Cowboy Copas Born:  July 15, 1913 Died:  March 5, 1963 America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame (2004) WCHS Old Farm Hour WSM Grand Ole Opry WIBC Indianapolis, IN One of the hitmakers of hillbilly music had a long distinguished career. In fact, he had an interesting record of some sorts at the time that we've not heard of anyone else topping it. By 1948, they said that in the 15 years previous to that, he had appeared on a total of 204 radio stations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. This was on top of his being a member of WSM's Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. How folks got their start is always something worth learning about. For Cowboy Copas, he made his first appearance on stage on a dare. When he first started out, he actually did not sing that much. He depended solely on his tricky guitar playing to entertain folks and friends. Along the way, he met a little Indian boy by the name of Natchee. Cowboy it turns out is also one-quarter Indian. Cowboy Copas and Natchee became good friends and it was Natchee who dared him to enter an amateur contest with him in Cincinnati. Cowboy Copas didn't have much confidence in either of them, but agreed to go along. He played the guitar, Natchee played the fiddle. And wouldn't you know it, they won first prize in that competition. From their, they began to play other entertainment gigs at fairs, night clubs or any other venue that came along, a trail of one night stands. While on the road, they began conducting fiddlin' contests of their own. To help increase the attendance at their personal apppearances, Copas would make a point to stop by the local radio stations and plug their engagements. It was how he got exposed to the radio business. Along about 1940, he and Natchee went their separate ways. Cowboy Copas moved to Knoxville and started entertaining the folks on the radio there. Later on, he returned to Cincinnati and appeared on several shows there, too. It wasn't until January 1946 that his career began to take off. He appeared on WSM's Grand Ole Opry at that time and in just the first week after that appearance, he got more than 3,000 fan letters! Around October 1948, he signed a recording contract with the King Records label. Think Hillbilly music didn't draw crowds? Consider this. Cowboy Copas and his group drew over 22,800 folks on August 22, 1948 with their appearance at Buck Lake Ranch in Angola, Indiana. Credits & Sources Jamboree Magazine; October 1948; Western Song Club; Ventura, CA Appearance History This Month   June 11, 1952 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry - Purina   June 11, 1952 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry - Dr. Le Gear

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King Rec. No. Side Song Title   1139 A Purple Robe   1139 B Some Fine Morning   1306 A The Man Upstairs   1306 B He Stands By His Window   1359 A Return To Sender   1359 B I Will Waltz With You Tonight   1407 A When I Lost You   1407 B Why Should I Want Her   1424 A The Talking Mule   1424 B Hello Darling   1444 A The Silver That Nailed Him To The Cross   1444 B The Stone Was Rolled Away   1456 A Pledging My Love   1456 B Ashamed Of Myself   1464 A The Party's Over   1464 B Summer Kisses   1486 A Tragic Romance   1486 B Listen To My Heart   1507 A Blue Yesterday   1507 B Tell Me More   4865 A Don't Shake Hands With The Devil   4865 B Any Old Time   505 A Filipino Baby   505 B I Don't Blame You   511 A There Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me   511 B You Live In A World All Your Own   516 A Gun Totin' Mama   516 B Please Answer My Letter   5270 A Tennessee Waltz   5270 B Signed, Sealed And Delivered   537 A Tragic Romance   537 B You Will Find Me Here   5392 A Carolina Sunshine Girl   5392 B Rose Of Tennessee   5437 A A Stranger In My Home   5437 B Old Faithful And True Love   5479 A It's A Shame   5479 B You Walked Right Out Of My Dreams   5515 A It's A Lonely World   5515 B Don't Let Them Change Our Mind   553 A Sundown And Sorrow   553 B You're Living A Lie   5544 A It's A Lonely World   5544 B Don't Let Them Change Your Mind   5571 A Sweet Thing   5571 B Signed, Sealed, Then Forgotten   5638 A I Built A Fence Around My Heart   5638 B My Blues Are Gone   566 A Juke Box Blues   566 B No More Roamin'   5676 A I Saw The Light   5676 A When Jesus Beckons Me Home   5676 B I Saw The Light   5676 B When Jesus Beckons Me Home   5733 A Signed, Sealed And Delivered   5733 B The Hopes Of A Broken Heart   5734 A Breeze   5734 B The Road Of Broken Hearts   591 A Breeze   591 B In My Merry Oldsmobile   598 A Kentucky Waltz   598 B Heartaches   605 A Three Strikes And You're Out   605 B Things Are Gonna Be Different   618 A Breeze   618 B Dolly Dear   630 A Sweet Thing   630 B Texas Red   647 A Honky Tonkin'   647 B Roly Poly   657 A Honky Tonkin'   657 B Are You Honest   658 A Signed Sealed And Delivered   658 B Opportunity Is Knocking At Your Door   665 B Reverse By Fairly Holden   665 B Move It On Over (w/Grandpa Jones)   666 A As Advertised   666 B Would Be Better For Us Both   675 A White Christmas   675 B Jingle Bells   696 A How Much Do I Love You   696 B Tennessee Waltz   714 A Tennessee Moon   714 B The Hope Of A Broken Heart   737 A Believe It Or Not   737 B Rose Of Oklahoma   743 A Too Many Teardrops   743 B Peaches And Cream   755 A An Old Farm For Sale   755 B Where You Goin'   767 A I Love You So Much It Hurts   767 B Down In Nashville Tennessee   775 A Down In Nashville Tennessee   775 B I'm Waltzing With Tears In My Eyes   777 A Candy Kisses   777 B Forever   787 A Package Of Lies Tied In Blue   787 B It's Wrong To Love You Like I Do   802 A Oceans Of Love   802 B Waltz With Me   811 A Blue Pacific Waltz   811 B Hangman's Boogie   825 A Crazy Over You   825 B The Gypsy Told Me   844 A The Feudin' Boogie (w/Grandpa Jones)   846 A More Precious Than Silver Or Gold   846 B Open Door - Open Arms   855 A Blues In The Moonlight   855 B Heart Broken   870 A The Road Of Broken Hearts   870 B The Postman Just Passes Me By   885 A My True Confession   885 B Steppin' Out   895 A My Hula Baby   895 B Signed, Sealed Then Forwarded   904 A From The Manger To The Cross   904 B King Of Kings   919 A Tennessee Waltz (w/Ruby Wright)   919 B I'll Never More Be Shackled In A Fool's Paradise   928 A Why Do The Stormy Winds Blow   928 B Goodbye Sweetheart Goodbye   951 B The Strange Little Girl   964 B Tennesee Flat Guitar   980 A I'm Glad I'm On The Inside Lookin' Out   980 B Four Books In The Bible   Starday Rec. No. Side Song Title   476 A Mom And Dad's Affair   476 B Black Cloud Risin'   493 A South Pacific Shore   493 B That's All I Can Remember   501 A Alabam   501 B I Can   524 A I Have A Friend   524 B The Hem Of His Garment   528 A Sittin' Flat On Ready   528 B Midnight In Heaven   542 A True Love (Is The Greatest Thing)   542 B Flat Top   552 A Sunny Tennessee   552 B Dreaming   559 A Signed, Sealed And Delivered   559 B New Filipino Baby   573 A Sal   573 B A Thousand Miles Of Ocean   585 A There'll Come A Time Someday   585 B Seven Seas From You   595 A Sold The Farm   595 B Table In the Corner   606 A Bury Me Face Down   606 B Heart On The Run   612 A Family Reunion   612 B Smoke On The Water   621 A Goodbye Kisses   621 B The Gypsy Girl   641 A Louisian   641 B Break Away, Break Away   658 A Autobiography   658 B The Rainbow And The Rose   685 A Old Man's Story   685 B Pretty Diamonds   708 A Ride In My Little Red Wagon   708 B Black Eyed Susie   729 A Waltzing With Sin   729 B Blue Kimona   750 A Cowboy's Deck Of Cards   750 B Beyond The Sunset   Sparton Rec. No. Side Song Title   855 A Black Cloud Risin'   855 B Mom And Dad's Affair   883 A South Pacific Shore   883 B That's All I Can Remember   915 A Alabam   915 B I Can   961 A Settin' Flat On Ready   961 B Midnight In Heaven   983 A I Have A Friend   983 B Remember Man Thou Art Dust   999 A Flat Top   999 B True Love (Is The Greatest Thing)

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