Whitey and Hogan (Roy "Whitey" Grant born April 7, 1916 in

Shelby, North Carolina Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte combined statistical area. The population was 20,323 at the 2010 census. History The area was originally ...

- died September 17, 2010 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 ...

and Arval Hogan born July 24, 1911 in

Robbinsville, North Carolina Robbinsville is a town in Graham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 620 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Graham County, county population 8,861. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town ...

- died September 12, 2003 in

Charlotte 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 ...

) were an American

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, ...

duo active for sixty-six years.

Biography

Whitey and Hogan grew up in Rutherfordton and in

Andrews, North Carolina Andrews is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census. History Cherokee era Indigenous peoples lived in the area for thousands of years before European encounter. By the late 16th ...

respectively.Huber 2008, pp. 289. They met for the first time in 1935 when they were both employed at the Firestone Cotton Mill in

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the largest city in and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, behind Concord. The population was 80,411 at the 2020 census, up from 71,741 in 20 ...

.Warlick, Warlick, Inman 2007, p. 55. They began performing together as a duo,Wolfe, Akenson 2005, p. 114. Whitey played the guitar and Hogan played the mandolin. Soon they were touring all over North and South Carolina and Georgia. Their debut on the radio took place at WSPA in

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Off ...

. They called themselves the Spindle City Boys.Warlick, Warlick, Inman 2007, p. 56. Sponsored by the Efird's Department Store, Whitey and Hogan received a radio spot at WGNC radio in Gastonia in 1939.Warlick, Warlick, Inman 2007, p. 57. They also appeared on the Rustin Radio Show in Gastonia, the show was sponsored by Rustin Furniture.Warlick, Warlick, Inman 2007, p. 58. In 1939, they recorded sixteen sides at their first session for Decca Records,Huber 2008, p. 290. before moving to the Sonora and Deluxe labels. They joined the WBT Briarhoppers in 1941 performing at radio station WBT in

.Warlick, Warlick, Inman 2007, p. 54. When Whitey and Hogan was asked to join the Grand Ole Opry they declined since the Opry required them to work on Saturdays and they didn't want to stay away from their families.Roscigno, Danaher 2004, p. 53. Whitey and Hogan existed as a duo between 1935 and 2001.Roscigno, Danaher 2004, p. 49. In 2003, Whitey and Hogan, along with Don White, as the only surviving former members of the Briarhoppers received the North Carolina Arts Council Folk Heritage Award.Jones 2008, p. 97.

Discography

With The WBT Briarhoppers * Early Radio - Old Homestead Records * The Legendary WBT Briarhoppers

Footnotes

References

* Huber, Patrick (2008) ''Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music In the Piedmont South'', University of North Carolina Press * Jones, Loyal (2008) ''Country Music Humorists and Comedians'', University of Illinois Press * Roscigno, Vincent J. - Danaher, William F. (2004) ''The Voice of Southern Labor: Radio, Music, and Textile Strikes'', U of Minnesota Press * Warlick, Tom - Warlick, Lucy - Inman, Robert (2007) ''The WBT Briarhoppers: Eight Decades of A Bluegrass Band Made For Radio'', McFarland * Wolfe, Charles K. (2005) James Edward Akenson, ''Country Music Goes To War'', University Press of Kentucky {{Authority control Country music groups from North Carolina Musical groups established in 1935 Musical groups disestablished in 2001