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Texas Jim Robertson was a native of Texas as his name might suggest.
He started off singing when his aunt invited him out to Charlotte, NC
for a visit when he was about sixteen years old. While there, he
got a job singing the old western songs. It wasn't too long before
his fame spread and he was offered a stint with the NBC network.
While he was in New York, he was not only singing, but also taking
on drama roles on the radio. RCA Victor signed him to a recording contract.
In 1937, Marianne Holliday became Jim's wife. Around the beginning of
World War II, they became the parents to a little girl, Lucy Holliday
Robertson.
The World's Fair in 1939 saw Texas Jim as a popular act with the Ford
Exhibit.
Initially, Texas Jim was turned away by the Army to serve because he
was rather thin for his height. But undismayed, he later was accepted
by the U.S. Marines. While with them, he also entertained the troops
while still going through his boot camp regimen. His war service included
serving in the Pacific Theatre and he ended up in Omura, Japan, which
was less than 25 miles from Nagasaki, where the second atom bomb
landed. While at Omura, he was named Chief Announcer and entertainer
for the Kyushu Network. He was honorably discharged in August 1946
and promptly headed home to Nyack, New York.
In addition to the recordings listed, his RCA Victor releases also
included such songs as: "I Heard The Angels Weep", "I'm So Low",
"Slipping Around", "Wedding Bells", "I Don't Want No More Of Army Life",
"If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time".
Credits & Sources
- Country Song Roundup No. 12, June 1951, Charlton Publishing Corp.,
Derby, CT.
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