“The Advertiser” (UK) 2 October 2009
A mixed week of anniversaries beginning with seventy-one years ago tomorrow (3 October) Eddie Cochran was born in Oklahoma City. Yes, I know Eddie was a rocker who was killed in England on 17 April 1960 aged just twenty-one but his roots were in country. He began performing in the early fifties as half of the Cochran Brothers with future award-winning singer/writer Hank Cochran (no relation). They cut a couple of records without success then split in 1956, Eddie inspired by the rock ‘n’ roll of Elvis Presley, Hank dedicated to country. On this same date in 1945 Elvis Presley made his first public appearance at the age of ten. It was at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show that the young Elvis stood on a chair to reach the microphone to sing “Old Shep”, learned from the radio plays on Red Foley’s version. Elvis won the second prize of five dollars and free admission to all rides. Lloyd Green, arguably country’s best ever pedal steel guitarist, will be seventy-two years young on Sunday. Lloyd was born in Leaf, Mississippi and raised in Mobile, Alabama where at the age of seven he learned to play the Hawaiian guitar. By the age of ten he was playing professionally and nine years later, upon graduation, moved to Nashville. He secured work as a steelie with Faron Young’s band and played his debut session on George Jones’ “Too Much Water Runs Under The Bridge”. Unfortunately Lloyd could not afford to renew his Union membership so he returned to Mobile. However he did return to “Music City” but as a shoe salesman. He told his sad tale to one of his customers, the widow of publisher Fred Rose, and she kindly paid his Union dues. From 1965 onward Lloyd played on just about every major recording out of Nashville and has contributed to 115 number one hits plus 100 more chart entries. He is possibly the only musician ever to refuse to tour with Paul McCartney. Green knew Nashville put the butter on his bread and did not want to jeopardise this for short-term gain. Lloyd has played with more than 500 artists including George Jones, Dolly Parton, Roy Acuff, Bobby Bare, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Paycheck, Marty Robbins, Hank Williams Jr, Frank Sinatra, Peter, Paul and Mary and Jerry Lee Lewis. Lloyd Green was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1988. On 5 October 1925 a powerful new radio station made its first broadcast. WSM, operated by the National Life And Accident Insurance Company became, on 28 November 1925, the home of the “Grand Ole Opry”. Remember there are stars in the southern sky.
“The Advertiser” (UK) 9 October 2009
We have a few interesting anniversaries for today (9 October) including in 1978 Grandpa Jones was elected to the “Country Music Hall of Fame”. Louis Marshall Jones was born in Niagara, Kentucky on 20 October 1913. He spent his teenage years in Akron, Ohio where he began singing on local radio. During the mid-thirties Jones career took off and it was Bradley Kincaid (“Letter Edged In Black”) who nicknamed Jones “Grandpa” though he was only twenty-two years of age. The name stuck for the next sixty some years. Jones was well loved by audiences throughout America for his singing and yodelling (mostly old-time songs), his enthusiastic clawhammer banjo playing and his humour. Grandpa became a favourite on the television show “Hee Haw” and on the “Grand Ole Opry”. His fame caused him to move closer to Nashville, choosing Ridgetop just outside of “Music City”. On the morning of 11 November 1973 Jones called in to see his close friend and neighbour Dave “Stringbean” Akeman, banjoist and fellow “Hee Haw” star for one of their regular chats. Jones was devastated to discover Akeman and his wife murdered the previous night by burglars. Grandpa continued to perform well into his twilight years. He suffered a stroke after performing on the “Opry” and died on 19 February 1998 aged eighty-four. Grandpa Jones will always be remembered for his great hits “Mountain Dew”, “Eight More Miles To Louisville”, “Night Train To Memphis” and “T. For Texas”.
One hundred and ten years ago today the enigmatic Goebel Reeves was born. Raised by a middle class family Reeves chose to spend his life as a hobo and most of his songs reflected this experience. He also spent time as a cowboy, merchant seaman, soldier (he served on the front line during World War 1) and union activist. He recorded using several names for labels such as Brunswick and Okeh and is reputed to have taught Jimmie Rodgers how to yodel, Goebel, one of country’s earliest recording stars, cut such sides as “The Hobo And The Cop”, “Railroad Boomer”, “Hobo’s Lullaby” and “The Cowboy’s Prayer”. He died in 1959.
On this very day in 1965 one of the most bizarre songs in the history of country music hit the charts. The song, Little Jimmy Dickens “May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” , quickly made number one and became a huge pop hit world-wide. Eleven years after Dickens’ hit Bobby Bare charted the strangely titled “Drop Kick Me Jesus”, helping to establish the reputation of rising song writer Paul Craft.
Birthdays this week include John Prine and Tanya Tucker (10), Gene Watson (11), Lacy J. Dalton (13) and Melba Montgomery (14).