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About The Artist
In progress... His name was Richard Alexander Hamilton from Cherryvale, Kansas. During his musical career, he was known as Dick Hamilton. While his name may not be recalled by many, what he left behind can only be described as a priceless memento of the people and places on the Los Angeles hillbilly music scene. He left behind a collection of black and white negatives, carefully sorted and labelled of the people he encountered and the places he visited. We 'introduced' Dick Hamilton to the world so to speak at a presentation at the International Country Music Conference held annually over Memorial Day weekend at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Richard Alexander Hamilton was born to Gail (Perico) and Dick Hamilton in July of 1915. He had a brother, Bob and a sister, Clover. Dick wrote of both his parents being buried in the Cherryvale Cemetary. We know from the numerous Letters to the Editor he wrote to the Cherryvale Citizen newspaper that he attended Cherryvale High School and graduated in 1933. At some point, music must have attracted him and he learned to play the guitar. At some point in the 1930s, he found work at local radio stations. We have a letter from Jack Todd of radio station KGNF in Coffeyville, Kansas dated April 30, 1936 indicating Dick was scheduled for a 15-minute program on Sunday afternoon May 3 at 4:15pm. In the letter was mention of something that would become a bit of a sidebar in Dick's history and recollections. The station was going to look into interurban passes between Cherryvale and Coffeyville. At the time there was an electric trolley going from points in Kansas to Oklahoma. He was working at radio station KIUL in Garden City, Kansas when he received a letter from Station Director, Herschel Holland of radio station KGNO in Dodge City, Kansas dated March 13, 1941. Mr. Holland mentioned that after he had talked with Mr. Denious (presumably the manager of the station), he felt that Dick could work at their station and they were prepared to offer him 35 cents an hour to start. Dick gained some local hometown fame back on July 4, 1936. It seems he had won the heart of one Mary Demarius Fisher of Neodesha, Kansas and were married in a public ceremony in Cherryvale, Kansas. He wrote in 1985 that they had been married 49 years and had three children, Richard Jr.; Donald and Laurie.
We do not know what prompted Dick to move to Los Angeles, California. It appears to be perhaps in the late 1930s or early 1940s. There is evidence in his collection that he was finding work as a musician on the scene during that time. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys band were based in Los Angeles for a time. Dick worked as a member of the Texas Playboys playing guitar. He appeared at Bob's first concert at a Foreman Phillips County Barn Dance at the famed Venice Pier venue. He left behind a portrait of himself in the suit he wore as a member of Bob's band, sitting on the edge of a bed. While Dick dates the picture to be around 1942, Bob Wills did not end his military service until 1943. When Bob returned, he wanted to put his band back together. It was also a time when the American Federation of Musicians union was in a dispute with recording companies. Bob's label, Columbia, had not settled with them at the time. However, that does not mean no recordings were made. Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys recorded several Armed Forces Radio Service transcriptions in Hollywood, possibly at radio station KMTR. We found some of these released on a CD published by Interstate Music Ltd, a European label. On that CD are three recordings that included Dick Hamilton as rhythm guitarist with Bob and the Texas Playboys. The booklet with the CD mentions that "...Dick Hamilton would shine on numerous late 1940s Hollywood recording sessions with various western artists, but Wills appears to have used him primarily as a rhythm guitarist..." We think one of the more enjoyable musical endeavors for Dick may have been the time he was a part of the T. Texas Tyler band. We think that due to quite a handful of pictures of the group in a relaxed setting at the Hudkins Ranch in what is now the Forest Lawn Cemetary in Hollywood. In some of his letters to the editor we found hints that he was working at radio stations in Georgia for a time. But we don't have any details. He left behind a couple of scripts for a television show called the Singing Rails, sponsored by Union Pacific. It starred Kirby Grant, who would later find fame as the character Sky King in a television series that was done in Nashville, Tennessee. Don Shaw and the Ranch Hands were the band for the show, of which Dick was a part of. In his collection were two photos of him with a group of gentlemen which we are presuming to be from that show.
The Singing Rails made its debut on April 29, 1951 airing over KNXT-TV in Los Angeles, California. Billboard reported in 1951 that it was a half-hour Western musical show. Also on the show when it made its debut were Jane Davids. The Caples Company set this arrangement up and John Reynolds was handling the account. Another letter indicates he worked with Cliffie Stone and the "Hometown Jamboree" show. In one of his letters to the editor, Dick provides an observation from his experiences in the 1940s. He names no names, but perhaps shows a cynical view of how the business of 'fame' works. Let's read that letter and the poem he wrote to go with it.
Dear Editor, Thought I�d send this along. Some things you don�t learn in books! This particular incident truly happened to me �way back in the 1940�s. I will not mention any names.
In the music game, it sometimes takes two very hip people to make money. To
be a �Star� takes concentration on that alone, and on the other hand,
he or she could not do without the experienced �pro� musicians. Very rarely have the
two talents been combined in one person. This, of course, is in no way speculation.
Dick not only wrote his hometown newspaper, but it seems he kept in touch with a friend who also was a bit of a songwriter. We have seen several pieces of correspondence with Clavelle Isnard who lived in Cherryvale. Clavelle was born on February 18, 1906 and from what we can tell, lived his whole life in Cherryvale. He died on May 28, 1982 and is buried in the Fairview Cemetary in Cherryvale. We found that Clavelle wrote several tunes including "I�m A million Miles From Heaven", "Headin� Back To Georgia", "You�re So Dependable", "First Come First Served", and "Don�t Go". We found some correspondence with Harold Dixon, a music publisher based in Chicago about a tune called "Dancing with Strangers". In a letter to Dick, Clavelle expressed some angst about promoting the tune as the original version had been written with another person who had since died. He appeared to want to rewrite it to become the sole author of the tune. Other songs that were credited to Mr. Isnard included "Give It To Me Right Now", "Bullfrog Rock", "Bang Bang" (recorded by Janis Martin on RCA in 1958), "The Bender Song", co-written with Jimmy Holland for Hlllsboro Music and recorded by Sammy Marshall and the Sun-Rays on Vale Records (45-V1001) for the Kansas Centennial � a tune about a family of serial murderers. On the flip side of that 45-V1001 disc was another tune by Isnard and Holland, "Come To Kansas" by Kris Arden and the Sun-Rays. In February of 1958, Clavelle provided some 'papers' that Dick wanted. He had written a couple versions of a 'release' and hoped they were suitable to Dick but offered to rewrite them if Dick would tell him the specifics of what he wanted written. Clavelle noted the songs were 'registered' but not 'copyrighted'. And advised Dick that before recording any of them commercially, they must be copyrighted or they go into the public domain. Clavelle told Dick that if he could do anything with those songs, "...I can feed them to you from here on out. But let's see what you can do with these." Perhaps he was testing Dick's talents as one who could get a song recorded. Clavelle included a personal note that the family was a bit shook up due to Clavelle's wife, Leora's father was not well and at Independence Mercy Hospital. And wrote Dick that he would "...sure like to hear your tapes of the songs." The two signed releases by Clavelle were for different purposes. One was an agreement to share 50/50 any money which could be earned '...due to the efforts of Dick Hamilton' for five songs: "I'm A Million Miles From Heaven", "Headin' Back To Georgia", "You're So Dependable", "First Come First Served", and "Don't Go". The second release gave Dick permission to 'exploit' those same songs over radio, TV, records tapes or whatever other media he may choose. Clavelle wrote Dick in March of 1958 that provides some insight as to their partnership/friendship and Clavelle's dealings as well. He told Dick he had enclosed a couple of tunes, and he said, "...This is not rock bottom stuff but I've tried to make them a little different as they will have more appeal." We think the tunes were "Bullfrog Rock" and "Give It To Me Right Now" as this collection has both songs with separate sheets for just the lyrics and another with words and music. He noted that since Dick's last letter, Clavelle had signed a contract for a song with Murray Nash Associates in Nashville. He had also placed another with Rev Records (Revere Rec. Corp.), who had had the hit 'Plaything'. The music publishing industry can be a bit of bitter pill to digest at times at the way business gets conducted when you read stories of the various artists or the discussions one hears from others. Clavelle told Dick not to 'do anything' with a couple of his tunes as he had to revise them to avoid future headaches. He did mention that Dick well with '...some good leg work' on those other tunes and hoped they connected. But he didn't mention which tunes those were. Clavelle then ends the letter with an offer to Dick if he was interested. Clavelle had co-wrote some songs and if Dick was interested, he would go 33 and 1/3 - 33 and 1/3 - 33 and 1/3 on them. But again, he did not mention which tunes. For example, one entitled "Not Recommended Cure" that appears to have been published on September 12, 1984 Clavelle wrote Dick another letter, undated, but indicating he was sending Dick a copy of "Don't Come Cryin' To Me" for Dick to promote. He told Dick it would be a real favor and would do both a favor for future efforts together if he could get some of Dick's good disc jockey friends to push the song. Clavelle indicated he was trying to get the song recorded on a big label and every spin over the air helps. He indicated it was being considered by the people who selected Teresa Brewer's material and other 'big names'. Clavelle seemed excited in this note indicating to Dick that he had '...made a pretty good connection with a Nashville publisher. He is anxious to see anything I have on tape or demo." From our research, it appears that Ms. Brewer did not record the song, but a Mary Small on the Coral label also did record a song by that title. We would be remiss to omit discussing the many letters to the editor of his hometown newspaper the Cherryvale Citizen. They provide an insight as to his take on life, the memories they left behind and a bit about who he was. Following are some of those essays, edited slightly. He wrote another in response to an article that brought back more memories for him and give us a glimpse into his musical career journey that took him to Georgia for a time.
in response to an article "Take Precautions During Poison Ivy Season" in the August 15, 1984 issue. He wrote of an experience in his early youth that he perhaps saw was a 'cure' but not one he would recommend. Let's read an excerpt:
Then we have another one later in the season from October. And again, we'll share some of what he wrote then.
Dick enjoyed his memories of his old hometown. The people he knew. The places he would visit or frequent. Here is another example of his stroll down his memory lane including a small tidbit indicating he worked on the "Hometown Jamboree" for a time.
Dick left behind a letter addressed to whoever next found his collection. It was undated, but we tend to think it was written in the mid-1980s when his collection of letters to the editor seemed to end. We would be remiss if we did not include his personal note attached to the collection which follows.
And we say, God Bless Dick Hamilton for his diligence, love of the music he was a part of and the photographic collection he left behind for the world to remember those who were a part of a unique era on the Los Angeles hillbilly music scene. Credits and Sources
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