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Hillbilly-Music.com—The People. The Music. The History.
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About The Artist Herman (Tex) Redmon was born in Paris, Illinois. We first learned of Herman from an old Jake Taylor and His Rail Splitters Log Book published around 1938. In his biography in that booklet, Herman tells fans he started school at the age of six and would walk one mile each way. He lived on a farm. He told fans he had always liked music but was not able to get himself a guitar until 1928, when he was around 16 years old. He was living in Brazil, Indiana at the time and indicated he later learned to play the banjo and bass fiddle. In 1932, when he was 20 years old, he was in Oregon, but only stayed about five months before returning to Paris, Illinois. He got his first radio job on a station in Tuscola, Illinois. We are assuming that was WDZ where many other stars appeared in that bygone era. He moved to Terre Haute, Indiana when Jake Taylor called and indicated he was looking for a bass man for his group. He worked with Jake until Jake went to WWVA in 1936. But on December 26, 1937, he saw Jake again and again Jake told Herman he needed a bass man. Herman joined the Rail Splitters once again. Ivan Tribe in his book, "Mountaineer Jamboree" indicated that Herman later worked at WMMN when Buddy Starcher and his All Stars group was there in 1945. Buddy Starcher provides a bit more information on Herman's life in one of his columns in the 1940s. He noted that he played the guitar, bass and sang. Herman spent three years overseas and was in "...seven battles, including two commando raids." Buddy told fans they had to see Herman 'swing on that bass fiddle'. He later followed Buddy to WPDX in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Credits & Sources
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