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Prairie Ramblers WLS National Barn Dance WLW Midwestern Hayride

About the Group About The Group They were one of the popular groups on WLS and the Barn Dance. Back in 1938, they were selected by listeners as one of the top 3 acts on WLS. Patsy Montana also performed with the group. We found an old song folio of theirs, "The Prairie Ramblers Songs Of The Trail" that indicated the group was formed in 1931 and performed for many years since. Their song library included "...cowboy songs, mountain songs, old-fashioned spirituals and side-splitting comedy." As a matter of fact, four of them were actually born in log houses. The group was also heard regularly on the "Smile-A-While Time" radio show that began at 5:30am. Timeline and Trivia Notes Group Members included: Chick Hurt, married, wife was Gladys, daughter, Nancy; likes motorcycles - used to be a highway traffic cop. Played banjo and mandolin. He was born in Willow Shade, KY. Chick and his dad used to broadcast, but not over the radio as you might think, but over the local neighborhood party line. Imagine, neighbors would listen on the phone while they performed for hours on end. In a sense, it may have been the first 'network' show of its kind. Jack Taylor, married to Clina, son Daniel; played bass fiddle, guitar and one of original members of group. Born in a town called Summer Shade, KY; said to have known as much about Cattle Calls as he did about Barn Dance calls. Alan Crockett, began with Prairie Ramblers 1938; related to the infamous Davy Crockett of the southwest; played fiddle and was suspected of being one of the members of the duo 'Nap and Lige (Red Foley may have been the other). Began in show business when he was 11, touring with the Croket Family all over the US and Canada. Bernie Smith, 1945 or so; played guitar and electric guitar, wife was named Elizabeth. He started his entertainment career at 15, and immediately got a reputation as a whiz with the guitar. Appeared with Tommy Dorsey and other reknown bands. Tex Atchison, a left-handed fiddle player Salty Holmes Sound Sample—(YouTube Video Format) That Man Who Comes Around

Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   Bluebird Rec. No. Side Song Title   5302 A Blue River   5302 B Tex's Dance   5320 A Go Easy Blues   5320 B Do Blues   5322 A Shady Grove My Darling   5322 A Gonna Have A Feast Here Tonight   5322 B Gonna Have A Feast Tonight   5322 B Shady Grove My Darling   5395 A Rolling On   5395 B Next Year   Columbia Rec. No. Side Song Title   20202 A Maple On The Hill   20202 B What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul   20205 A Nobody's Darling But Mine   20205 B You Look Pretty In An Evening Gown   20209 A How Beautiful Heaven Must Be   20209 B Jesus Hold My Hand   20329 A Get Hot Or Go Home   20329 B Booley Wooger   20336 A Does Jesus Care?   20336 B Nobody Loves My Soul   20339 A Only One Step More   20339 B The Lord Is Watching Over Me   20800 A Answer To I'll Be Back In A Year   20800 B I'll Be Back In A Year   37603 A What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul   37603 B Maple On The Hill   37606 A You Look Pretty In An Evening Gown   37606 B Nobody's Darling But Mine   37610 A How Beautiful Heaven Must Be   37610 B Jesus Hold My Hand   37752 A Booley Wooger   37752 B Get Hot Or Go Home   37759 A Does Jesus Care   37759 B Nobody Loves My Soul   37762 A Only One Step More   37762 B Lord Is Watching Over Me   Conqueror Rec. No. Side Song Title   8536 A When I Grow Too Old To Dream   8536 B Isle Of Capri   8573 A Nobody's Darling But Mine   8573 B You Look Pretty In An Evening Gown   8576 A Red Sails In The Sunset   8576 B The Oregon Trail   8580 A Deep Elm Blues   8580 B Just Because   8600 A Down By The Old Mill Stream   8600 B Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet   8602 A On Treasure Island   8602 B Take Me Back To My Boots and Saddle   8655 A Woman's Answer To Nobody's Darling   8655 B Put On An Old Pair of Boots And Saddle Up Your Horse   8710 A I'm Looking For The Bully Of The Town   8710 B Ridin' Down The Canyon When The Desert Sun Goes Down   8712 A Maple On The Hill No. 2   8712 B What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul   8713 A There's More Pretty Girls Than One   8713 B We Parted By The River Side   8726 A How Beautiful Heaven Must Be   8726 B Jesus Hold My Hand   8786 A I'm a Wild And Reckless Cowboy   8786 B With A Banjo On My Knee   8811 A Will I Ride The Range In Heaven   8811 B There's No Disappointment In Heaven   8830 A Raise The Roof In Georgia   8830 B Bacon Rind   8831 A Kansas City Rag   8831 B Smoky Mountain Schottische   8832 A Somebody's Darling Not Mine   8832 B In The Dog House Now   8891 A I'll Be True To The One I Love   8891 B Paint A Rose On The Garden Wall   8892 A Maple On The Hill No. 4   8892 B Cactus Blossoms   8975 A By The Grave Of Nobody's Darling   8975 B I wish I Had Never Seen Sunshine   8976 A On The Sunnyside Of The Rockies   8976 B Ten Little Miles   8977 A High Wide and Handsome   8977 B Headin' For The Rio Grande   8978 A Nobody Loves My Soul   8978 B Does Jesus Care?   9002 A I'll Be Hanged (If They're Going To Hang Me)   9002 B He Was A Traveling Man   9024 A Fetch Me Down My Trusty .45   9024 B Old Cowboy   9109 A Somebody Knows   9109 B Mountain Home   9110 A Somebody's Smile   9110 B Poor Ole Davy   9153 A I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams   9153 B The Lonesome Trail Ain't Lonesome Any More   9263 A Singing In The Saddle   9263 B A Rip-Rip-Snortin' Two Gun Girl   9264 A The Lord Is Watching Over Me   9264 B Only One Step More   9265 A Please Send Me To Jail, Judge   9265 B They Can't Shoot Me In The Morning   9272 A Hitch Up The Horse And Buggy   9272 B Sour Dough Dan   9322 A I'd Love To Be A Cowboy   9322 B I Wanna Be A Western Cowgirl   9326 A Just Because You're In Deep Elem   9326 B I Just Don't Care Anymore   9327 A Back In '67   9327 B You Can't Break The Heart Of A Farmer   9588 A Get Hot Or Go Home   9588 B Sugar Hill   9590 A Be Honest With Me   9590 B Since I Lost My Darling   9669 A Maple On The Hill #4   9717 A Dese Bones Gwine Rise Agin   9717 B Wine, Women And Song   9722 A Sing It Fast And Hot   9722 B Old Mississippi Moon   9723 A All I Ever Do Is Wait   9723 B I Won't Mind   9724 A Booley Wooger   9724 B Good Old Fashioned Hoe Down   9725 A I'll Be Back In A Year (Little Darlin')   9725 B I've Got A Gal In Ev'ry State   9726 A I'll Come Back To You   9726 B The Mountains Will See Her Face No More   9727 A Little Turtle Dove   9727 B Double Crossing Mama   9754 A Rustic Schottische   9754 B Smoky Mountain Schottische   9755 A Kansas City Rag   9778 A I Wanna Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart #2   9778 B Rodeo Sweetheart   9825 A Don't Say Goodbye Little Darling   9825 B Sergeant! Can You Spare A Girl   9826 A Answer To I'll Be Waiting For You   9826 B Double Crossin' Daddy   9827 A My Darling Of The Valley   9827 B Lonesome For You, Annabelle   9828 A My Head Went Round And Round   9828 B Nellie's Not The Same Nell Now   9829 A Don't Think Anymore About Me   9829 B Tell Me Little Gal, Ain't I Your Feller?   9830 A Smile Through Tear Drops   9830 B Darling, Do You Love Another?   9831 A I'll Love You Til I Die   9831 B You Were Right And I Was Wrong   9832 A An Old Revival Meetin'   9832 B There's No Place For The Devil In My Home   9927 A Beaver Creek   9927 B Rollin' Along   Melotone Rec. No. Side Song Title   7-09-51 A Will I Ride The Range In Heaven   7-09-51 B Maple On The Hill No. 4   Mercury Rec. No. Side Song Title   6019 A Many Tears Ago   6019 B You Ain't Got No Hillbilly Anymore   6023 A I Don't Love Anybody But You   6023 B South   6032 A Girl At The End Of The Bar   6032 B I'm A Married Man   6035 A Jolie Blon   6035 B Open Up That Door, Hiram   6051 A Have A Heart, Taft Hartley   6051 B One Hour - Puppy Love   6072 A You're The Fly In My Ointment   6072 B You'Ve Got Me In The Doghouse Now   6097 A Hula Hula Babies   6097 B That New Vitamin   6101 A Easy To Please   6101 B No Other Darlin'   6116 A Broken Heart For Sale   6116 B Don't Send My Boy To Prison   6143 A Deed We Do   6143 B You Ain't Got No Hillbilly Anymore   6167 A Just A Minute   6167 B Wish I Was On That Train   6283 A Open Up That Door, Hiram   Montgomery Ward Rec. No. Side Song Title   4418 A De Blues   4418 B Go Easy Blues   4471 A Shady Grove My Darling   4471 B Gonna Have A Feast Here Tonight   4472 A Tex's Dance   4472 B Blue River   4483 A Next Year   4483 B Rolling On   Perfect Rec. No. Side Song Title   19125 A You Look Pretty In Evening Gown   19125 B Nobody's Darling But Mine   Vocalion Rec. No. Side Song Title   05002 A Down The Lane Of Memory   05002 B Who Will Love You When I'm Gone   05081 A Gotta Hit The Texas Trail Tonight   05231 A Please Come Home   05231 B I'm Just A Poor Hillbilly Looking For A Hill