimmy and Johnny. They steel player, everyone. The Hayride was a fun to go on. We'd usually come on twice; do a cou - and said "That's a pretty little boy you have used to sing duets together. Country Johnny show to do. There was a café across the street ple of songs and then come back and do a cou - there, Frankie." I said, "That's a girl, Elvis." Mathis and Jimmy Fautheree – Jimmy and and after the show we'd all get together over Johnny. They recorded together and they were ple more later on in the show. He was holding her and kissing her and bounc - there and sit around. Lots of camaraderie. a duet on the Hayride. They were arguing back - ing her. Years later my daughter said to me, At the start of the show we'd all hit the stage stage one night and Jimmy jumped down on the "Dad I can't believe you didn't get a picture of Someone I was impressed with on the Hayride and everyone would be out there at the same floor and started doing pushups. He said, us!" I explained to her that back in 1955 there who really never made it was a little guy I met time – the whole cast, musicians, the perform - "Johnny, you don't want to fool with me, were no cell phones and if you wanted to take in Victoria Texas, my home town. He used to ers, the announcers, everybody. Every show we man. I can do 120 pushups." a picture, you had to have a real camera with come out to my dances and we'd let him sing did started out with the Hayride theme song. you and be prepared for it. Also, Elvis was just with us. A real good country singer. Later on he I think the Hayride died because of changes in (sings) "Come along, everybody come along, starting out back then. It wasn't like he was a was on the Hayride sometimes. Sang a bit like the music business. When rock 'n' roll came on while the moon is shining bright, we're gonna big star. There were bigger stars on the show Hank Williams. He had a but so strong, it just about muscled country music have a wonderful time at the Louisiana that night. But she's right. That picture would he never had anything resembling a hit record. off the map. I had a lot of fun on the Hayride Hayride tonight." Then everybody would stand have been nice to have (laughs). All of us could His name was Tibby Edwards. Actually his real and it's been good going through these memo - and holler and the announcer would give his see, when he hit the stage he just tore the name was Eddie Thibodeaux. He was a Cajun. ries with you. I'm looking forward to seeing the pitch about being so glad to have you here. whole Hayride up. We knew that something big The Hayride changed his name. He was young box set. I'm sure you all will do a beautiful job When we went onstage the emphasis was on was going to happen with him. Nobody knew then, just 17 or 18 years old. I remember one with it as usual and I'm glad I got a chance to the hits of the day, not necessarily your own how big. night he showed up and he was having some contribute a little bit.

168 Moving into high summer, here are ten CD 17 | JUNE 4, 1960 songs from a successful show starring 17-9 Theme June Carter and Frankie Miller. Following 's fiddle slot, DOBBER JOHNSON Dobber Johnson Tony Douglas weighed in with a good version Old Joe Clark (trad.) of his six month old single release Thunder TONY DOUGLAS And Lightning , about all the things that won't stop him going home to his gal. 17-10 Thunder And Lightning (J. Rhodes) Frankie Miller then sang an excellent FRANKIE MILLER version of the Stonewall Jackson hit written 17-11 Why I’m Walking (S. Jackson - M. Endsley) with Melvin Endsley, Why I'm Walking , and Miller followed up later in the show with his 17-12 Ads and intro latest STARDAY single, just released a month JUNE CARTER before, Baby Rocked Her Dolly . It's not a 30 Days (C. Berry) children's song, but a look back to the old days when he was just married and life was 17-13 Big Iron (M. Robbins) simpler. 17-14 Poems (J. Carter) The Hayride remained keen to continue to 17-15 Worried Man Blues (A.P. Carter) book guest stars from outside their normal FRANKIE MILLER pool, and also to keep up the "variety show" aspect of the Saturday night entertainment. 17-16 Baby Rocked Her Dolly (M. Kilgore) June Carter fitted both these aims. JUNE CARTER While not the global name she would later 17-17 He Don’t Love Me Anymore (J. Carter) become, she had been a star of the and border radio and records ever 17-18 I Gotta Travel On (P. Clayton - L. Ehrlich - D. Lazar -T. Six) since she went out on the road with the Carter Family as a young girl. She'd mainly been a live attraction, providing the com - edy and emceeing the Carter shows, but she had recorded some real country hits in the early 1950s, singing with Lonzo and Oscar, Baby It's Cold Outside , with her then husband Carl Smith, Times A'Wastin' , and singing solo, No Swallerin' Place and oth - ers. She semi-retired to have a family and attend to a couple of failed marriages, (ABOVE ) Advertisement from the Shreveport (LA.) Times, June 3, 1960. though she still sang with her sisters on (RIGHT ) June Carter records and on stage, but at the point when she came to the Hayride she was starting to tour as a solo act and she did this very successfully before joining the Johnny Cash show. Born in Maces Spring, Virginia

169