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 border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...
. He was the first person to broadcast
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, o ...
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; 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 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 divi ...
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), 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 ...
,
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 Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on t ...
,
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American Country music, country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later s ...
, and
Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
.
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, 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