Re: [ARSCLIST] Bluegrass

[John Ross <johnross@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

They weren't a bluegrass band. They were a cowboy band.

Quoting from Bill C. Malone's "Country Music USA":

"Among the early California groups were [...] perhaps the most important of
all, the Beverly Hillbillies. The Beverly Hillbillies, originating in 1928,
broadcast from the Hollywood-Los Angeles area. Led by Zeke Manners, the
accordionist, the group featured country fiddling and western songs. Over
the years, the Hillbillies attracted certain individuals who later became
top-ranking country performers. These included Stuart Hamblen, from Texas,
in 1930, and yodeler Elton Britt (James Britt Baker), from Arkansas, in 1932."

In the 1970s, there was a guy based someplace in southern Oregon (Grants
Pass, I think), who produced some LPs of the "Original Beverly
Hillbillies." Dunno if they were from 78s or radio transcriptions or some
other source. I don't remember his name, but I do remember that he wrote
long handwritten screeds about how nobody was playing this stuff on the
radio. So of course, we ordered some of his stuff and played it on the
radio (at KBOO in Portland, Ore.)

The first place I would look for information about the BH would be the John
Edwards Foundation, or maybe the Country Music Hall Foundation in Nashville.

John Ross
Northwest Folklife
Seattle

At 10:40 AM 12-4-2003 -0800, Gary Higgins wrote:

> Is anyone familiar with a bluegrass band Beverly Hillbillies? They were
> from the 1930s, and I'm not referring to Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs
> from the TV show. The TV show was actually named after the band. I am
> working on a historical project and am looking for any information or even
> recordings of the band.