''Big D Jamboree'' was a

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

program broadcast by KRLD-AM in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

. The show consisted of appearances by famous

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

ians, and

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...

and jokes. It was also carried by KRLD-TV during the 1950s.

History

''Big D Jamboree'' began in 1947 as ''The Lone Star Barn Dance'', but was renamed October 16, 1948. It was held in the

Dallas Sportatorium The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas, Texas, was a barn-like arena used primarily for professional wrestling events. The building, which stood at 1000 S. Industrial Blvd, or the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Cadiz Street (near ...

. The show was initially produced by Al Turner and Ed McLemore, and then later by Johnny Hicks and Johnny Harper. The number of musicians who performed regularly rose from 20 to 50 by 1953. Around 1956, the

CBS Radio Network CBS News Radio, formerly known as CBS Radio News and historically known as the CBS Radio Network, is a radio network that provides news to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by Paramount Global. It ...

began carrying the ''Big D Jamboree'' nationally. A number of later country stars appeared on the program, including Jimmy Lee Fautheree,

Webb Pierce Michael Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was an American honky-tonk vocalist, songwriter and guitarist of the 1950s, one of the most popular of the genre, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the ...

Hank Locklin Hank Locklin (born Lawrence Hankins Locklin; February 15, 1918 – March 8, 2009) was an American country music singer-songwriter. He had 70 chart singles, including two number one hits on ''Billboard''s country chart. His biggest hits included ...

Gene O'Quin Gene Louis O'Quin (or Oquin) (September 9, 1932 – November 27, 1978) was an American country and western and honky tonk singer born in Dallas on September 9, 1932 He established himself professionally at Dallas' Big "D" Jamboree, a Grand Ole ...

and Billy Walker (who wore a mask and was billed as the Traveling Texan). For many musicians, ''Big D Jamboree'' was a jumping point to larger shows, such as ''

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of th ...

'' or ''

The Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM (AM), WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment ...

''. KRLD-TV also broadcast a live Saturday-afternoon preview of the night's show in 1956, and by 1957, it was telecast live from the stage each Saturday night from 10–10:30 pm CT. Since it was the only country music program in the Dallas area, it enjoyed years of great popularity toward the end of the 1950s, but lost listenership in the 1960s, eventually leading to its cancellation.

Performers

''(in alphabetical order)''

References

{{reflist

External links

''Big D Jamboree''
at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Excerpt at RadioEchoes.com
American country music radio programs Country music television series