Louis Albert "Ramblin' Lou" Schriver (July 19, 1929 – January 17, 2016) was an American country musician and radio broadcaster who lived in western New York State. Schriver began his radio career in 1947, performing live music at WJJL in

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...

. He was the first person to broadcast

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

over the Western New York airwaves. He moved to Buffalo's WWOL in 1964 as the station flipped to a country music format. In 1970, Schriver bought WMMJ and renamed it

WXRL WXRL (1300 AM) is a commercial radio station in Lancaster, New York, serving the Buffalo metropolitan area. It broadcasts a classic country radio format. WXRL is owned and operated by the family of Ramblin' Lou Schriver, a local country musi ...

; the "RL" in reference to his initials. Schriver performed in Western New York, Southern Ontario, and beyond. In 1951 his band, the Twin Pine Mountaineers, recorded and released an album for Sparton Records. He appeared on the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

and the WWVA Jamboree, and was an annual performer at the Erie County Fair for 51 years until 2015. A preeminent country music promoter, Schriver brought numerous acts to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, including

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

Buck Owens Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the frontman for The Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music chart. He pioneered what came ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

, and

Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...

. Schriver was a 1985 inductee of the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame, was a charter member of the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and was a 1996 inductee of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. A native of

Tonawanda, New York Tonawanda is a city in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 15,129 at the 2020 census. It is at the northern edge of Erie County, south across the Erie Canal ( Tonawanda Creek) from North Tonawanda, east of Grand Island, a ...

, Schriver was a resident of Grand Island since the 1960s. He married his wife, Joanie Marshall, on May 20, 1961. Together with their children, they performed locally and internationally as the "Ramblin' Lou Family Band." Ramblin' Lou broadcast his radio show on WXRL until December 26, 2015, 22 days before his death. He was survived by his wife, four children, and numerous grandchildren.

References

External links

Country Radio Broadcasters biographyRecording of Ramblin' Lou's daily sign off
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schriver, Ramblin Lou 1929 births 2016 deaths American radio personalities Radio personalities from Buffalo, New York Country musicians from New York (state) People from Tonawanda, New York People from Grand Island, New York Place of birth missing