Howdy, folks! Welcome to newcomers, hi! to returning ones. More features on the pipeline for your own pleasure: I’d begin to entirely rewrite the Skeets McDonald story once published but too short and not enough documented. Then, Connie Dycus, the Rodeo/Excel label, Ray Henderson, Black Jack Wayne, Bob Blum (of “Rompin’ Stompin’ Good Time” fame!), Jack Guthrie, George McCormick (of the highly acclaimed duet “George & Earl“), Lonnie Glosson, Eddie Dean and a lot more features to come…Just pay me a visit sometimes! Monty Deane, grandson to Wally Deane (see Trumpet story) did contact me, also the granddaughter to Kay Kellum. More infos from them to come. And I bet you didn’t miss the fascinating story of Dick Miller, who his son Roger helped me a lot for. A better search engine will be put on the site to help you find a particular artist.

It’s summertime, and I begin this fortnight’s favorites’ serie with “Bumming Around” (4 * 1613) by JIMMIE DEAN (and the Texas Wildcats). Hope you will agree with him! Nice medium-paced Hillbilly (good steel) from 1952, recorded in Washington, D.C. This was his first ever session of a long and successful career.

From Louisiana, I’d assume, on the Hayride (# 1001) label, FRED HENDERSON and the Valley Troubadours: “That’s Out“, with its typical call-and-response format, is a fast Hillbilly, well adorned by steel (good interplay with the guitar during the solo), and a very nice mandolin solo.

Rockabilly now. LONNIE LILLIE and “Truck Driver’s Special” on Marathon 5003 is already a minor classic, already written and cut by Red River Dave (Dave McEnery) on TNT in 1954. The singer tries out some hiccups and yells “Go Cat” before the guitar solo, the guitar player does it on bass chords, and a heavy string bass propels the whole.

More Rockabilly, but a slow one, by ARNOLD BLEVINS and Calvin Spicer for “Honky Tonk With You“. Again a heavy bass and low-key guitar chords.Whole thing moves along. Arvis 104.

Back to Ohio, the most recent track of this serie (1963) by JIMMIE KING on the Ark label (# 265), “Pretty Little Girl” is a fast Hillbilly (fiddle and steel present), which sounds more late ’50s than it dates.

Finally from Virginia: the BRAMMER BROTHERS on the small Liberty (# 105) label (I think it’s the same which issued Hender Saul‘s “I Ain’t Gonna Rock Tonite“). Now it’s Bluegrass, fast and melodic. High-pitched vocal (joined by other members during the chorus): “Fiddle And The Bow“.