Denver Darling Born:  April 6, 1909 Died:  April 27, 1981 WWVA Original Jamboree WNEW New York, NY WOR New York, NY

About The Artist Denver Darling was born in Cumberland County, Illinois in 1909. He spent his early life on a farm. The farm was a bit isolated from the surrounding towns, so in winter, when he was especially cut off from social contacts, he learned to entertain himself a bit by learning to strum a guitar and singing along. As he grew older, he would perform at various local community functions and entertain the folks with the songs and ballads of years gone by. He gained his first bit of broadcast experience while he was attending the Citizens Military Training camp at the Jefferson barracks in St. Louis, Missouri. While there, he did some work with a group of men in training. His commanding officer mentioned to the KMOX studio director that Denver sang old time songs. So, he began to be featured on these weekly broadcasts. After his training was over, Denver went back to his home in southern Illinois. But the radio bug had gotten into his system and he got work on several stations in the midwest. In a song folio we found that is undated but seems to be from around 1930 or early 1930s, radio station WSBT in South Bend, Indiana lured Denver to start working at their station. The management there mentioned they needed the music of his type for their audiences and induced him to come there. Needless to say, their audiences were appreciative of his renditions of the early American tunes. While he was at WSBT, which was owned by the newspaper, the South Bend Tribune, he appeared with just himself and his guitar. But there was mention made of the 'Studio Orchestra' then. There was Ray J. Winter, Donald Smith, Bernard Lenoue, Art Richards and Beldon Leonard, who appeared to play the fiddle. The others, no mention was made as to what instruments they played. Credits & Sources Favorite Old Time Songs Used by Denver Darling Over WSBT; Publisher Unknown; Date Unknown Portions of Discography Listing courtesy of Hillbilly Reasearcher Team; Tricker, Turner and Sax Sound Sample—(YouTube Video Format) Silver Dew on the Blue Grass Tonight Get The Music British Archives of Country Music British Archives of Country Music British Archives of Country Music British Archives of Country Music

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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   De Luxe Rec. No. Side Song Title   5000 A Pretty Packin’ Mama   5000 B Old Glory Be A Wavin’   5001 A No Letter Today   5001 B Go ‘Long Mule   5001 C No Letter Today   5001 D Don’t Wait Too Long To Forgive   5002 A Say A Prayer For The Boys Over There   5002 B Mairzy Doates   5003 A I’m Sending X’s To A Girl From Texas   5003 B The Honey Song (w/Rosalie Allen)   5004 A Sweetheart, I Still Remember   5004 B Have I Stayed Away Too Long?   5005 A Don’t Sweetheart Me   5005 B Too Late To Worry Too Blue To Cry   5006 A No Letter Today   5006 B Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey   5007 A Don’t Hang Around Me Anymore   5007 B Lonesome For Someone   5008 A Try Me Just One More Time   5008 B Better Late Than Never   5009 A Just A Little Song Each Morning And A Prayer Each Night   5009 B Tears For Souvenirs   5010 A Don’t Wait Too Long To Forgive   5010 B I Need Someone (To Tell My Troubles To)   5011 A Wave To Me My Lady   5011 A Wave To Me My Baby   5011 B Silver Stars   5011 B Silver Stars (Purple Sage, Eyes Of Blue)   5012 A You Are My Sunshine   5012 A You Are My Sunshine   5012 B When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again   5012 B When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again   5013 A Tumbling Tumbleweeds   5013 A Tumbling Tumbleweeds   5013 B Twilight On The Trail   5013 B Twilight On The Trail   5014 A Cool Water   5014 A Cool Water   5014 B My Little Buckaroo   5014 B My Little Buckaroo   5015 A I'm Gonna Sue Sioux City Sue   5015 A I'm Gonna Sue Sioux City Sue   5015 B I Was Dreaming Someone Else's Dream   5015 B I Was Dreaming Someone Else's Dream   5016 A I've Just Gotta Be A Cowboy   5016 A I've Just Gotta Be A Cowboy   5016 B Think Of Home   5016 B Think Of Home   5019 A Ding Dong Polka   5019 A Ding Dong Polka   5019 B A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore   5019 B A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore   5020 A I'm Gonna Leave This Old Town   5020 A I'm Gonna Leave This Old Town   5020 B I Still Say Your Name In My Prayers   5020 B I Still Say Your Name In My Prayer   5034 A Tennessee Central (Number 9)   5034 A Tennessee Central No. 9   5034 B Roly Poly   5034 B Roly Poly   5036 A Old Shep   5036 A Old Shep   5036 B I Couldn't Believe It Was True   5036 B I Couldn't Believe It Was True   Decca Rec. No. Side Song Title   46042 A Juke Joint Mama   46042 B Deep Delta Blues   46060 A The Letter You Forgot To Write   46060 B Dust On The Bible   46225 A Silver Dollar   46225 B I’m Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes   6005 A I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes   6005 A Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die   6005 B I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes   6005 B Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die (Like The Flowers In The Fall)   6008 A Cowards Over Pearl Harbor   6008 B I'll Pray For You   6027 A We're Gonna Have To Slap The Dirty Little Jap (And Uncle Sam's The Guy Who Can Do It)   6027 B Get Your Gun And Come Along (We're Fixin' To Kill A Skunk   6028 A Hitler's Reply   6028 B Mussolini's Letter To Hitl   6033 A Live And Let Live   6033 B Branded Wherever I Go   6036 A How Low Do Blues Want To Go   6036 B You Brought Sorrow To My Heart   6043 A 1942 Turkey In The Straw   6043 B Devil & Mr Hitler   6050 A Cherokee Maiden   6050 B There Was A Time   6058 A Silver Dollar   6058 B Its Your Worry Now   6061 A Little Brown Jug Goes Modern   6061 B I'm A Prisoner Of War   6063 A In The Care Of Uncle Sam   6063 B Modern Cannon Ball   6094 A Rosalita   6094 B When Mussolini Laid The Pistol Down   6097 A She Never Said A Word   6097 B The Honey Song   6111 A Send This Purple Heart To My Sweetheart   6111 B Conversion (Look God I Have Never Spoken To You)   9001 A Silver Dew On The Bluegrass Tonight   9001 B I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine   9006 A Easter Sunday On The Prairie   9006 B When I Gets To Where I'm Goin'   DeLuxe Rec. No. Side Song Title   5011 A Wave To Me My Lady   5011 B Silver Stars (Purple Sage, Eyes Of Blue)   5012 A You Are My Sunshine   5012 B When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again   5013 A Twilight On The Trail   5013 B Tumbling Tumbleweeds   5014 A Cool Water   5014 B My Little Buckaroo   5015 A I'm Gonna Sue Sioux City Sue   5015 B I Was Dreaming Someone Else's Dream   5016 A I've Just Gotta Be A Cowboy   5016 B Think Of Home   5019 A A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore   5019 B Ding Dong Polka   5020 A I'm Gonna Leave This Old Town   5020 B I'll Say Your Name In Prayer   5034 A Roly Poly   5034 B Tennessee Central (Number Nine)   5036 A Old Shep   5036 B I Couldn't Believe That It Was True   MGM Rec. No. Side Song Title   10084 A I Come From Missouri   10084 B When Your Hair Has Turned To Silver (I Will Love You Just The Same)   10129 A Honest As The Day Is Long   10129 B Tuck Me To Sleep (In My Old 'Tucky Home)   10182 A If That's The Way You Want It (That's The Way It's Gonna Be)   10182 B Little Strands Of Silver (Shining Through The Gold)   10218 A Heart Trouble   10218 B I Just Fell Out Of Love With You   10315 A I'm Sending Roses To Tell You I'm Sorry   10315 B These Tears Are Not For You   10587 A No, Thanks   10587 B Make Up Your Mind To Make Up With Me