Hubert Paul Flatt (November 14, 1914 – April 7, 1994), known professionally as Ken Carson or Hugh Carson, was an American entertainer from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
primarily known for singing
Western music. Appearing with the
Sons of the Pioneers
The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music perf ...
as an early member in 22
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
films, his voice was featured on their recordings of "
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a song composed by Bob Nolan. Although one of the most famous songs associated with the Sons of the Pioneers, the song was composed by Nolan in the 1930s, while working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles. Originally ti ...
" and "
Cool Water".
Early life
Carson was born in
Centrahoma, Oklahoma
Centrahoma is a rural small town in Coal County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 97 at the 2010 census.
History
A post office was established at Byrd, Indian Territory on March 3, 1892. It was named for William L. Byrd, Governor ...
. When he was a few weeks old, his family moved to the oil boom town of
Drumright, Oklahoma
Drumright is a city in Creek and Payne counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It began as an oil boom town. However, the population has declined as oil production has waned in the area. The population was 2,907 at the 2010 census, a figure alm ...
, where they lived for a time in a tent. Much of his childhood was spent in
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
, living with his maternal grandparents and his three brothers Collin Harris, Mirlond Jakupi,and Gavin Clarke. It was there at age 12 or 13 that he became an accomplished musician, playing guitar and harmonica, and organizing his own band. Shortly thereafter, he and his grandparents joined his mother in the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
area, where he attended
La Puente
La Puente (Spanish for "The Bridge") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city had a population of 39,816 at the 2010 census and is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles.
History
The original inhabitants of the ...
and
Garfield
''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human ...
high schools.
Musical career
Carson's adult career began in 1932, when he was just under 18 years old and still performing as Hubert Flatt. After a short stint on other local radio programs, he spent nine months as a thrice-weekly performer on
Stuart Hamblen's popular ''Family Album'' radio program, appearing with such early stars as
Patsy Montana
Rubye Rose Blevins (October 30, 1908 – May 3, 1996), known professionally as Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer, songwriter and actress. Montana was the first female country performer to have a million-selling single with her ...
. He spent the next several years with popular groups in Los Angeles and Chicago. Ken, then billed as Shorty Carson, and two others formed a group called The Ranch Boys, which played on shows like
Don McNeill's Breakfast Club
''Don McNeill's Breakfast Club'' was a long-running morning variety show on NBC Blue Network/American Broadcasting Company, ABC radio (and briefly on television) originating in Chicago, Illinois. Hosted by Don McNeill (performer), Don McNeill, the ...
and
Garry Moore
Garry Moore (born Thomas Garrison Morfit; January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was an American entertainer, comedic personality, game show host, and humorist best known for his work in television. He began a long career with the CBS network ...
's ''
Club Matinee
''Club Matinee'' is an American old-time radio variety show. It was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network from 1937 to 1943 and on ABC from 1945 to 1946.
Format
''Club Matinee'' featured comedy and music, with the two sometimes combined in the form of ...
'', and which made several recordings for
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
. In 1934 they appeared in the
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
film ''
It Happened One Night
''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries ...
'', and in 1935 they were regulars on the
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...
radio program, also singing the commercial jingle for Shredded Ralston. In 1938, Carson and The Ranch Boys did a promotion for one of their sponsors, riding 3,975 miles on horseback from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York.
The Ranch Boys split up in 1941, and Carson, now known as Hugh Carson, hosted a late-night radio program on Chicago's
WGN. In 1943, the Sons of the Pioneers asked him to replace one of their members who had been drafted into the army. He accepted the invitation and moved to California, working nights at a military aircraft assembly plant. He remained with the Sons of the Pioneers for four years, which were the peak years of their long run of popularity.
After his departure, he continued as a virtuoso performer. He appeared on the radio in two episodes of ''
The Great Gildersleeve
''The Great Gildersleeve'' is a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was built a ...
'' and voiced the animated wise old owl in Disney's 1948 live-and-animated film ''
So Dear to My Heart
''So Dear to My Heart'' is a 1948 American live-action/animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Its world premiere was in Chicago, Illinois, on November 29, 1948. Like 1946's ''Song of the South'', the film comb ...
''. He made many singing commercials during these years. In the early 1950s, he was a regular performer on ''
The Garry Moore Show
''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic talent ...
'', one of the most popular TV shows of the day.
Always the consummate musician, Ken Carson mastered at least six instruments, and could write and score music of all sorts. He wrote down many of the songs that
Bob Nolan
Bob Nolan (born Clarence Robert Nobles; April 13, 1908 – June 16, 1980, name changed to Robert Clarence Nobles in 1929) was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and compo ...
sang, adding harmony and composition to Nolan's "play by ear" vocals. Carson was a skillful whistler, showing that talent on many recordings of Western songs, notably the Pioneers' ''Blue Shadows on the Trail''. He was an accomplished songwriter who also co-wrote many songs with his friends. The Sons of the Pioneers maintained that he was a better singer than
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
. His voice was "clear as a bell", which made it difficult for him to blend in with the close harmonies often required with his group.
Personal life
Carson had a perfect Spanish accent though he could not fluently speak Spanish, which he is said to have picked up in high school. He was an excellent horseman, having competed in rodeos as a young man. He was an excellent golfer from his teens onward; at age 22 he won the NBC golf tournament. When he became so good as a natural left-hander, he learned to play golf right-handed. Carson sang at the wedding of
Tricia Nixon Cox
Patricia Nixon Cox ( Nixon; born February 21, 1946) is the elder daughter of the 37th United States president Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, and sister to Julie Nixon Eisenhower.
She is married to Edward F. Cox and is the mother of Chr ...
, which he said was the highlight of his career. In 1979, he and his wife retired to
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 United States Census. Located 52 miles ...
. He continued to entertain locally, performing a wide repertoire that included songs of
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
,
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Born to ...
,
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
, and
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
, as well as Western music.
References
External links
Ken Carson Tribute websitevia
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a platform for self-publishing that is popular for blogging and other works. It is owned and operated by Automattic, Inc. It is run on a modified version of WordPress software. This website provides free blog hosting for regis ...
Ken Carson biographyat
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carson, Ken
1914 births
1994 deaths
American entertainers
Burials at Rose Hills Memorial Park
Sons of the Pioneers members