Frederick Austin Kirby (July 19, 1910 - April 22, 1996) was an American country-and-western recording and performance artist and song writer.
Life and work
Among Kirby's better-known works are "Atomic Power" (1946) and "When That Hell Bomb Falls" (1950), both inspired by the emergence of nuclear weapons during and after World War II. During that same war, Kirby performed to raise money for the American effort to the extent that he became known as the Victory Cowboy.
After the war Kirby was widely known in North and South Carolina for his radio and television work with
WBTV
WBTV (channel 3) is a television station in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Gray Television. The station's studios are located off Morehead Street, just west of Uptown Charlotte, and its transmitter is ...
in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
. The station aired a program that featured Kirby and his sidekick "Uncle Jim" (played by Jim Patterson). The show was known at various times as "Whistle Stop," "Fred Kirby's Little Rascals," and "Kirby's Corral." Giving the "hi-sign" to his young fans, Kirby was a fixture for many years at the western-themed park
Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad is a family-oriented heritage railroad and Wild West amusement park located between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina, United States. The centerpiece of the park is a ride on a train pulled by one of Tweetsie Railroad's t ...
in
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga and Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,397 at the 2021 census.
The Caldwell County portion of Blowing Rock is part of the Hickory–Lenoir– Morganton Metropolita ...
. Even though he died in 1996, his birthday is still honored by Tweetsie. Kirby's television show treated viewers to classic episodes of
The Little Rascals
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
(
Hal Roach
Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...
's Our Gang) as well as frequent appearances by the local bluegrass band The Briarhoppers.
References
Further reading
*
*
* - Edited by Charles K. Wolfe and James Edward Akenson
External links
Fred Kirby accompanied by recording of "When That Hell Bomb Falls"
Fred Kirby singing ''Atomic Power''Kirby's gravesite Fire that destroyed Kirby memorabilia**
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirby, Fred
1910 births
1996 deaths
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers