The ''Wheeling Jamboree'' is the second oldest
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, ...
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 ...
broadcast in the United States after 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. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
''. The Jamboree originated in 1933 in
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...
on
WWVA, the first radio station in
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
and a 50,000-watt
clear-channel station
A clear-channel station is an AM broadcasting, AM radio station in North America that has the highest protection from Interference (communication), interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. The syste ...
AM station until about 2007.
[Tribe, p. 43.] Numerous acts and stars performed on the ''Jamboree'', some of whom would later go on to mainstream commercial success.
In 1946, the show (then performing at the Virginia Theatre demolished in 1962) was syndicated on the CBS radio network as "CBS Radio Saturday Night Country Style", becoming the first national radio broadcast from West Virginia. In 1997, WWVA dropped its country music format, although Saturday night broadcasts continued, from various theaters and managed by various entities, the final commercial one being Live Nation, initially a subsidiary of
Clear Channel Communications
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
, which had come to own WWVA. By 2006, Clear Channel had restructured and moved the broadcast to
WKKX, a talk radio station with smaller coverage than WWVA, so supporters (including
Brad Paisley
Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...
whose career had launched on the Jamboree) created a non-profit entity to continue the Jamboree. When Clear Channel morphed into iHeart Media in 2008, certain divestitures occurred and the jamboree ceased weekly shows. Since 2014 the Wheeling Jamboree has broadcast from noncommercial low-power station
WWOV-LP
WWOV-LP is a Classic Country, Country Gospel, Southern Gospel, and Bluegrass formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Martins Ferry, Ohio, serving Bridgeport, Ohio and Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of Wes ...
at 101.1 FM. Since 2015 the Jamboree has aired quarterly live episodes (including an anniversary show, a Christmas show and a summer show), and expects to resume weekly broadcasts upon completion of the Capitol Theatre renovation.
[http://www.wheelingjamboree.org/shows.php access date 18 Sept 2019]
History
Beginnings
WWVA was granted a license on December 6, 1926 and its initial broadcast, via a 50-watt transmitter, was on December 13. Two-and-a-half years later, on July 1, 1929, WWVA had increased its power to 5,000 watts.
[ Holland Engel and Howard Donahoe were among the first announcers, and in 1927, the station signed William Wallace "Bill" Jones and the Sparkling Four as its first hillbilly act. The quartet played requests made over the telephone. Jones received so many requests for yodeling songs—because of the popularity of the Blue Yodeler ]Jimmie Rodgers
James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...
—that he was dubbed Silver Yodelin' Bill Jones. The new program director, George W. Smith, was appointed in 1931 and he quickly saw the potential of country music.[Tribe, p. 44.] Other acts such as ballad singer Fred Craddock and His Happy Five and the traditionalist Elmer Crowe joined the ''Jamboree''. The professional trio of Cap, Andy and Flip also signed with WWVA in 1932.[Tribe, p. 45.]
1930s
On January 7, 1933, the Saturday night ''Jamboree'' began and three months later, on April 1, a live audience was added. The live-audience premiere of ''The World's Original WWVA Jamboree'' took place at the Capitol Theatre in Wheeling. The following years, the ''Jamboree'' broadcast from a different location each Saturday.[ The Sparkling Four disbanded in 1933 and Bill Jones formed the Rhythm Rogues.][ On November 11, 1933, Cowboy Loye (Loye Donald Pack) joined the show, and based on the amount of mail he received, became one of the biggest stars of the ''Jamboree''. Cowboy Loye often performed together with "Just Plain" John Oldham. Four years later, in 1937, Cowboy Loye left WWVA and moved to ]Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. He died in 1941.[Tribe, p. 46.]
Sponsored by Georgie Porgie Breakfast Foods, Hugh Cross joined the ''Jamboree'' in 1935. Cross, who was an experienced radio and recording artist, teamed up with Shug Fisher
Shug Fisher (born George Clinton Fisher Jr.; September 26, 1907 – March 16, 1984) was an American character actor, singer, songwriter, musician, and comedian. During his 50-year entertainment career, he performed in many Western films, oft ...
and they formed Hugh and Shug's Radio Pals. They left WWVA in 1939 for WLW
WLW (700 AM) is a commercial news/talk radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Owned by iHeartMedia, WLW is a clear-channel station, often identifying itself as The Big One.
WLW operates with around the clock. Its daytime signal provides ...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
.[Tribe, p. 47.] In March, 1935, announcer Murrell Poor was added to the ''Jamboree'' cast.[ Frankie More, who was sponsored by Pinex Cough Syrup, signed with the ''Jamboree'' in 1936. The name of Frankie More's band, the Log Cabin Gang, varied between Log Cabin Boys or Log Cabin Girls during the "Gangs" period on the show. The most prominent member of the Log Cabin Gang was the banjo player Cousin Emmy.][Tribe, p. 49.] The Log Cabin Gang left the ''Jamboree'' in 1941.[Tribe, p. 50.]
Grandpa Jones
Louis Marshall Jones (October 20, 1913 – February 19, 1998), known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.McCall, Michael; ...
signed with the show in 1936 and joined the Rhythm Rangers, but he left the following year. He returned for a short stint in 1941 and 1945. In May 1937, Doc Williams and the Border Riders joined the program. The Border Riders became the ''Jamboree's'' most popular act of 1938.[ Joe Barker and the Chuck Wagon Gang came to the ''Jamboree'' in 1937. They remained favorites with the audience until 1950.][Tribe, p. 51.] In December 1937, the western singer Big Slim McAuliffe became a member of the Border Riders.[Tribe, p. 48.] In 1939, Lew Childre joined the ''Jamboree'' staying almost four years. An aspiring young star, Floyd Tillman
Floyd Tillman (December 8, 1914 – August 22, 2003) was an American country musician who, in the 1930s and 1940s, helped create the Western swing and honky tonk genres. Tillman was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 a ...
was one of the members of Childre's group.[ Among other performers who passed through the ''Jamboree'' during the 1930s were the duets of Hank and Slim Newman, Chuck and Don, Handsome Bob and Happy Johnny; and the cowboy bands Slim Cox and his Flyin' X Roundup, and Tex Harrison's Texas Buckaroos.][
]
1940s
The concentration of female performers was larger at the ''WWVA Jamboree'' than elsewhere in the music business. Singers like Gertrude Miller, Mary "Sunflower" Calvas, Mary Ann Vestes, and Chickie Williams had a large following which increased even more at the outburst of World War II when most of the men were drafted.[ Some artists like Warren Caplinger, Hugh Cross, Frankie More and Slim McAuliffe had had recording experiences prior to the WWVA engagement and did fairly well. Others, like Johnny Bailes, ]Red Sovine
Woodrow Wilson "Red" Sovine (July 7, 1917 – April 4, 1980) was an American country music singer and songwriter associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music. His most noted examples are "Giddyu ...
, Charlie Monroe
Charlie Monroe (July 4, 1903 – September 27, 1975) was an American country and bluegrass music guitarist. Charlie performed with his brother, Bill, as part of the Monroe Brothers. He later formed his own group, Charlie Monroe & the Kentucky P ...
and Floyd Tillman did not.[ Many performers could only receive a salary if their sponsors sold any products via their shows.][Tribe, p. 52.] Rural comedy was an integral part of the ''Jamboree'' with acts such as Crazy Elmer, Shorty Godwin, Dapper Dan Martin, Smokey Pleacher, Lazy Jim Day, and Cy Sneezeweed.[
On October 8, 1942, WWVA increased its power and became a 50,000-watt station. Because of the World War II, the ''WWVA Jamboree'' discontinued live-audience broadcasts between December 12, 1942 and July 13, 1946. The ''Jamboree'', however, continued as a daytime show without a live audience. Many of the artists of the show like Doc Williams, Joe Barker, Curley Miller, Monte Blake, and Lloyd Carter got drafted and had to leave.][Tribe, p. 53.] During this period many war influenced songs were written and performed on the ''Jamboree'': "A Hundred Million Kisses For Hitler," "The Devil and Mr Hitler," "A Letter To A Soldier," and "You Won't Know Tokyo When We Get Through." The war helped new acts on their way to the top such as the 1943 addition of Radio Rangerettes consisting of Millie Wayne and Bonnie Baldwin. In 1944, Toby Stroud's Wyoming Ranch Boys became popular.[Tribe, p. 54.] Other popular acts were Honey and Sonny (the Davis twins), and Eileen and Maxine (the Newcomer twins). Two years later, in May 1946, program director George W. Smith died but was quickly replaced by Paul Miller and William Rine.[Tribe, p. 55.]
On July 13, 1946, ''The World's Original WWVA Jamboree'' once again began its live-audience broadcast after a four-year halt. It was held at the Virginia Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, the theater was designed b ...
in Wheeling and contained 13 acts. New performers had been added to the show in 1945, including the "Singing Mountaineer" Reed Dunn and the honky-tonk vocalist Hawkshaw Hawkins
Harold Franklin "Hawkshaw" Hawkins (December 22, 1921 – March 5, 1963) was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 1960s. He was known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky ...
. Hawkins soon became the most popular star on the ''Jamboree''.[ He stayed with the show until 1954 when he joined '']Ozark Jubilee
''Ozark Jubilee'' is a 1950s United States network television program that featured country music's top stars of the day. It was produced in Springfield, Missouri. The weekly live stage show premiered on ABC-TV on January 22, 1955, was renamed ' ...
''. He was nicknamed the Hawk or Eleven Yards of Personality during his time at the show.[Tribe, p. 56.] In December 1947, Wilma Lee
Wilma Lee Leary (February 7, 1921 – September 13, 2011), known professionally as Wilma Lee Cooper, was an American country music entertainer. She was a guitarist, banjo player and vocalist, and was given the title of “First Lady of Bluegrass ...
and Stoney Cooper
Dale Troy Cooper (October 16, 1918 – March 22, 1977), known professionally as Stoney Cooper, was an American country star and member of the Grand Ole Opry. He played the fiddle and the guitar.
Biography
Cooper was the son of Kenny and Stella ...
signed with the ''Jamboree''. They had previously been members of the ''Jamboree'' act the Leary Family in 1942.[Tribe, p. 57.] The Coopers left the ''WWVA Jamboree'' in 1957 to join 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. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
.[Tribe, p. 58.] The traditional acts of Red Belcher's Kentucky Ridge Runners and the duo of Lee and Juanita Moore were added in the late 1940s. Juanita Moore left the show in 1960 and Lee Moore carried on as a solo act. More modern performers such as Don Kidwell and the actor Jimmy Walker
James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...
also joined the cast in 1949. Although Kidwell left the show in 1953, Walker continued on and off until 1964.[Tribe, p. 59.] The gospel quartet of the Sunshine Boys became part of the ''Jamboree'' in 1949 and they remained there for two years. The "Yodelin' Ranger" Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on t ...
and the Colorado singing cowboy Ken Curtis
Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 – April 28, 1991) was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the CBS western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Although he appeared on ''Gunsmoke'' earlie ...
joined the ''Jamboree'' in the late 1940s as two separate acts. Snow and Curtis left within a year and Curtis went on to become a successful Hollywood actor. The country music writer and musician George Morgan also worked at the ''Jamboree'' for a few months before leaving for 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. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
.[Tribe, p. 60.]
1950s
In 1951, the Country Harmony Boys, the first country band to have a union contract joined the ''WWVA Jamboree''. They worked as a staff band meaning they worked with anybody on the show that could use them.[ The majority of the cast at the ''Jamboree'' did not make recordings, but those who did include Hawkshaw Hawkins, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, Big Slim McAuliffe, Red Belcher, the Lilly Brothers, Gay Schwing, Lee & Juanita Moore, the Ritchie Brothers, Roy Scott, and the Radio Rangerettes. Doc Williams even founded his own record company, Wheeling Records.][Tribe, p. 61.] In 1953, the honky-tonk vocalist Sidney "Hardrock" Gunter came to the show. He later branched out on his own recording rockabilly for Sun Records
Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny C ...
. During the 1950s, recorded music gradually replaced live performances and Hardrock Gunter and Lee Moore became the station's deejay
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
s. Married couples who performed at the ''Jamboree'' became increasingly popular such as Joe & Shirley Barker, Lee & Juanita Moore, Doc & Chickie Williams, and Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper.[Tribe, p. 62.] In April 1952, bluegrass music made its entry at the ''Jamboree'' when the Bailey Brothers and Their Happy Valley Boys were signed.[Tribe, p. 63.] The Bailey Brothers left the show in 1954 when Dan Bailey became ill and returned to Tennessee.[Tribe, p. 64.]
The bluegrass duo of Jim & Jesse
Jim & Jesse were an American bluegrass music duo composed of brothers Jim McReynolds (February 13, 1927 – December 31, 2002) and Jesse McReynolds (born July 9, 1929). The two were born and raised in Carfax, a community near Coeburn, Virginia, ...
McReynolds and Hylo Brown
Hylo Brown (April 20, 1922 – January 17, 2003) was an American bluegrass and country music singer, guitarist and bass player.
Biography
Frank "Hylo" Brown, Jr. was born in River, Johnson County, Kentucky, United States, and began his caree ...
had a short stint at the ''Jamboree'' during the summer months of 1955. In October 1956, the Osborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny (October 29, 1937 – October 24, 2021) and Bobby (born December 7, 1931), were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s and until Sonny retired in 2005. They are probably best known for ...
joined the ''Jamboree''. They had previously been on the show, between August and December 1955, as part of Charlie Bailey's Band. The Osbornes left the show and moved to the Grand Ole Opry in 1963. As the fame of Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
began to increase, a similar decrease in honky-tonk and traditional styles began to take its toll among the members of the ''Jamboree'' and many was forced to leave.[ During this period rockabilly became a regular feature at the show with artists like Bob Gallion, ]Hardrock Gunter
Sidney Louie Gunter Jr. (February 27, 1925 – March 15, 2013), known as Hardrock Gunter, was a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music at the turn of the 1950s prefigured rock and roll and rockabilly music.
Biography
He was born in ...
and Chuck & Jim Cook. All had joined earlier as straight country singers. The ''Jamboree'' managed to survive the explosion of rock 'n roll through a mix of rockabilly and traditional music.[Tribe, p. 65.]
1960s and 70s
In July 1962, the Virginia Theatre in Wheeling was demolished. It had been the home of ''The World's Original WWVA Jamboree'' since July 1946. The Rex Theatre
Rex may refer to:
* Rex (title) (Latin: king, ruler, monarch), a royal title
** King of Rome (Latin: Rex Romae), chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom
People
* Rex (given name), for people with the given name
* Rex (surname), for people with t ...
became the new locale for the live-audience ''Jamboree''. WWVA-AM changed ownership in the mid-1960s and a new program director was appointed in August 1965, Lee Sutton. Plans arose to cancel the ''Jamboree'' but Doc Williams and John Corrigan wanted to revitalize the show instead. The ''Jamboree'' added 27 new acts within the next 15 months, including country and bluegrass music acts such as David Houston, Esco Hankins and the Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph and Carter perform ...
.[Tribe, p. 66.] On November 8, 1965, the new program director, Arlen Sanders, made WWVA a "full-time country radio station"[Tribe, p. 67.] and on January 15, 1966, the ''Jamboree'' moved to a new location at Wheeling Island Exhibition Hall.[ In May 1966, ]Mac Wiseman
Malcolm Bell Wiseman (May 23, 1925 – February 24, 2019) was an American bluegrass and country singer.
Early life
He was born on May 23, 1925, in Crimora, Virginia. He attended school in New Hope, Virginia, and graduated from high school the ...
was hired to work both as a performer and a talent agent. He started a new radio program in October, the ''Mac Wiseman Record Shop'', which aired at midnight following the ''Jamboree''. Wiseman would continue to direct the Jamboree until his departure in 1970. The deejay, Lee Moore, went on the air with a new program on November 1, 1966, ''The All Night Show''. Lee Moore eventually left the show in 1973 as he became increasingly tired of being a "button-pusher".[Tribe, p. 68.]
On December 13, 1969, the ''WWVA Jamboree'' moved its live-audience shows back to the same Capitol Theatre used for the 1933 broadcasts. The Capitol Theatre had been purchased in the summer of 1969 by Communications Inc. and had its name changed to Capitol Music Hall
The Capitol Theatre (formerly the Capitol Music Hall) is the largest theatre in West Virginia and a landmark building in the national historic district of downtown Wheeling. For many years, it has served as the home of Jamboree USA and the Wheeli ...
. The ''Jamboree'' changed its name as well to the more cosmopolitan sounding ''Jamboree U.S.A''.[ Special guest stars such as ]Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), known professionally as Buck Owens, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and band leader. He was the lead singer for the Buckaroos, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, which had 21 ...
, Ray Price, Charlie Pride
Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Reco ...
and Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...
, who weren't part of the regular cast, began to appear, and the regular artists were overshadowed. Despite the new format, Doc Williams continued to perform at the ''Jamboree'' well into the 1980s.[ Rockabilly singer Bob Gallion began to sing country duets with Patti Powell in the 1970s. The yodeler Kenny Roberts left the ''Jamboree'' in 1973 after a 14-year stint.
A new roster of country music stars were tied to the ''Jamboree'' during the 1960s and 1970s including Freddy Carr, Jimmie Stephens, Darnell Miller, Junior Norman, Kenny Biggs, Gus Thomas, Slim Lehart, and Bud Cutright.][Tribe, p. 69.] Also bluegrass groups like Jimmy Martin
James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".
Early years
Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming life of rural ...
and the Sunny Mountain Boys, Charlie Moore & Bill Napier, Red Smiley
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...
and His Bluegrass Cutups, Tater Tate and the Shenadoah Cutups, and Frank Necessary and the Stone Mountain Boys became more common at the ''Jamboree''.[Tribe, p. 70.] Even gospel groups like the Blue Ridge Quartet—who became the most popular act of 1970—and Walter Bailes Singers were regulars at the show. In the early 1970s, "Trucker's Jamborees" were held at the ''Jamboree'' with performers such as Dick Curless
Richard William Curless (March 17, 1932 – May 25, 1995) was an American country music singer. He usually wore a patch over his right eye.
Biography
Curless was born in Fort Fairfield, Maine, United States, and moved with his family to Ma ...
, Dave Dudley
Dave Dudley (born David Darwin Pedruska; May 3, 1928 – December 22, 2003) was an American country music singer best known for his truck-driving country anthems of the 1960s and 1970s and his semi-slurred bass. His signature song was "Six Day ...
, and Patti Powell. Homecoming reunions were arranged where the old-timers of yesterday like Bill Jones, Elmer Crowe, Doc Williams, and Grandpa Jones could gather. It is estimated that between 1933 and 1976, more than five million visitors attended ''The World's Original WWVA Jamboree''.[Tribe, p. 72.]
During the entire decade of the 1970s, former Country Music bandleader Glenn Reeves was the Executive Director and General manager of the show. Reeves' tenure lasted until 1982. Freddy Carr, Jerry Brightman
Gerald Warner "Jerry" Brightman (September 1, 1953 – March 9, 2015) was an American pedal steel guitarist who played for Buck Owens and The Buckaroos and featured on television's ''Hee Haw'' along with performing on many top 10 records wit ...
, Gus Thomas, and Jim Sutton were included on his management team which launched the annual summer Country Music Festival, "Jamboree in the Hills
Jamboree in the Hills was an annual festival of country music in Morristown, Ohio (about 1½ hours west of Pittsburgh, and 20 minutes west of Wheeling, West Virginia) in Belmont County, Ohio until Live Nation officially canceled it on November 7 ...
" at nearby St. Clairsville, Ohio. This multi-day annual festival still continued through 2018. Live Nation decided to not have the festival again in 2019 due to their desire to change the festivals concession policies which permitted patrons to bring in their own coolers and contents as opposed to having to purchase concessions inside the venue. They called it a hiatus to allow the fans and Live Nation to consider bringing the festival back in 2020 (something that would have been impossible due to social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
mandates imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
) with much different concession policies as well as some other traditional policies that Live Nation desired to change in the past but met with angry fans promising to boycott the festival if Live Nation changed the policies. To the last performance on the stage in 2018 it was one of America's major American Country Music festivals, featuring top-name stars on its headliners' list every year. (The Jamboree in the Hills was later spun off to Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainme ...
in 2006; WWVA owner iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
also continued to air the annual event on WOVK
WOVK (98.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, United States, it serves the Wheeling area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
WOVK is one of the Local Primary 1 Emergency Alert Syste ...
.) until the last performance in 2018.
The song "Take Me Home, Country Roads
"Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two o ...
," a major hit for John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...
, was inspired by the ''Jamboree''. Written by two songwriters who had never been to the state, they lived in but thought that state was not particularly lyrical, so having heard the ''Jamboree'' on the radio and noting that "West Virginia" had the same syllabic rhythm, they made the song about West Virginia instead. The line in the song mentioning "radio reminds me of my home far away" is a subtle reference to the ''Jamboree''. Eventually the song became the official song of the state of West Virginia. Recording Artist / Jamboree USA Performer Freddy Carr was contracted by the Tourist Development Division of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce to represent the state at numerous special banquets, concerts and sporting events throughout the U.S. and Canada. His signature rendition of "Take Me Home Country Roads" became a staple live performance at many promotional events during the 1970's.
1980s
In the mid 80s a young Brad Paisley, a native of nearby Glen Dale Glen Dale may refer to
*Glen Dale, West Virginia
* Glen Dale, English guitarist (The Fortunes), stage name of Richard Garforth (1943).
See also
* Glendale (disambiguation)
* Glenndale (disambiguation)
* Glenn Dale (disambiguation) Glenn Dale may ...
first appeared on the Wheeling Jamboree. He became a regular member, until he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1997 to complete his formal education.
1990s
Though WWVA dropped its country music format in 1997, it continued to carry the ''Jamboree'' on Saturday nights. The station's ownership would change hands several times during this period; Atlantic Star Communications would sell the group to Chancellor/AMFM Inc. which would ultimately merge into Clear Channel Communications
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
(now iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
). The Capitol Music Hall and the Jamboree would also be managed by Clear Channel's concert promotion division, Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainme ...
.
21st century
WWVA's corporate owners elected to hire production entities to manage the weekly stage production of the show, eventually leading to operations of the show by Live Nation. The transition to the non-profit and current unit of the Wheeling Jamboree took place between 2006 & 2007 through today. WWVA dropped the program in the late 2000s (part of a broader restructuring at Clear Channel that saw the spin-off of Live Nation, which continued to own the Jamboree in the Hills until its 2019 shutdown), and for the next several years, Jamboree broadcasts were carried on WKKX, another talk radio station, which also syndicated the show in an effort to make up WKKX's somewhat smaller coverage area.
The nonprofit Wheeling Jamboree established WWOV-LP
WWOV-LP is a Classic Country, Country Gospel, Southern Gospel, and Bluegrass formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Martins Ferry, Ohio, serving Bridgeport, Ohio and Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of Wes ...
in 2014. Licensed to Martins Ferry, Ohio
Martins Ferry is a city in Belmont County, Ohio, Belmont County, Ohio, United States, on the Ohio River across from Wheeling, West Virginia. It is the largest city in Belmont County. The population was 6,915 as of the United States Census 2010, 201 ...
at only 6 watts of effective radiated power
Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...
from a tower in Brookside, Ohio
Brookside is a village in Belmont County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 632 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Brookside is located at (40.071422, -80.760632).
Accor ...
, the station covers most of Wheeling and a few of the city's suburbs.
The Goodwill Tours
In April 1939, the ''Jamboree'' went on its first package tour which comprised two solo performers and seven bands led by the announcer Bill Thomas. They visited three towns in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
and three towns in Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. The first Goodwill Tour was a success and thus, a new Goodwill Tour was arranged each year.[
The First Goodwill Tour of 1939 consisted of Big Slim McAuliffe, Elmer Crowe, Doc Williams' Border Riders, Fincher's Cotton Pickers, Frankie More's Log Cabin Girls, Joe Barker's Radio Cirkus, Hugh & Shug's Radio Pals, Jake Taylor's Railsplitters and the Tommy Nelson Gang.][
The Second Goodwill Tour of 1940 consisted of Bill Jones, Big Slim McAuliffe, the Border Riders, Fincher's Cotton Pickers, the Log Cabin Girls, the Radio Cirkus, the Tommy Nelson Gang, Pete Cassell, Mack Jeffers, Curley Miller and Blaine Smith.][
The Third Goodwill Tour of 1941 consisted of Bill Jones, Big Slim's Happy Ranch Gang, Lew Childre and His Buckeyes, Chief Redhawk, the Chuck Wagon Doughboys, the Log Cabin Boys, Brown Eyes, Benny Kissinger and Smiley Sutter.][
The Fourth Goodwill Tour of 1942 consisted of Bill Jones, Big Slim McAuliffe, the Border Riders, Lew Childre, the Leary Family, Curley Miller, the blind twins Eileen and Maxine, Smiley Sutter and Millie Wayne.][
]
''Jamboree'' venue timeline
WWVA Wheeling Jamboree acts by year
The acts and performers of the '' WWVA Jamboree'' and years they were added to the show:
1927
* Silver Yodelin' Bill Jones and the Sparkling Four
1929
* Fred Craddock's Happy Five (Fred Craddock, Gay Schwing + more)
1932
* Cap, Andy and Flip (Warren Caplinger, Andy Patterson, William Strickland)
* Elmer Crowe
* The Tweedy Brothers
1933
* Bill Jones and the Rhythm Rogues (Bill Jones, Fred Gardini, Blaine Heck, Paul Myers)
* Just Plain John Oldham
* Loye Donald "Cowboy Loye" Pack
1934
* Chuck and Don
* Hank and Slim Newman
* Peruna Panhandle Rangers
1935
* Handsome Bob Bouch & Happy Johnny Zufall
* Hugh and Shug's Radio Pals (Hugh Cross, Shug Fisher, Mary Ann Vestes)
* The Rhythm Rangers (Loren Bledsoe, Harold "Pete" Rensler, Mary Ann Estes)
* Roy Freeman
* Slim Carter
* Slim Cox and his Flyin' X Roundup (Mel Cox, Red Kidwell, Hal Harris)
* Tex Harrison's Texas Buckaroos (Tex Harrison, French Mitchell, Auvil Mitchell)
1936
* Frankie More's Log Cabin Gang
* Frankie More's Log Cabin Boys (Frankie More, Fiddlin Dale Cole, Dolph Hewitt)
* Frankie More's Log Cabin Girls (Frankie More, Alma Crosby, Cousin Emmy, Rhoda Jones, Penny Woodford, Celia Mauri)
* Grandpa Jones
* Jake Taylor and His Railsplitters (Jake Taylor, Betty Taylor, Ray "Quarantine" Brown, Herman Redmon)
1937
* Doc Williams and His Border Riders (Doc Williams, Curley Sims, Cy Smik, Mary Calvas, Hamilton Fincher, Big Slim McAuliffe)
* Big Slim McAuliffe
* Joe Barker's Chuck Wagon Gang
* The Singing Sailors (Red Sovine, Johnnie Bailes)
1938
* Charlie Monroe and His Kentucky Pardners
1939
* Honey and Sonny (Maxine Davis, Nial Davis)
* Joe Barker's Radio Cirkus
* Lew Childre's Band (Lew Childre, Floyd Tillman + more)
* Millie Wayne
* Tommy Nelson Gang (Tommy Nelson, Nial Davis, Maxine Davis)
1940
* Blaine Smith
* Calvin "Curley" Miller
* Mack Jeffers and His Fiddlin' Farmers (Mack Jeffers, Celia Mauri)
* Pete Cassell
* The Davis Twins, Honey and Sonny
1941
* Anthony Slater "Smiley Sutter"/"Crazy Elmer"
* Benny Kissinger
* Big Slim's Happy Ranch Gang
* Chuck Wagon Doughboys
* Lew Childre and His Buckeyes
* Chief Redhawk
1942
* Eileen and Maxine Newcomer
* The Leary Family (Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper + more)
* The Saylor Sisters (Wanda, Jeanie and Linda)
1943
* Radio Rangerettes (Millie Wayne, Ruth "Bonnie" Baldwin)
1944
* Toby Stroud's Wyoming Ranch Boys (Toby Stroud, Buck Ryan, Bill Bailey)
* Toby Stroud's Blue Mountain Boys
1945
* Gay Schwing and His Gang From the Hills (Gay Schwing, Herman Schwing, Ramona Schwing)
* Hawkshaw Hawkins
* Reed "The Singing Mountaineer" Dunn
1946
* Shorty Fincher's Prairie Pals
1947
* Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper and the Clinch Mountain Clan
* Marie 'Pat' Johnson & Dan Johnson The Singing Buckeye's. and the Rhythm Rangers and the
1948
* Red Belcher's Kentucky Ridge Runners
* Bill "Peg Pants" Beach
* The Lilly Brothers
* George Morgan
* Ken Curtis
1949
* Don Kidwell
* Hank Snow
* Lee Moore & Juanita Moore
* The Sunshine Boys (Fred Daniel, Ace Richman, J. D. Sumner, Eddie Wallace)
1950
1951
* Country Harmony Boys (Roy Scott, Gene Jenkins, Monte Blake, James Carson, Will Carver, Bill Chamberlain)
* Dusty Owens
1952
* The Bailey Brothers and Their Happy Valley Boys (Charles Bailey, Dan Bailey, Don McHan, Joe Stuart, Clarence "Tater" Tate, Jake Tullock)
* Bob Gallion
* Gene Hooper
* Skeeter Bonn
1953
* Cowboy Phil's Golden West Girls (Philip Reed, Gay Franzi, Tina Franzi, Abbie Neal
Esther "Abbie" Neal (April 4, 1918-February 15, 2004) was an American musician whose career in country music lasted more than 50 years.
Early years
One of eight children, Neal was the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Carlton M. Neal of Baxter, Pennsylvan ...
, Wanda Saylor)
* Lone Pine & Betty Cody
1954
* Bud Messner and His Skyline Boys
* Buddy & Marion Durham
* Mabelle Seiger and Her Sons of the Plains (Mabelle Seiger, Curly Seiger, Chuck Cook, Jim Cook)
1955
* Charlie Bailey's Band (Charlie Bailey, Bobby Osborne, Sonny Osborne + more)
* Jim & Jesse McReynolds
* Hylo Brown and His Buckskin Boys
* Osborne Brothers (Bobby Osborne, Sonny Osborne, Red Allen, Ernie Newton)
1956
* Kathy Dee
Abbie Neal and the Ranch Girls
Sunshine Boys
Rusty and Doug Kerahaw
Donna Darlene
1957
* Donn Reynolds
Stanley Beresford "Donn" Reynolds (June 26, 1921 – August 16, 1997) was a Canadian country music singer and yodeler most widely known for his Bavarian style of yodeling. Often referred to as Canada's "king of the yodelers",[Jerry Brightman
Gerald Warner "Jerry" Brightman (September 1, 1953 – March 9, 2015) was an American pedal steel guitarist who played for Buck Owens and The Buckaroos and featured on television's ''Hee Haw'' along with performing on many top 10 records wit ...]
* Slim Lehart
* Buddy Ray
* Penny DeHaven
* Johnny Dollar
* Compton Brothers
* Skinney Clark
* Kenny Biggs
* Elton Britt
* Bud Cutright
* Lynn Stewart
* Holly Garrett
* Doty Lynn
* Roger Hoard
* John LeMaster
* The Heckles
* Crazy Elmer
* Denny Franks
* Donnie Hoard
1971
* Rick Erickson
* The Heckels
* Beth Moore
* Dick Curliss
* Les Seevers
* Joe Pain
* George Elliott
* Buddy Griffin
* Mayf Nutter
* Bob Wood
* Frank Necessary
* Ray Kirkland
* David Smith
* Johnny Russell
* Doc and Chickie Williams
* Dave Dudley
* Blue Ridge
* Kay Kemmer
* Jerry Taylor
* Van Trevor
* Linda Kay Lance
* Margo Smith
* Jo Ann Davis
1972
* Patty Joy
1973
* Karen McKinzie
* Steve Mazure
* Walter Bailes Singers (Frankie Bailes, Dorothy Jo Hope + more)
* Greg Steele
Footnotes
{{Reflist, 30em
References
* Tribe, Ivan M. (1996) ''Mountaineer Jamboree: Country Music in West Virginia''
External links
The Wheeling Jamboree
American country music radio programs
Wheeling, West Virginia