In the late 20s, Los Angeles was already a city with movie studios and a colony of the rich, but it was far from the urban sprawl of today. Towns were separated by stretches of road bordered by orange groves. Orange trees outnumbered people. The canyons beyond Beverly Hills were a terra incognito to most of the population. Who lived up there waws not a matter of general consideration and on this situation hinged the legend of the Beverly Hillbillies.
The genesis of the group was pure radio hype. In 1930 Glen Rice, station manager of KMPC, “discovered” in the hills of Beverly an enclave of rural folks who embodied old-time music styles and were a treasure house of bygone songs and performance. His premise reinforced by having the group ride out of the hills on wagons and mules, decked out in rural garb. The radio audience bought it.
At a time when commercial radio was yet to reach its first decade, the airwaves were full of cultural presentations and highbrow music. Performances of “down-home” music, which many grew up with, were a refreshing change of pace. These were days when people still occupied themselves singing around the parlor piano. Benches contained reams of sheet music, a solid but much used old copy of Heart Songs and a recently published American Songbag. Now they could hear the music they loved at the twist of a dial.
Songs of the plains, the mountains, and the cowboy joined heart songs of the past. Newly written genre pieces from Tin Pan Alley and members of the group made up the musical mix performed by characters named Ezra Longnecker, Hank Skillet, Zeke Craddock, Pappy, Lem Giles, Dave Donner, and Chuck. Respectively, they were Cyprian Paulette, Henry Blaeholder, Leo Mannes, Tom Murray, Aleth Hansen, Stuart Hamblen, and Chuck Cook. Other members included Elton Britt, Curt Barrett, Charlie Quirk, and Ashley Dees. They were not all members at the same time due to constant changes. Stuart Hamblen left to form the Lucky Stars and created Covered Wagon Jubilee. Elton Britt was brought in from Arkansas and occasionally as needed, musicians from other groups and stations would sit in for the ailing Hillbilly. Wesley Tuttle several times finished work in one studio at KFWB and dashed over to fill in with the Hillbillies when they were at that station.
The Beverly Hillbillies’ membership swelled and diminished as other changes came about. In 1932, they split and there were “original” Beverly Hillbillies on two different stations. Lloyd Perryman’s talents were a part of one of them in 1933. 1937 was the year Glen Rice formed a group to work out of San Francisco. That organization included Shug Fisher in the lineup. He had come from the Hollywood Hillbillies for better pay. The Hollywood Hillbillies was begun by Tom Murray when he left the Beverly Hillbillies.
Performances by the Beverly Hillbillies were not restricted to the radio studio. Recordings were made for the Brunswick label, and public appearances would be made at various area theaters. Not only would the group appear in their rustic garb, but also hired hands, driving advertising wagons through the valleys, would be similarly dressed. Among the hired hands driving wagons were Jack and Woody Guthrie, picking up work wherever it could be had and the rural garb was not a costume.
Naturally there would be rivalries between other performing groups on the radio. Members would often be tuned in, listening for what they could pick up for their own use. In one particular case, reported by historian Ken Griffis, Bob Nolan of the Sons of the Pioneers requested permission of the Hillbillies’ Lem Giles to perform a song “The Little Choirboy Sings All Alone Tonight.” When he was refused, he threatened to change one note every four bars and make his own song out of it. The result was “I Wonder If She Waits for me Tonight.”
The Arizona Wranglers had such great success with “The Strawberry Roan” that the Hillbillies pressured writer Curley Fletcher to do a song for them. He came up with “Ridge Running Roan” and began a cottage industry writing parodies of his original. There were rivalries, inspirations, friendships, and respect among the various musicians. Tim Spencer dedicated “He’s Gone, He’s Gone up the Trail” to Tom Murray who died in August of 1935.
By 1935, other changes took place within the Hillbillies. Leo Mannes, accordionist and comic now professionally known as Zeke Manners, took his smoked ham humor and rustic drawl east with Elton Britt to establish the act of Pappy, Ezra, Zeke, and Elton on New York and Philadelphia radio stations. It was during the time Zeke worked in the Philadelphia area that he wrote “Pennsylvania Polka,” taking the idea from a railroad crossing sign.
Eventually, the music group called The Beverly Hillbillies ended their existence back at station KMPC in 1944. During their 14-year run they made recordings, appeared in movies, and in their many incarnations, provided inspiration and impetus to others. They established their own music niche and created entertaining radio show produced by the many talents that passed through their ranks.
Larry Hopper
Awards:
- 2000 Hall of Fame Inductees