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WWVA Jamboree
It was late in the year in 1932 when WWVA Radio Managing Director
George W. Smith called a meeting with Program Director Howard Donahoe
and Paul J. Miller. The purpose of the meeting: to program something special
for the 5,000-watt station's listeners on Saturday nights.
Out of the meeting came a unanimous choice: a light, spontaneous,
after-midnight program of entertainment which would be called "The WWVA Jamboree".
WWVA Jamboree Radio Broadcast - 1933
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Front Row (L�R:)Sherlocke White; Tommy Radcliffe; Charlie Tweedy; Harry Tweedy; Fred Craddock
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Second Row (L�R:)Ginger, Snap and Sparky; Howard Donahoe; Elmer Crowe; Felix Adams; Paul J. Miller; Willard Spoon;
George Kanute; James Lively; Luther Hockenberry
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WWVA Original Jamboree Cast Photo—
First row: Smokey Pleacher, Hiram Hayseed, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Sunflower, Jimmy Hutchinson,
Wilma Lee, Big Slim, Little Shirley, Stoney Cooper, Cy Sneezeweed, Chick Stripling.
Second row—Paul Myers, Melvin Ritchie, Red Belcher, Chuck Henderson, Monty Blake,
Budge Mayse, Galen Ritchie, Fudge Mayse, Curley Reynolds, Bill Carver, Jiggs Lemsley,
Uncle Tom.
Third Row—Doc Williams, Bonnie Baldwin, Marion Martin, Millie Wayne,
Cy Williams, Chickie Williams, Joe Barker.
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From that first show held in the WWVA studios, the show captured
the audience's attention and soon, the show had to move. On April 1, 1933,
the WWVA Jamboree made its first move to the Capitol Theatre. An admission
charge of 25 cents was charged to help defray the cost of renting the theatre
for the show. In fact, they advertised it as the 'Greatest Show on the Air for a Quarter."
The crowd was said to be 3,266 for that first show with another thousand
having to be turned away.
The first of the WWVA Jamboree shows were held in Wheeling's Capitol
Theatre and continued there right up to February 10, 1934. A change
in theatre management caused a change in the Jamboree's venue to
the Victoria Theatre. However, only two performances were held at
the Victoria Theatre as larger seating capacity to handle the crowds
was necessary. From there, the show moved to Wheeling's Virginia
Theatre for two years. Then, in February 1936, the Jamboree moved
back to the Capitol Theatre. From there, the show moved to the Wheeling
Market Auditorium where they say an air of 'peanut-chewing, pop-drinking informality'
was the rule of the day. The show was discontinued due to gasoline rationing
on December 15, 1942. The WWVA Jamboree's in-person audience drew from folks
from many places well beyond Wheeling. Jamboree personal appearances
resumed on July 13, 1946 and the shows resumed again from the Virginia
Theatre.
WWVA Jamboree - Cast Photo From April 1939 Goodwill Tour
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First Row (Seated) (L�R:) Chief Red Hawk; Little Shoe; Jake Taylor; Laughing Lindy; Little Joan; Rhoda Jones; Millie Wayne; Doc Williams; Penny Woodford; Quarantine; "Mut"
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Second Row (L�R:)Yodlin' FLo; Rawhide; Mary Ann (Estes); Froggie Cortez; Betty Taylor; Shug Fisher; Big Slim; SIs Simpson; Willie Whistle; Sunflower; Elmer Crowe; Little Shirley
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Third Row (L�R:)Freddie Hewitt; Muleskinner Bob; Shorty Fincher; Curley Sims; Dolph Hewitt; Joe Barker; Brother Cy; Bud DiCarlo; Chuck Sherman; Bill Thomas;
Herman Redman; Tony Biacca; Big SHorty; Harry Adams; Hugh Cross; Mel Cass; Little Johnny; Harry Stemple; Ted Grant; Frankie More; Paul Miller
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WWVA Jamboree - Cast Photo 1942
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Front Row (L�R:) The Smile Sisters; Newcomer Twins (Eileen and Maxine); Shirley Barker; Honey Davis, Sonny Davis
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Back Row (L�R:) Sunflower; Paul Miller; Pepper Bahanna; Lew Childre; Big Slim; Joe Barker;
Vivian Miller; Brother Cy; Smiley Sutter; Lew Clawson; Doc Williams; Tommy Sutton; Millie Wayne
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WWVA Jamboree - Cast Photo July 1945
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Reading From Left to Right: Reed Dunn; Eileen Newcomer; Sunflower; Joe Barker; Maxine Newcomer; Bonnie
Baldwin; Honey Davis; Millie Wayne; Vernon Hyles; Lucky Carter; Denver Crumpler; Shirley Barker; Walter Leverett;
Gay Schwing; Arnold Hyles; Ramona; Rex McDowell; Toby Stroud; Herman Schwing; Paul Yost; Tex King;
Dick Biddle; Wyn Sheldon
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Back Row (L�R:) Shorty Fincher; Bob Thomas; Smilie Sutter; Sandy Edwards; Joe Barker; Hawkshaw Hawkins;
Jimmie Hutchinson; Dick Lanning; Curly Collins; Bud Kissenger (Kissinger); Jack Gillette
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Middle Row (L�R:) Rawhide; Boy Huey; Clyde Fogel; Little Sampson; Red Belcher; Reed Dunn; Pete Cassell;
Sonny Davis; Roy Parks; Bill Bailey; Benny Kissnger (Kissinger); Dude Webb
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Front Row (L�R:) Wyn Sheldon; Sally FIncher; Millie Wayne; Bonnie Baldwain; Shirley Barker; Honey Davis;
Eileen Newcomer; Maxine Newcomer; Lew Clawson
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WWVA � The World's Original Jamboree — August 1951
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Back Row (L�R:) Bill Carver; Cowboy Phil; Roy Scott; Stoney Cooper; J. J. Sumner; Hawkshaw Hawkins;
Red Smiley; Ace Richmond; Tex Logan; Marion Martin; Lee Moore
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Middle Row (L�R:) Wyn Sheldon; Fred Daniels; Monty Blake; Margaret Ann Hess; Gene Jenkins; Doc Williams;
Carol Lee Morrison; James Carson; Cy Williams (Brother Cy); Don Reno; Grace Joanne Lawrence; Toby Stroud;
Eddie Wallace; Buck Graves
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Front Row (L�R:) Hiram Hayseed; Abbie Neal; Chickie Williams; Gay Franzi; Juanita Moore; Dusty Brown;
Wilma Lee Cooper; Crazy Elmer
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The WWVA Jamboree also had its share of traveling troupes of artists who
would go to outlying cities and towns to perform for audiences. For WWVA,
these were called "Goodwill Tours". One WWVA album mentions that these
tours would travel as far as 500 miles away to reach their audiences.
Like the WLS National Barn Dance, the WWVA Jamboree had music that
one might readily associate with 'hillbilly' or 'country' music back
then. As such, WWVA had its own such person in the name of Vivian Miller,
who was the Jamboree organist. They attributed the Jamboree theme song
to her and they mentioned that the words to the tune were believed to
be the work of Elmer Crowe and Howard Donahoe.
Now here's the Jamoree to greet you
In the good old-fashioned way
We'll do our best to please you
And hope that you'll feel gay
We are more than glad to see you
And hope you'll be care free
So laugh an dsmile with us awhile
On the Midnight Jamboree
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