Tennessee Ramblers WBT Charlotte, NC

About The Group The Tennessee Ramblers came together along about 1928 or so. They appeared on numberous radio stations including: WHAS - Louisville, Kentucky WSB - Atlanta, Georgia KDKA - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WBT - Charlotte, North Carolina WRVA - Richmond, Virginia In August of 1936, the Tennessee Ramblers made a movie with Republic Pictures called "Ride Ranger, Ride". They returned the following May and made another picture, "Yodelin' Kid From Pine Ridge". They also recorded on the Blue Bird label for RCA Victor. A song folio put out by the group in 1940 provided us with some information about the group members. "Horse Thief" Harry Blair was one of the original members of the Tennessee Ramblers. He was born in New Martinsville, West Virginia around 1913. He worked at other jobs such as steel works, glass works and in road construction. They wrote he liked to tinker with radios and could usually be found at the radio station or by the radio at home. They mentioned that as to how he got his name, they could not divulge that in definite details. "Montana Jack" Gillette played the violin and "...many queer musical novelties" they wrote, listing instruments such as the saw, balloon, musical bass drum, bicycle pump, hot trumpet and even an instrument he created himself, a slip horn which Montana Jack called a "poobaphone". That instrument, he created when he was with Louis Prima's band in 1928. Montana Jack looks to have started with the group around 1934 or so. His career started when he left his home town of Providence, Rhode Island when he was 18 and went with a vaudeville act known as the "Rodeo Boys". Then he was with a CBS road show that included other stars such as Jack Little, Stoopnagle and Budd, Tony Wons and Vaughn De Leath. He also got to play at Teddy Roosevelt's first inauguration. They don't give a date of birth, but if the folio was published in 1940 and he was 32 then, then he was born back about 1908. "Curly" Campbell started with the group around 1932. He was known for the many stringed instruments he played for the band, including the Hawaiian guitar, straight guitar, banjo and mandolin. He also sang baritone in the trio songs. He was 28 then, born in Belew's Creek, North Carolina about 1912. He spent his youth working in the tobacco farms there. It stuck with him, for even after he grew up, he still had a tobacco farm in North Carolina. "Tex" Martin played the bass fiddle and hot guitar for the Tennessee Ramblers. He had traveled with many other bands around the country and was also featured with a Spanish orchestra for some time. He was born in Chenoa, Illinois along about 1915. Author Wayne W. Daniel mentions in his chapter on the "Cross Roads Follies" that the Tennessee Ramblers were a part of that show for a brief while in September of 1939. Mr. Daniel mentions that Cecil "Curly" Campbell had assumed the leadership of the group after the retirement of Dick Hartman, who had been on WSB in the early 1930s. Timeline & Trivia Notes Group Members: "Montana Jack" Gillette, violin and other instruments "Curly" Campbell, Hawaiian guitar, straight guitar, banjo, mandolin "Tex" Martin, bass fiddle, hot guitar "Horse Thief" Harry Blair Dick Hartman, former member Credits & Sources Songs of the Tennessee Ramblers; American Music, Inc.; Studio One Building, Portland, Oregon; 1940. Pickin' On Peachtree, Wayne W. Daniel; University of Illinois Press; 1990; Read More About The Group Printer Friendly Version Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   Bluebird Rec. No. Side Song Title   8516 A Neath Hawaiian Palms   8516 B All My Natural Life   8571 A Blue Eyed Baby   8571 B Grab Your Saddle Horn And Blow   8678 A Won't You Sometimes Dream Of Me   8678 B Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall   8742 A Steel Guitar Swing   8742 B Come Swing With Me   8765 A The Beach At Waikiki   8765 B I'm Through Wishing On The Stars   8894 A You Certainly Said It   8894 B New Red River Valley   8941 A Oh, Mary Don't You Weep   8941 B I Love Hawaii   8984 A Why Should I Be Blue   8984 B You're Always On My Mind   Brunswick Rec. No. Side Song Title   225 A Cackling Pullet   225 B Arkansas Traveler   257 A Fiddler's Contest   258 B Satisfied   259 A The Preacher Got Drunk And Laid His Bible Down   259 B Medley Of Mountain Songs   Montgomery Ward Rec. No. Side Song Title   7640 A Coquette Polka   8498 A Don't Put A Tax On The Beautiful Girls   8498 B I'll Keep On Loving You   8499 A There's A Blue Sky Way Out Yonder   8499 B Over The Santa Fe Trail   8500 A Carry Me Back To Carolina   8500 B Tonight You Belong To Me   8501 A Four Or Five Times   8501 B Hootchie Kootchie Koo   8502 A The Washboard Man   8502 B Doug Ain't Doin' The Jitterbug   8503 A Out On The Lone Prairie   8503 B Steel Guitar Blues   8744 A I'd Love To Be A Cowboy   8744 B I Like It That Way   8745 A I'll Never Let You Cry   8745 B Hard Hearted Love   8746 A All My Natural Life   8746 B Neath Hawaiian Palms (W)   8747 A Coquette   8747 B I Don't Know Why I Should Cry Over You   8894 A Blue Eyed Sally   8894 B Grab Your Saddle Horn And Blow   8895 A Won't You Sometimes Dream Of Me   8895 B Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall   8896 A Come Swing With Me   8896 B I'm Through Wishing On Stars   8897 A Steel Guitar Swing   8897 B The Beach At Waikiki   RCA Victor Rec. No. Side Song Title   20-1790 A Hawaiian Skies   20-1790 B Midnight Boogie   20-3116 A Chant Of Hawaii   Vocalion Rec. No. Side Song Title   05362 A Give The Fiddle A Dram   05362 B Ramblers March   05378 A Garbage Can Blues   05378 B Tennessee Traveler   05394 A Hawaiian Medley   05398 B In My Dear Old Sunny South