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About The Artist
(Note: In Progress ...) "Way down in Old Kentucky the skies are never gray..." "Hello everybody, hope everybody's feeling fine." In the April 1994 issue (No. 20) of The Journal, Charles K. Wolfe touched on the life of Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmie by writing of a pamphlet he had and the importance of its use by Asher in a historical context. For our research, it was a bit more tangential of running across his name in promotional ads for others, recalling those "pamphlets" in our collection as well as a friend helping out finding information from sources not available to us. Some sources say his name was George Asher Sizemore but research of ancestry records never mentions the name George. While later in life,a child was born to he and his wife that was named George Asher Jr. but he died at birth. It was in June of 1901 that Asher was introduced to the world by his parents John Taylor and Mary Ellen (Mattingly) Sizemore. When he was born, he had five siblings — Andrew, Nollie, Farmer, Martha and Gilbert. Later came Ethel, Marvin, Woodrow and Howard Bazel, Walker and Myrtle. The 1900 U. S. Census indicates the family was living in Upper Red Bird area in Clay County, Kentucky. His father was a farmer.
Odessa Lenore Foley marries Asher Sizemore
July 5, 1924 Rev. Walter B. Foley officiating (Odessa's father) Greasy Creek, Kentucky Perhaps one of the first mentions of Asher in the public light was a story about Island City in Owsley County Kentucky in March of 1922. At the time it was reported that Asher was in school at Scoville, Kentucky. He stopped at the home of the Reverend A. D. Bowman one Saturday and had dinner before heading on to his parent's home in Taft, Kentucky (about a 15-20 mile journey). He was said to be doing well in school and "...speaks well of his teachers." In 1924 in the unincorporated coal mining community of Greasy Creek, Kentucky, Odessa Lenore Foley married Asher Sizemore. Her father, the Rev. Walter B. Foley performed the wedding ceremony. Her sister, Lula, was one of the witnesses. By the time the 1930 U. S. Census rolled around, they were living in Ashland, Kentucky on Adams Street. His occupation was listed as life insurance salesman. But that perhaps was a starting point.
James Leslie Sizemore (Little Jimmie)
Born: January 29, 1927 Paintville, KY In early 1927, The Paintville Herald reported the birth of James Leslie Sizemore on January 29, 1927. He arrived weighing eight pounds. The article mentions Asher and his wife were living in Wolfpit, Kentucky, a town about an hour south of Paintsville. It appears that Odessa's parents, the Reverend W. B. Foley and his wife were living in Paintsville. In early March 1927, the local Chevrolet dealer, Rice and Williams, stage a parace of 29 new Chevrolet cars in different styles and colors for the 1927 market. The parade included the "Chevrolet Band;" its members included Bruce Wiley, Asher Sizemore, Donald Foley, Mrs. (Odessa) Sizemore, George Foley, BIll Preston, Junior Daniel and Vivian Daniel. All of Paintsville's citizens and visitors to the town that day got to watch the parade. In June of 1927, it seems the town of Paintsville got into the competition with local neighboring towns such as Pikeville in terms of having a town band. The town had started its band but they wanted at least 60 or 70 boys and girls to take part "...in this movement." The article goes on to list a couple dozen members of the band at that time. Asher Sizemore was the director and was playing cornet. Other names of note were Donald Foley and George Foley, his brothers-in-law. Asher's wife was playing clarinet for the band. Asher was a guest of the Kiwanis Club at their meeting in July 1927. The Kiwanis met in the parlor of the M. E. Church; their discussions centered around the proposed new hard surfacing of roads in the area was discussed - rock asphalt versus concrete - which was best for roads in the area and which would be cost effective.
   Later in 1927, Asher and his family were living in Brookville, Indiana, just west of Cincinnati. He taken an ad out in the newspaper announcing the grand opening of his store where he advertised nothing cost more than 25 cents. The store was to operate from the room formerly occupied by the Knox Battery and Electric Company on Main Street. Around that same year, Asher appeared perhaps for the first time on the radio. It was radio station WKBV, then located in Brookville, Indiana. The license for the station was given to William Knox - the call letters were said to stand for William Knox Brookville. It was December 22, 1922, Christmas was in the air. Asher was listed as a baritone and his first song was to be "Asleep In The Deep" at 7:45 pm. At 8:00 pm, he sang "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise." In June of 1927, John Lewis of Pikeville, KY paid a visit to Paintsville and met with Asher Sizemore who was director of the Paintsville Band. Mr. Lewis was taking over the leadership of the band the following Monday after their meeting; Mr. Lewis felt the band would enter the state contest the following year. In spring of 1928, the Sizemores were living in Ashland. A short blurb indicated they were in town visiting friends in Paintsville where "Mr. Sizemore was connected with the Sandy Valley Grocery Company." Asher's wife, Odessa, was visiting her parents in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
Charles Edward Sizemore (Little Buddy)
Born: December 6, 1929 Catlettsburg, KY
The following week, another social event was held to welcome the new pastor, Rev. Rounds. The event again was hosted by the Ladies Aid Society "...who always do the proper thing." It was held in the large Sunday school room of the M. E. Church. Entertainment included several numbers by the Junior Choir. Gertrude Patrick, accompanied by Rebecca Brown did a violin number together as well as two vocal solos. Asher Sizemore was accompanied by Dorothy Marsh in closing the program with "...two beautiful vocal numbers." Little Glen McDougall, a grandson of Rev. and Mrs. Foley (Asher's wife's father and mother) did an "especially attractive number." A table for donations to the new leader of their church was setup and was filled with groceries, sweets and checks. Guests helped themselves "cafeteria style" to sandwiches and coffee. The Paintsville Herald reported the first meeting of the Music Club in November 1930. It was held in the studio of Miss Gertrude Patrick, who did a piano solo at the meeting. Asher himself did a vocal solo. Other performerances at the meeting included a piano solo by Mary Fern Songer, a piano solo by Bernice Rice, a violin solo by Frank Persil, a group of songs sung by a male quartet. Research seems to indicate that Frank Persil was known as a Merchant Tailor with a store in the Herald Building as evidenced by an ad in the September 17, 1931 newspaper. He was a part of the District meeting of the Big Sandy Association of I.O.O.F. at the Odd Fellow hall in the Herald building on Saturday night, December 13, 1930. It gives a glimpse perhaps into the diverse type of music he took part in before becoming an established radio performer. He was part of a quartet; other members were Dr. H. G. Hazelrigg, J. A. Jones, and E. T. Bullock. The Kiwainis Club met in July of 1931, a session which included invitations to farmers of Johnson County as part of an agricultural program for the meeting. Discussions included the County Fair and a curb market for Paintsville. The meeting included music by Asher Sizemore and Fara Johnson.
Research to date shows that Asher Sizemore appears in the radio log for radio station WSAZ in Huntington, West Virginia on Saturday, May 2, 1931. It was a half-hour show that began at 1:30pm. On May 23, the listing states "Asher Sizemore and his band." Around July, the 1:30pm time slot begins to show "Sandy Valley Grocery Company." Other stories or articles later in 1931 perhaps show Asher's influence over the promotions the company ran over WSAZ. The Sandy Valley Grocery Company seemed to promote certain products to listeners of WSAZ and readers of the local Paintsville Herald newspaper. The company claimed it studied what their local consumers wanted and tried to get the best deals for them. The offered "valuable prizes" in arrangements with local merchants to consumers who in turn would turn in labels and cartons from their leading brands, namely, Doughboy Flour, Elgin Relish Spread, Elgin Mayonaise and Milk Shake Candy. They claimed it took several years of "comprehensive experients and laboratory tests" to find the "perfect flour" and began packaging it under the Doughboy brand name. The first shipment arrived around October of 1931 and quickly became the most popular seller. It was featured every Saturday from 1:30 to 2:00pm over WSAZ with the Sandy Valley Fiddlers providing the entertainment. A Doughboy flour "radio letter writing contest" that was announced a week earlier was so popular that the company decided to run the contest again. The winner would get the first prize is the housewife who wrote the "bester letter about how she is successful with Doughboy Flour and the various ways it can be used." The contest would also award 2nd and 3rd place prizes. The entrants also had to add a picture of the Doughboy Flour sack in their letter as well. Winners would be announced during the Saturday program on WSAZ. In a separate contest, the company would award $5.00 in cash each week for four consecutive weeks to the person sending the greatest number of Doughboy pictures (taken from the Doughboy Flour sacks) to the company.
 
The song book Wolfe wrote about was "Old Fashioned Hymns and Mountain Ballads as sung by Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmie." He wrote: "On the cover was a photo of a handsome, moon-faced young man who (to today's eyes) bored a startling resemblance to Bill Clinton, holding a guitar in front of an old cylindrical WSM microphone; next to him was a five-year old boy in overalls, bangs peeking out from under what looks like an engineers cap. Inside were 27 pages of songs, some of them genuinely old hymns printed in shaped notes, others children's songs that were regularly performed by the same Little Jimmie on the cover: "My Little Rooster," "Chawin' Chawin' Gum," "Little Cowboy Jim," "I Miss My Mother and Dad." Inside were pictures of the entire Sizemore family, with Little Jimmie's young mother and little brother, Buddy, and a testimonial about how Asher Sizemore reflected "the poetic nature of mountain youth." In another testimonial, the program director of Louisville radio station WHAS explains that "Mr. Sizemore and Jimmie have made thousands of friends over the air, as well as many, many others through their personal appearances in the theaters, hospitals, orphan homes, etc." In front of the book was a note saying that you could order more copies for 25 cents each postpaid from Asher at an address in Louisville.
Author Wolfe tells readers about the era: "The 1930's was an age of child stars: Shirley Temple danced across the screen, Jackie Cooper emoted, and Spanky and Alfalfa led the "Our Gang" crew through a series of two-reelers. As early country musicians fumbled their way onto the airwaves, kids were often part of family groups sharing in a song and acting cute during stage shows. But as radio grew more up close and personal, some singers brought their children (or nieces or nephews) more to the fore. Cliff Carlisle, Lonnie and Thelma Robertson and Wade Mainer all featured their children as part of the act, sometimes running afoul of child labor laws but always delighting their fans. But none of these youngsters had quite the appeal of Little Jimmie. thousands of fans still remember sitting before their radios and listening to Jimmie and his dad sing their theme song:" From that small beginning on WKBV in Brookville, history notes he got his first break on radio at WCKY, in Covington, Kentucky in December 1931. The radio log indicates that from the very beginnings of his career, he included his son, Little Jimmie. The soon to be child star was all of four years old. It was an era also when an artist was sometimes given an 'adjective' to enhance the listener's imagination a bit more than just thinking they were hearing a singer. For Asher, he was known as the "Kentucky Mountaineer." Radio logs would show both of these names in program listings - "Kentucky Mountaineer" and "Asher Sizemore," indicating he was on the air more than once a day. Speaking of names, in this particular research effort, it got complicated. Asher Sizemore would be one term to look for. Or maybe "Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmy." Or maybe "Kentucky Mountaineer." Or even "Asher and Little Jimmie" or Asher and Little Jimmy." Research via the internet of newspaper archives is still not one hundred percent satisfying. Many newspapers that would be of interest are still not in the online newspaper archives sites. Thus, a gap or hole in research occurs trying to verify artists careers in those particular cities and states. Or one finds a library, whether it be city, state or university that allows online access after enrolling for a library card. Asher's musical journey began early on and glimpses are seen in the newspapers of the late 1920's. The family was in Paintsville, Kentucky and the local paper would relate small tidbits of Asher's life.
  The Kentucky Mountaineer and Asher and Little Jimmie first appear in the radio logs of WCKY in Covington, Kentucky - a town just across the river from Cincinnati. The station was owned by L. B. Wilson at the time. Asher came to WCKY from station WCMI in Ashland, Kentucky. Jimmie Sizemore told John Rumble in a June 2004 interview that his dad had simply contacted the station and they invited him to come on up. He got a program on the air. It was their stint on WCKY that Asher first published a song folio. Jimmie said they did that almost as soon as they got there. It seems almost from the start, Asher and Little Jimmy were a hit with the radio audiences. In those days, success could be measured by the mail received for the artist at the station. In January 1932, a promotional article in The Kentucky Post of Covington, Kentucky said the duo "...have received fan mail amounting to 15,000 letters in three weeks time..." This would be a recurring theme in future promotional articles. The first song book sold for 50 cents. Jimmie told Mr. Rumble that his dad cut the price to 25 cents in the next printing. It was a way of generating more sales. Asher had a knack for how to promote them to generate income as the radio stations were not paying them a salary. The song books and fees earned from personal appearances were their source of income. "The Mountaineers" and their mountain ballads were so popular, the management of the Broadway Theater in Covington brought them back every night for another week's engagement. The initial appearance brought packed houses to convince management that a return engagement was needed. It was also popular in that era that the hillbilly music performers would often appear at movie theaters. This was an era long before the large auditoriums and such venues came into existence. Most of the time, the movie promotion overshadowed the appearance of the artist. For Asher and Little Jimmy, it was the movie that was given lesser prominence in the ads. Little Jimmie told Mr. Rumble of a humorous incident that occurred at WCKY and opened the eyes of the owner, L. B. Wilson. They stayed at the station for only about six months. But Jimmie said that Mr. Wilson had heard their broadcast one Thursday afternoon as Asher was called into the office of Mr. Wilson. He told Asher that he did not want to hear any more religious music as it was termed in those days over the air; he felt the station was a secular station and those types of hymns belonged elsewhere. The gist of the conversation was, either drop the hymns, or leave the radio station. Asher told the radio audience that they were being kicked off the station for doing a hymn. He told his audience, they were not going to do the program without doing a hymn and if that's the way it is going to be, we'll just have to quit. Over the weekend, Mr. Wilson was the recipient of listener feedback. They called the station. Listeners were threatening a 'boycott' (the term was not in use in that era) of the station. Mr. Wilson could add up what it meant to his station's bottom line. He got Asher back in his office on Monday morning and told him what had happened. He told him he could do his hymns.
 
  In the spring of 1932, Asher and Little Jimmie had moved to Louisville and were being featured over radio station WHAS. Again, a tidbit cites the mail draw of the duo and it seemed specific to Little Jimmie. In May 1932, it was reported that he got 370 communications at the station for one of their morning segments. Another article plugging their WHAS shows with a picture of Little Jimmie as '...the fourth generation in his family to sing mountain songs.' The article reported that after seven consecutive quarter-hour broadcasts over WHAS, he got 4,086 letters. That's not all. They also reported that when Asher was at one 5,000 watt station, they got over 150,000 pieces of mail from the listeners. The letters were filling up the attic in the Sizemore home. In June of 1932, they were promoting the fact that Little Jimmie knew more than 150 songs. "...He improvises surprising additions to them which keeps his audience expectant. He climbs on a chair and addresses the microphone with singleness of purpose and much enjoyment. He has two interests: radio and a typewriter. ..." But it appears another youthful member was getting ready to join the act. They reported he is trying to sing, but all his words are the same: 'Blub, blub, blub.'" June 1932 also saw Asher return to Paintsville with his sister and Little Jimmie "on legal business." They were to tour the towns of Eastern Kentucky and make personal appearances as well. The Paintsville article indicated the Sizemores had lived there "about a year ago." The article stated, "They are making good with their radio work and their many friends in this section are delighted to learn of the good news." By August 1932, word was getting out about their personal appearances. Davidson Taylor wrote in his column of short tidbits about WHAS artists "...Little Jimmy and Asher Sizemore are going big in personal appearances." But he also added a bit of observation about them. "...Little Jimmy is a remarkably unspoiled child to be a radio celebrity at the age of 4. There is one thing he will not stand for, however; he maintains with spirit that he is not a hill billy. He is a mountaineer. ... He stands on a chair to sing, knows all the numbers by heart, never makes an unnecessary noise in the studio. One day his father had to spank him just before the broadcast. When the red light went on, telling them that the studio was on the air, Jimmy stopped snuffling and stepped up to the microphone with 'Hello ev'body, how's ev'body today, all right?' He is a trooper." But whether Little Jimmy liked the term 'hill billy' or not, that same columnist wrote a couple days later, "..Little Jimmie Sizemore, 4 years old, and Asher Sizemore, his father will present hillbilly songs at 5:45..." But the year may have been stressful financially for the Sizemore family. News articles in December were found that shows Asher filed a petition in bankruptcy at the U. S. District Court in Covington, KY. It was reported he listed assets of $176.62 and liabilities of $539.15. While that may seem small in amount, consider that time and era. A web site that calculates values from the past to current dollars shows that his assets were $3,720.85 and liabilities were $11,377.66. Asher and Little Jimmie, as they were listed in the WSM radio logs on Saturday nights, first appear in the Opry listings on November 26, 1932. In an interview at the Country Music Hall of Fame by John Rumble, "Little Jimmie" was asked how they got to be on the Opry. Jimmie said he didn't exactly know. But one night his dad had heard the Opry on the radio while seeing what was on the air. It got his attention and through some effort, was able to get through by phone and talk with the Solemn Old Judge George D. Hay. He invited them to come on down for an audition. But Jimmie was still very young in 1932 to remember details. But there was another factor in play that perhaps helped Asher get the Opry on his radio. In November of 1932, WSM had built an 878 foot tower on Franklin Pike, 12 miles outside of Nashville. They were to beome a 50,000 watt station. The increased signal strength may have been a factor that helped Asher hear the Opry in late 1932. One might get the impression that this may be an example of 'timing is everything.'
 
 
 
 
It is interesting to note the descriptions of Asher and Little Jimmie in articles promoting their appearances in various towns and venues. In July 1933, "...two of radio land's most delightful characters will be at the Princess Theatre..." in Murfreesboro for two performances. Further the article stated, "...Featuring old-time songs the pair have a wide following over the air and should present an excellent program. They have a distinctive way of putting over their act and it is strictly original." In May, they opened a week long engagement at The Alamo theatre in Louisville. "They are to appear in person in a radio skit. Little Jimmy is five years of age and is said to have a repertory of more than 200 songs." In April 1933, a column in a Louisville newspaper gives us a glimpse into the young "Buddy" Sizemore who was just about 4 years old at the time and what he was like as a performer at that age. The schedule called for a 9:45 pm show on a Saturday night. Let's see what that article said: "Buddy can be depended upon for dances, which he gladly does on stage, but he won't sing unless he is in the mood." Asher and Little Jimmie were said to have come back to the Saturday night Opry show in early June. They were joining the summer staff of WSM and would be on the air every afternoon at 5:30pm. In December 1933, Jane Sizemore passed away at 86 years old in Indiana. She was the grandmother of Asher. 
 
   
 
On April 2, 1934, Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmie made 10 recordings at the Texas Hotel in San Antonio, Texas for Victor that were issued on the Bluebird label. The first tune issued was "Little Jimmie's Goodbye to Jimmie Rodgers."
What is not mentioned in those items above is that during their vacation in Utah in June, Asher and Odessa were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Nancy Louise Sizemore in Salt Lake City on June 17, 1934.
Nancy Louise Sizemore (Nancy Louise)
Born: June 17, 1934 Salt Lake City, UT
Asher was born in Manchester in eastern Kentucky in 1906, and, as a youth, worked as a bookkeeper for a coal mining company. He married the daughter of a minister and in 1928 their first son, Jimmie, was born at Paintsville, on the Big Sandy River. By 1931 Asher had a solo radio show singing old Kentucky ballads and cowboy songs in the manner of Bradley Kincaid, first stations at Huntington, West Virginia, then at WCKY in Cincinnati and WHAS in Louisville. By 1933 five-year-old Jimmie had joined him, delighting fans with songs like "The Booger Bear," "Has Anybody Seen My Kitty." In 1934 he recorded for RCA's Bluebird label and actually had a hit with "Little Jimmie's Goodbye to Jimmie Rodgers." By the time Jimmie was five, his father boasted that "he can sing from memory more than two hundred songs and there are numerous others that he can join in with dad on the chorus." In another piece of publicity, Asher noted that "After each engagement Little Jimmie always asks the question, 'Dad, how much dough did me we make tonight?'" When George Hay hired the team for the Grand Ole Opry, he worried "that the emotional strain would be too much for Jimmie," but had to admire the feed sacks full of quarters that Asher gathered up from his songbook sales. And Little Jimmie appeared to survive the trials of show business quite well. By the late 1930's the act expanded to include younger brother, Buddy Boy, and all three worked regularly on the NBC network throughout the Midwest. In September, they Asher and Little Jimmy were booked to play two nights at the Seville Theatre in Owensboro, KY. Uncle Dave Macon was also part of the show. In that article, we learn that the Sizemores held a record at WSM. Reportedly they received 13,384 letters from one single 15-minute radio program. At the time, Little Jimmy was five years old, weighing all of 39 pounds. And they wrote "...His daddy, Asher, plays the guitar and leads him as he swings into that 'Hill Billy' classic, "She'll Be Comin' Around The Mountain" and "We'll have Chicken and Dumplin's When She Comes." Then little Jimmie says he doesn't like the "Dumplin's" but he sure likes the "Chickie."
  The team of Little Jimmy and Asher Sizemore were getting recognition in the local Louisville newspapers at the time and perhaps stressing the fact parents would want their own children to see a "juvenile act" such as theirs. The Courier-Journal remarked that Jimmie was able to remember the words and melodies to over 500 tunes. He seemingly remembered a tune once he heard it. They wrote further, "While it is comparatively simple to carry a melody, Jimmy has a natural faculty for singing harmony while his father takes the melody. ... Everyone knows that silence is imperative in the radio studio, calling for different conduct than on the stage, a member of the WHAS staff said, Little Jimmy has a good understanding of this, and his father needs only to glance in order to obtain the proper response from the lad in the studio. ... Every parent in Louisville should see that children have an opportunity to see this all-juvenile program." In addition to the Sizemores, the two night performances would include the Mary Long Hanlon School of dancing at the Louisville Municipal Auditorium on January 3 and 4, 1935. In February readers learned that Asher had purchased the Ball stock farm near Laurel, Indiana.
 
  Asher often shows up in searches in real estate related transactions. In February 1936, it appears the city of Rushville signed a lease deal with Asher for one year for 35 acres of land just south of Rushville for $122.50. Asher used 15-minute transcriptions to broaden the reach of his programs to other stations around the country. The Avalanche Journal ran a headline in its Sunday edition on May 10 touting the arrival of those programs to KFYO in Lubbock. The programs would air each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The newspaper described them "...an informal programs of singing with guitar accompaniment.' It also noted that radio listeners had probably heard them before over WFAA in Dallas and WSM in Nashville. The Sizemore family did live in Ashland, Kentucky for awhile, but later the family was living on a 1,200 acre farm in Indiana. In June of 1936, Ann Tenney was telling readers about the Asher and Little Jimmie show being heard over WCMI in Ashland from 5:30pm to 5:45pm. From the way her short paragraphs were written in her "Radio Brevities" column, the show was probably via transcription in June of 1936. She introduced them by reminding readers they were formerly of Paintsville and Ashland and she would update them from time to time. The first show she mentioned was a Monday, June 3, 1936. By Friday evening June 5, she wrote, "Asher and Little Jimmie are already drawing fan mail from the listeners of WCMI. They have been on the air with only two programs and yet their mail looks like that of the veteran acts." A few weeks later in July, the show had gotten so popular the station changed the time to 6:45pm so folks could hear the show after the dinner hour in its entirety. Asher seemed to be no stranger to court proceedings during his career. In the 'Court Happenings' column on June 4, 1936, a case was listed for Charles L. Masters vs. Asher Sizemore, 'action on note; defendant files special answer.' Storms and tornado rumors were in the air in late August 1936. Stories of tornadoes touching down during a short rain storm that barely wet the farm crops went unfounded. But the winds did damage a large dairy barn on Asher's farm located two miles southwest of Laurel. But Asher's family home, about 200 yards away was not damaged during that storm. The Brookville Democrat in Indiana reported in September 1936 that Asher and Little Jimmy would start broadcasting once again at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. The entire family, including a tutor for Jimmy would leave on Saturday, September 12. The little paragraph also told readers that it took the services of about TEN clerks to handle their mail when they are working on the air. Late in 1936, Bill Roberts wrote in his column in a Knoxville newspaper that WSM was reporting that since Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmie left WSM two years earlier, the station had gotten over 40,000 letters asking about the father son duo. But at least he was able to tell readers that the duo was starting a new series of programs and would be carried by WROL in Knoxville. A radio news column reported that Asher and Little Jimmie had returned to WSM in Nashville and were being heard at 5:45pm, Monday through Saturday. They had been away from the station for two years.
 
 
  In March of 1937, Asher and Little Jimmie had finished a 'season' on the air at WSM they were embarking on a tour of various theatres. They were to do two matinee and two night performances at the Capitol Theatre in Greeneville, TN. The demand was said to be so great, that they ended their radio season early to do the tour. A local news paragraph tells of an appearance at a Pikeville theater by Asher and Little Jimmy. He made a $1,000 contribution to the Methodist Hospital as it had started a $10,000 campaign for an expansion program. Asher used to live in Pike County. In April of 1937, promotional ads in the Ashland Daily Independent show Asher was performing at the Paramount theater with Little Jimmie and Buddy Boy. In fact, they were scheduled to do FIVE shows in one day (Saturday, April 3, 1937) starting at 1:41pm and every two hours after that until 9:41. In August of 1937, the Sizemore family welcomed the birth of Walter Bradley Sizemore who would later become "Little Cowboy Joe" and join the others on stage.
Walter Bradley Sizemore (Little Cowboy Joe)
Born: August 15, 1937 Connersville, IN
  By December 1937, the "Singing Sizemores" as they were sometimes called came back to WHAS in Louisville. This time, they were going to divide their time between WHAS and WSM in Nashville. Mildred Lee reported that the duo were as popular at WSM as they were at WHAS. They drew hundreds of letters expressing interest in their programs she wrote. She said Little Jimmie at the age of six years old was the "ranking juvenile star of the South." She wrote that to take into account the appeal of the small child to a radio audience at that time, the plan was to begin making transcriptions of their "homey" songs so that other stations could play them. She surmised that Little Jimmie could in a short while have a 'national reputation' beyond his popularity as a local star.
 
  The year of 1938 begins and Asher is taking his show on the road beyond Nashville. It is also wrapping up the first year of "Buddy Boy" as part of the show. During the first five years of Asher and Little Jimmie's pairing, the duo had already been on WSM in Nashville, WHO in Des Moines, WFAA in Dallas and WCKY in Covington. It was also reported that they were heard on 75 other stations through the use of electrical transcriptions and re-broadcasts. In its May 20, 1938 issue, Radio Dial magazine reported that Asher and Little Jimmie were now on the NBC network on Thursdays at 2:15pm (EST). They were doing "...a program of mountain ballads, children's songs and cowboy songs." Rural Radio magazine had taken notice of their popularity and put them on the cover of their March 1938 issue along with an accompanying feature story by David Stone, then an announcer on WSM.
Jimmie was said to have "...an excellent ear for music. He sings harmony and plays the banjo." Mr. Stone touched on another aspect to the legend of Asher's success on the radio. Since he joined WSM in 1932, he reported that Asher and Little Jimmie had received "hundreds of thousands of letters from every state in the Union and many foreign countries." They set a record for WSM when they pulled in over 42,000 letters in a single day from one performance in January 1937. Mr. Stone reported that in addition to "Buddy Boy", their sister, already three years old, Nancy Louise had joined the act. It didn't take her long to make an impact with listeners with her singing of "Birdie With A Yellow Bill" and "Little Willie." In early 1938, they were in Pittsburgh, PA and doing broadcasts over radio station KDKA. Mr. Stone also touched upon the 'rhythm' of Asher and his family's lifestyle. Summer months usually meant home on their farm in Indiana; farming was his 'hobby' as well as raising cattle. That usually meant the months of July, August and September. It is also the time of year when Asher would write the tunes that would be featured in the song books he published in the fall. He thought that Asher may have been one of the most prolific songwriters because of the 30 or 40 songs he wrote for each book and indicated Asher had already written over 200 songs.
  In January of 1939, Dolly Sullivan wrote a column about the things that could go wrong in the radio studios but as she notes, the radio must go on. Of the several instances of 'things that can go on or wrong' she tells the story of such a time with Asher and Little Jimmie in the studios of WHAS.
Throughout our research of Asher's career, there mentions of property transactions, auction sales, sales of household goods or motor vehicles. In March 1939, he put an ad in the Brookville Democrat notifying the public and "particularly all persons with whom I have had business transactions" that he was not a resident of Franklin County, Indiana. He stated his residence was on Mt. Clair Avenue in Louisville, KY and stated, "...to the best of my knowledge, will be my address for years to come." Asher started taking his act East. In 1938, he aired his show over KDKA in Pittsburgh for a time and also doing personal appearances around Pennsylvania. In 1939, he went further East and was doing broadcasts over WBAL in Baltimore and continuing personal appearances in the areas. Articles promoting their appearances were sometimes leading with Little Jimmie as being the attraction readers would be interested in. A Rising Sun, MD newspaper wrote "Although Little Jimmie is only ten years old he can be classed as a veteran radio entertainer." The article continued to talk about how many songs he knew, how many he had sung over the air and his younger brother and sister who were also getting the listening audience attention. Buddy Boy and Nancy Louise, "...have won the love of thousands of radio listeners even though this is their first year on the radio." Asher was only given passing mention as the father. In August of 1939, an appearance at Hegins Park was to see perhaps the biggest crowd due to the appearance of Asher and Little Jimmie. By that time, they had become known for that opening line, "Hello everybody, hope everybody's feeling fine." The family was touring theatres and parks during the summer after a season of broadcasts on the NBC network. The article went on, "Coming from the hills of old Kentucky, Asher and Little Jimmie bring the genuine old songs which have made them so famous on the radio. Songs of home, songs of heaven, the cowboy numbers to thrill the children, all are included in the act." Their typical opening number was "Way Down In Old Kentucky" and the show would close with Little Jimmie singing his little prayer.
 
 
But things changed in July during an appearance in Camp Hill Pennsylvania. Justice of the Peace John Hetrick was to hold a hearing with a auction market operator and theatrical booking agent on charges of violating the child labor laws. In addition, the police were looking for a fugitive father of three children in a song and dance act — Asher Sizemore. It appears that he being escorted in a separate vehicle by Constable Howard K. Blessing to the hearing but somehow eluded and escaped near 16th and Market Streets in Camp Hill. He, too was to face charges for violating child labor laws. Mr. Hetrick was to hold a hearing with Ray Garver, the operator of the Silver Springs Market on Carlisle Pike, three miles east of Hogestown and James Pierso. of Mt. Joy who was a booking agent. The three children according to Albert H. Shettel (Little Jimmy, Nancy Louise and Buddy Boy) were under ten years of age when he filed the charge. Mr. Shettel was the supervisor for the Lancaster district state department of labor and industry. Constable Blessing had served a warrant on Mr. Sizemore in Harrisburg while the act appeared at the market. The news report stated that Asher and the Constable started towards the judge's office in separate cars, but on the way, Asher turned his auto around and headed back to Harrisburg and was believed to have left for "somewhere in the state of Indiana, where he is now hiding." A short article in another newspaper indicated that Asher was declared a "fugitive from justice" for his failure to appear before Justice of the Peace John Hetrick. On July 10, 1940, Ray Garver and James Piersol paid fines of $11.25 each for violations of the State child labor law after a hearing with Mr. Hetrick. The July 10 story listed Asher's name as "Sizemore Asher" was declared a fugitive after the hearing. A few days later, the case took an unexpected twist. John Hetrick died at Carlisle Hospital at 7:00am July 13, 1940 of a heart attack. He had been the New Kingstown Squire (Justice of the Peace) for 29 years and before that a school teacher. Later reports indicate he had written his will the day before his fatal heart attack. Asher's appearances in Pennsylvania in 1940 stopped after that incident. He made an appearance at a Republican rally for Glen R. Hillis who was a candidate for Governor in 1940. Asher and his family provided the entertainment for the rally at Roberts Park in Connersville from 7:30 to 8:15pm. Asher appeared at another political event. The Franklin County Wilkie for President club met in September at the Laurel Town Hall. Judge James. A. Emmert was the featured speaker. Asher and his two sons, Little Jimmy and Buddy, provided the entertainment.
 
  1941 The year of 1941 seems to be a year when Asher and his family were not on the radio. An item informing readers of realty transfers lists Asher and his wife transferring property to a couple in Metamora Township. Recall that Asher's wife was the daughter of a Methodist minister who married the couple. On December 26, 1941, a special baptismal meeting was held at the Elm Grove Baptist Church in Rushville. There were 14 candidates for baptism. One was Little Jimmie's mother, the wife of Asher Sizemore. Asher and Little Jimmie were to sing at the service along with the Elm Grove Baptist Church choir. 1942
An article written by Mayme Fath in April 1942, indicates the impact World War II was having on lives. She reported that the Franklin County Tire Rationing Board had issued certificates to enable the purchase of tires and tubes for the week ending April 10, 1942. Asher Sizemore was given certificates for two truck tires and tubes. In May 1942, a War Workers Rally was held at the Armory in Louisville. A capacity crowd was expected as over 12,000 tickets had been distributed. A band from the Armed Forces Replacement Training Center was to open the rally with a medley of patriotic tunes. Brief speeches were to be given. The rally would end with a program of entertainment headlining Asher and Little Jimmie described as "WHAS comic songsters." In November, Mary Little wrote in her column in the Des Moines Tribune that Asher and Little Jimmy would join the cast that was part of the show, "Pa Smithers and His Gang" that would air over KRNT five days a week. Other members of the cast were Uncle Henry, the Morgan Family. The sponsor was Consolidated Drugs. Ms. Little noted, "There's gonna be a lot of that 'Comin' 'Round the Mountain' music."  1943
 Another real estate transaction seen for Asher in November 1943. A transfer of 203 acres in Metamora Township was made from Asher and his wife to Finley Edwards, husband of Asher's sister, Martha. Travel was still impacted by the war in 1943. No promotional ads for personal appearances were seen in research. However, it is quite clear that Asher had made good use in the distribution of the radio transcriptions for his programs as radio logs included his program in their listings. Below is a list of radio stations that listed Asher and Little Jimmy in 1943 in their logs published in newspapers:
1944
  In January of 1944, Martha Mae Sizemore Edwards (husband, Finley Edwards) passed away in Rushville, Indiana at the age of 46. She was Asher's sister. She was survived by her husband and their ten children as well as seven brothers and two sisters. World War II had impacted Asher's ability to travel and do personal appearances as it did for many other performers. Asher's popularity was such that he could still be heard over radio stations through transcriptions. In February a want ad indicated that appeared to indicate that Asher was selling a 300 acre farm in Hancock County that included a large barn and a house. Another 120 acre farm in Shelby county was up for sale that could be sold as one or 92 acres for one parcel and 28 acres for the other. In addition, 160 acres in Posey Township was also for sale. Asher was listed as a point of contact. Come October of 1944 and a report was published that the Sizemore family was moving from a home west of Rushville to Andersonville in Posey Township. 1945 On his 18th birthday in 1945, "Little Jimmie" filled out his draft registration card in Rushville, Indiana. It also seems that WSM played a role in naming one of the kids in Asher's family. The family had an eight month old son, Walter Bradley Sizemore, and a contest was aired over clear-channel WSM to give the boy a 'name.' A listener in Temple, Texas won the contest as her choice of 'name' came from the first letters of Asher and Little Jimmie's announcers - Yoda. But it appears that name did not 'stick' as no mention of it has been found. Walter later became "Little Cowboy Joe." 1946 In March 1946, "Little Jimmy", not so little anymore was a graduate of New Salem High School. He was awarded a Rector scholarship at DePauw University where he had enrolled for the spring semester. One boy and one girl were awarded these scholarships at the school each year and were valued at $5,000. Jimmy was to continue his music and was to major in chemistry. Promotional ads were seen for a show that aired on WHAS - the Kentucky Barn Dance. It appears that Asher headed up this show. The cast of performers did include Little Jimmie, Nancy Louise, and Little Cowboy Joe. But it also included a cousin of Asher's - Gordon Sizemore along with Little Betty. Other performers on the show included Pee Wee Hayes, Curley Fields, Mike Thompson, Ike Shearer, Mary Rice, Little Elmer, the Hoosier Maids and others. The Sizemore family had moved their home west of Rushville to their farm near New Salem. But in the same story, Asher indicated that the family was moving back to Rushville for a permanent residence as soon as the construction of their new home at 14th and Main Streets was completed. A small, humorous anecdote shows up in a column by Raymond A. Everett in the Brookville Democrat in November 1946. He tells of a time several years ago when Asher had just completed his contract with one of the major radio stations (advertising Peruna) and was taking a break on his farm located between Metamora and Laurel, Indiana. One Sunday morning, a member of the Baptist church in Metamora called on Asher and asked him if he would sing a hymn. Asher felt his throat and gave the person a negative reply. The preacher legend has it said, "Asher, maybe you should try some Peruna."
 
1947
  Early in 1947, Asher was immersed with the WHAS Kentucky Barn Dance Gang, doing personal appearances around the area. The war had affected his group - Jimmie was now in the U. S. Army but still able to make occasional appearances. "Buddy" and "Nancy Louise" were now part of the act. The Lions Club of Danville, Kentucky sponsored a Saturday night appearance of the Barn Dance gang on February 1, 1947. Scheduled to appear in Danville were Ordie Lee (Sonny) Day, Pee Wee Hayes, Ikey Shearer, Gordon Clements, Mike Thompson, Billy Foy and Charley Stratton. Other unnamed performers would present songs, fiddling and comedy. The gang was heard daily over WHAS from 6:30am to 7:00am. In March of 1947, Asher and his group had done a concert at Needmore High School in Indiana. It appears that someone was able to get into the school through an unlocked window in the home economics room. They forced open a door in that room to gain entrance to the school corridor. The thieves also pried open the doors to the principal's office and the school's athletic storeroom. The persons also pried open a metal filing cabinet which were ransacked. They took $10.26 from a drawer in one of the locked filing cabinets. It was not know whether the athletic department lost anything. The incident was discovered when some faculty and students were returning chairs used by the Asher Sizemore entertainment group who played to a capacity audience. In May of 1947, there was an article in The Courier of Waterloo, Iowa that was about recent home sales in the area. A lady had sold her home to a Mr. Scully for about $10k. Then, Mr. Scully turned around and sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. Asher Sizemore for $10,500. An article by Bill Ladd, the Courier-Journal Radio Editor shed some light on one of Asher's band members. He played the accordion on Asher's show. His name was "Ordie" but he said most of his life folks called him "Junior." But the Army got rid of the name "Junior" and he went back to "Ordie." But Asher started calling him "Sonny" and that name stuck with him and he had just turned 21 in July of 1947. He learned to play the accordion with Walter Haynes when he was just nine years old. As he grew up, he became a radio announcer. This fellow was actually thought to be a promising amateur boxer in the European forces and even did a three-round exhibition with Billy Conn when Conn was making a tour. Sonny Day later went on to other stations as WWVA and the WWVA Original Jamboree in Wheeling.
 
1948
  The year of 1948 appeared to be one of change once again for the Sizemore family. They had just built a home in Rushville, but seemingly Asher's career dictated the need to sell it and other assets. The asking price was all of $7,500. Ads for the home ran several days and weeks. He also tried to sell a 1941 five passenger Chevrolet coupe with "...good tires ... neat as a pin." Martha McHatton told readers in the Indianapolis News that Asher Sizemore along with Little Jimmie had begun a Monday through Saturday daily radio show. The show would originate from the Sizemore farm home near Rushville. She wrote that it also included other members of the Sizemore family, including little Cowboy Joe who helped his elders sing and play songs of the hills. She wrote that not only did everyone sing, they all were active in running the operation of the family farm. She also indicated that they did many appearances on the WSM Grand Ole Opry; but whether that was in the current time or past years was not clear from her writing. Little Jimmy had grown up. On March 8, 1948, he married the former Mary E. Casey in Covington, Kentucky. In June of 1948, the Columbus chapter Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P. announced they would sponsor one of the Saturday night shows from the Columbus (IN) High School Auditorium. The F.O.P. share of the revenue would go towards the police uniform fund. Stars appearing that night would be Paul Howard and his "Grand Ole Opry" gang. Paul also had a show over WIBC. Paul's band, the Arkansas Cotton Pickers would be on the show along with Elmer Sparks (comedian), Little Jimmy, Nancy Louise, Little Cowboy Joe, Bashful Bud and the Kentucky Barn Dance gang. Ads found indicate that Asher and Jimmie along with Little Cowboy Joe were on the air at WIBC in Indianapolis, Indiana. In April 1948, the Rushville Republican reported that Asher Sizemore would begin broadcasting the Kentucky Barn Dance show over WIBC in Indianapolis from the Graham Annex Auditorium in Rushville. Tickets were to be available at the door at these weekly broadcasts. Folks would of course see Asher, Little Jimmie, Cowboy Joe and "...many Kentucky barn dance stars." The newspaper reported that "These weekly shows will enable local people to witness a radio broadcast during that portion of the show that is on the air."
   
  1949 The Sizemore family appears to have been on the move again in early 1949. An ad advertised an auction at Asher's home in Rushville due to "...having sold our home...". On February 12, 1949, radio station WIBC did a charity program broadcast from the Rushville High School Gymnasium. It was a program to help raise funds for the Rush County Hospital. Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys were the headliners. Local talent was under the direction of Asher Sizemore. Country Cousin Chickee was the emcee for the show. In July of 1949, Nancy Louise was admitted to the Hospital and underwent an appendectomy on July 14; she was released on July 18.
  1950
In early 1950, Billboard said that Doc Cassidy reported that KXEL in Waterloo, Iowa had a new Saturday Night Jamboree show that was led by Asher Sizemore. The station was promoting it as The KXEL Hawkeye Barn Dance. Little Jimmy came to Waterloo in April from Rushville to take part in one of the shows. Ads for Asher's apperances were promoting Nancy Louise and Little Cowboy Joe (Walter Sizemore). At the time, Jimmy was employed as the assistant advertising manager at the Rushville Republican newspaper. Examining the radio logs of that time, the Barn Dance type shows were popular. WHO in Des Moines had its Iowa Barn Dance Frolic show. KXEL in addition to the Barn Dance hosted by Asher, also broadcast the WLS National Barn Dance show, too. WMT in Cedar Rapids broadcast the Barn Dance Party, which could be the show that WSB in Atlanta had at the time.
   By end of 1950 they were back in Kentucky, at WKLO Louisville, with Asher's daughter Nancy Louise added to the cast. The Korean War put a damper on their success, though; fans who had followed them since Jimmie was a lad of five were upset to learn that both Jimmie and Buddy Boy had been drafted. Towards the end of 1950, they were part of a large concert held at the Jefferson County Armory in Louisville. The promotional ad that ran on December 4 included Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys. But the ad that ran on December 9, did not include Hank and instead showed Jimmy Skinner and Jimmy Osborne in the spot where Hank was previously listed. Also on that show was Ernest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours and Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys. James Sizemore, living in Rushmore at the time, was informed by the War Department in December 1950 that his brother, Charles E. Sizemore (20 years of age) was missing in action in Korea. He was a graduate of Rushville High School.
  1951
  In the early part of 1951, Asher had a show over WVLK in Lexington, but was doing personals around the state and near Louisville. Promotional ads show him working with a group named Rural Rhythm Roundup. For example, Asher and Little Jimmy were part of the entertainment at the Green River Electric Co-Op meeting in mid-June 1951, along with the Rural Rhythm Roundup.
  1954
An October ad promoting an appearance by Asher indicated he was working for radio station WSLM in Scottsburg, IN. It would appear that the family had separated at some point, perhaps at the news of the loss of their son in the Korean conflict in 1950. 1957 Asher had an affinity for working on the radio. In 1957, he was working at WOCH, an AM station at 1460, and doing shows from 6:30 to 7:30am and 5:00pm to 6:00pm each day. He was also putting on shows at Deer Creek Ranch in North Vernon, Indiana.
  1958 In 1958, The Lexington Leader published a photo of Asher and noted he had been an entertainer on the radio for some 27 years. He had just taken over management of radio station WKLX in Paris, Kentucky. As part of his role, he was said to have his own show on the station as well. KTPA - 1961 In 1961, Asher applied to the FCC to have the license for radio station KTPA in Prescott, Arkansas assigned to him. KDQN - 1963 A 1963 article touting Jimmie being named the manager of Jacksonville, Arkansas' new radio station, KGMR included another tidbit. Asher was the manager at radio station KDQN in DeQueen, Arkansas. The Sizemore Family In November 1993, Odessa Lenora Foley Sizemore passed away in Muskogee, Oklahoma where she is buried. She outlived her husband by some 18 years. Her son, Jimmie, was also living in Muskogee in his own residence. The street where they both lived in 1993 is now lined with mobile homes. In October 2014, James Leslie (Little Jimmie) Sizemore passed away. His tombstone bears the inscription: "Little Jimmie Sizemore of the Grand Ole Opry." Walter (Little Cowboy Joe) Bradley Sizemore, born August 15, 1937, passed away on April 30, 2015 in Ocala, Florida. He was buried in Springfield, Missouri in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery. Charles Edward ("Buddy") Sizemore fought in the Korean war and was reported missing in action after a major battle in 1950. His remains were not recovered until 2006. He was buried with military honors in Rushville, Indiana in 2006. Nancy Louise Sizemore was born on June 17, 1934 in Salt Lake City, Utah while the Sizemores were on vacation; they were working at WFAA in Fort Worth for a time. She passed away on July 31, 1999. Two children died in infancy. Dorothy Irene Sizemore was born in April 1925 and died in June 1925; she was born prematurely. George Asher Sizemore Jr. was born on June 8, 1925 and died the same day from complications in his birth. Asher died in 1975 at DeQueen, Arkansas, where he is buried. No mention was made of Odessa in his obituary. Three children, James, Walter and Nancy Louise (Graham) were alive when he passed.
Asher Sizemore published a number of song folios and was known to be a prolific songwriter. Below is a list of songs that include Asher in the songwriting credits or as the arranger in his folios:
His songs were perhaps known as sentimental ballads. The subjects ranged from Mother, Home, Hard times, traditional and gospel tunes. In one notable exception, he wrote a tune called "The Flood Disaster of 1937." The Ohio River flooded and cause destruction along its winding path and wreaked havoc on cities in Kentucky. Since Asher was a native of the state, this disaster and the tune he wrote was perhaps personal to him. The Paducah Sun published a 16 page 'souvenir' section reprinting the stores from 1937 as part of a 50th year anniversary of the calamity. Research of this historical event revealed some details. It rained for 16 consecutive days in January of 1937. Paducah had 18 inches of rain when a normal January would only see about 3.7 inches of rain. From January 21 through February 15, the river stage was above 50 feet; flood stage in 1937 was 43 feet. Temperatures fell below freezing for a time choking the floodwaters until a hard rain melted most of the ice. In all, about 90 percent of Paducah was flooded; 27,000 men, women and children had to leave their homes. A sleet storm on January 10 knocked out telephone and electrical services. Carpenters put together about 200 'johnboats' to rescue those who were trapped in their homes. Louisville was also hard it by the flooding. The city was in danger of losing power and one prison was facing evacuation. By January 26, 1937, Martial Law had been declared in the city. Phone service was crumbling; two exchanges were down. Five companies of U.S. troops were on the way to help in the city's flood rescue efforts. Radio station WHAS in addition to broadcasting flood bulletins, began to appeal for funds to help flood victims. Money was coming in from places such as Detroit (carrying flood bulletins over WWJ) and Nashville (WSM aired flood bulletins). The newspaper in Louisville, The Courier-Journal, was publishing smaller editions of less than ten pages reporting news related to the flooding, rescue efforts, water and supply for residents, and relief efforts. Asher's tune recounts the flood details in its lyrics, but in the last verse, he turns it into a sermon and asks the listener if "...won't you be ready when the lifeboat calls for you...May it carry you safely over to that land beyond the blue."
Recordings — Decca and Old Homestead Records Asher and Little Jimmie recorded several sides for the Victor company's Bluebird label in 1934. As years went by, recordings were mainly the transcriptions that Asher sent to radio stations that were basically promoting their song book sales. Jimmie was in the news in 1966 when Decca released an album of some of those tunes that were on transcription disks. The connection came about when Jimmie was in Nashville for the annual Grand Ole Opry birthday celebration and met the Wilburn Brothers. Their discussions led to a meeting with Decca's Owen Bradley. They found some of those transcriptions and released an album. At the time Jimmie said they had enough material to release ten albums. But Decca only released one. In the story about the release of the Decca album that ran in several newspapers around the country, Little Jimmie revealed some details about their career. He said that they earned from $750 to $1,250 per night. "We'd only get $750 Monday through Thursday night. On Friday we'd get $1,000 and on Saturdays it would be $1,250." They held records for the number of pieces of fan mail they generated. In one week in 1937, 40,000 letters came in requesting their song books, which sold for a quarter. Jimmie said, "From 1931 until 1942, we sold five million song books. Dad would write the songs and we'd sing them." Jimmie said he and his dad were to get 32 cents for every album sold. Originally distribution was set to 20,000 copies. He said one Kentucky retailer ordered a second 1,000 copies. Kentucky fans still remembered them. Another album was released by the Old Homestead record label in 1984. Again, the recordings on the album were from radio transcriptions and included full 15 minute programs. Today, many of their transcriptions are available for listening online.
  Credits and Sources
Appearance History This Month
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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)
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| Rec. No. | Side | Song Title | ||
| 5445 | A | Little Jimmie's Goodbye To Jimmie Rodgers | ||
| 5445 | B | I Miss My Dear Sweet Mother | ||
| 5495 | A | Chewing Chawin Gum | ||
| 5495 | B | Cowboy Jim | ||
| 5568 | A | Shake Hands With Mother Again | ||
| 5568 | B | How Beautiful Heaven Must | ||
| 5717 | A | That Tumble Down Cabin | ||
| 5717 | B | West Virginia Home | ||
| 5774 | A | Memories Of Kentucky | ||
| 5774 | B | Free From The Walls Of Grey | ||
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The Paintsville Herald reported on October 9, 1930 that the Ladies Aid Society of the M. E. Church provided a covered dish dinner at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Allen to honor the Rev. and Mrs. Thomas B. Ashley who were leaving for Louisville to take
charge of a church there. It was said to be one of the largest gatherings in the area. The Kiwanis Quartet
sang several numbers for the occasion. The Quartet included Rev. Ashley, E. T. Bullock, Dr. H. G. Hazelrigg
and Asher Sizemore. After the evening's affair, everyone joined in singing "Blest Be The Ties That Bind."
Readers will note that some of the songbooks published by Asher and Little Jimmie included a preface by the Rev. Thomas B. Ashley.
In a 2005 interview with John Rumble, "Little" Jimmie spoke of how his dad started with the Sandy Valley Grocery
Company. He was hired as an accountant. But soon, his role entailed arranging the entertainment for a show
the company sponsored on WSAZ out of Huntington, West Virginia. Asher himself did not perform on the show, but
managed the talent at the time. He probably read ad copy according to Jimmie as marketing was his strength.
The ads seen for the grocery in the Paintsville (KY) Herald do not mention Asher, but some ads tell listeners
to listen to WSAZ on Saturdays to hear the "Sandy Valley Fiddlers."
Review of Asher's movements during this year revealed a surprise in our research during his time
in Fort Worth, Texas, broadcasting over WFAA.
A newspaper out of Oklahoma provided some descriptions of Asher and Little Jimmy's show on that station.
Over a period of weeks or months,
let us read what was written in the Fort Worth newspapers during their time on the air at WFAA.
Jimmy J. Leonard wrote a column in The Microphone in November of 1934 that may give the reader an idea as
to the popularity and name recognition that Asher and Little Jimmy had. He pretended he was asleep and on an airplane,
flying above the country's "Radio Lane" (ahem, the name of his column). "...Although he could not distinguish
the pilot's features, they looked vaguely familiar. The pilot was talking. ... Here we are over WSM in Tennessee," spoke
the pilot. "That's the station that's broadcasting the President on November 16 (1934). The largest station in the South.
It houses Mack Campbell, the 16-year-old wonder mimic; Asher and Little Jmmy, who is six years old; Francis Craig,
the maestro; Mary Cortner, soprano, and John Lewis, the deep voice." Remember, the Opry was already about ten years
old and the columnist chose Asher and Little Jimmy to mention.
Mr. Stone wrote that Asher's first job was in the coal mines of Pike County. It was there he met his wife Odessa.
Readers also learned of the role Odessa played in the family's entertainment business. She assisted in
both the lyrics and melodies for over a hundred songs that her husband Asher had written.
She notes that young little Jimmie had a keen ear for music and notes teasingly perhaps, "...at
least one instance better than his guitar-playing dad." Little Jimmie was standing on a chair
and singing into the microphone as he usually does. But, he realized that he was singing
in one key while his dad was playing the guitar in another key. Since radio was 'live', Little
Jimmie tried to motion to his dad by making 'wry faces and waving his hands to indicate
the trouble.' By the time Asher caught on, he had started laughing so much that he could
not continue and had to explain to the listening audience what had just happened.
In 1940, Asher seemed to focus his personal appearances in the eastern part of the United States such as Pennsylvania.
The promotional ads featured his kids - Little Jimmie, Buddy Boy and Nancy Louise. Rare was the ad that only had
Asher's picture.
While the family knew the likely fate of their son Charles E. (Buddy) Sizemore in 1950, the Department of Defense
released his name as one of 16 Arkansans 'presumed dead.' The reason why he was listed as a resident of Arkansas
was due to the fact that his mother, Odessa Sizemore was a resident of Grubbs, AR.