RE: New label! New goods! (long, sorry..)
Hey Jon, I seem to have missed the original message here, but am intrigued by the references to the Barn Dance. What's the connection? Jim "Jon Weisberger" [EMAIL PROTECTED] 02/10 9:49 PM When did the WLS Barn Dance cease? According to the Encyclopedia of Country Music, 1960, which would make its national influence in the 1960s somewhat doubtful. Though to be fair, the Encyclopedia adds that many of the National Barn Dance's performers went on to a new WGN Barn Dance, which lasted until 1971 on the radio, and spent a couple of years in TV syndication. The original WLS show had a national Alka-Seltzer segment on NBC radio between 1933 and 1946, and then went 3 years without a national sponsor, until it was picked up by ABC and Phillips Petroleum. The Encyclopedia mentions a number of Barn Dance stars who became nationally known, but all, or most of them were gone from the Barn Dance by the 1950s, if not earlier - i.e., Autry, Patsy Montana, Red Foley, George Gobel. Foley, for instance, left the Barn Dance in 1946 and moved to Nashville to host the Prince Albert (i.e., national network) portion of the Opry, not coincidentally around the same time that the Barn Dance lost its national network portion. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: New label! New goods! (long, sorry..)
Whoo hoo! Needless to say, some of us are very much lookin' forward to these. One more reason to bow down and worship Nan, Kelly and even cranky Mr. Miller.--don
RE: New label! New goods! (long, sorry..)
Why, I'm so excited about these releases that I'm willing to overlook g the characterization of the WLS Barn Dance as "a radio show that surpassed the Grand Old Opry in influence well into the 1960s..." Influence in Chicago, maybe g, but I don't think that by the 50s, let alone the 60s, the WLS show had the influence of the Opry, the Wheeling Jamboree, SoCal's Town Hall Party and maybe some others. Seriously, though, this is great news. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: New label! New goods! (long, sorry..)
Jon Weisberger wrote: Why, I'm so excited about these releases that I'm willing to overlook g the characterization of the WLS Barn Dance as "a radio show that surpassed the Grand Old Opry in influence well into the 1960s..." Influence in Chicago, maybe g, but I don't think that by the 50s, let alone the 60s, the WLS show had the influence of the Opry, the Wheeling Jamboree, SoCal's Town Hall Party and maybe some others. When did the WLS Barn Dance cease? I was listening to WLS in the early mid 60s and it was top 40. Dick Biondi anyone? I sure don't remember the Barn Dance, but I was a wee child then.
