The FIRST country record!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 1 Jan 2000 6:50 pm

While listening to the radio today, I heard that the FIRST country song recorded was a fiddle tune recorded in Texas in 1922 by a "F. Samuels". This was a syndicated show (Country Countdown), so I assume it has been researched, and verified some way.

So I guess Country Music is "officially" 78 years old!

Gregg Galbraith · Post by **Gregg Galbraith** » 1 Jan 2000 9:32 pm

Donny,
I haven't been able to verify any release-dates via "All Music Guide", but I've always heard that the first country artist was Vernon Dalhart, and that among his hits were "The Prisoner's Song" and "Wreck of the Old 97" You might want to check out his discography and see if these tunes were recorded prior to 1922.

Perry Hansen · Post by **Perry Hansen** » 2 Jan 2000 4:33 am

Gregg, I think you're right. I have some Vern Dalhart cyclinders that my Grandmother gave me that dates way back there. They are in storage now, so I can't get the exact dates.
Perry

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 4 Jan 2000 9:36 pm

I think Vernon Dalhart originally recorded as a opera singer and tried doing tin pan alley stuff before trying country.
You could call him the first Citybilly or if you likeurban country performer.

Another fiddler Eck Robertson had sides out in 1923.

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BJ Bailey · Post by **BJ Bailey** » 4 Jan 2000 9:53 pm

When did Jimmy Rogers come in to the music world ? I thought he was named the father of country music

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BJ Bailey

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 5 Jan 2000 9:52 am

Well, for anyone that's interested, I did some research and came up with the following information. Probably the first country musician to record was Fiddling Bob Haines. He recorded "Arkansas Traveler" on a cylinder about 1908. The first country musicians on a record (disk records were developed about 1921) were Eck Robinson and Henry Gilleland. They recorded some fiddle tunes in 1922. However, the first really popular country record was "The Hen Cackled", by Fiddling John Carson, released a year later.

Vernon Dalhart first recorded light opera and popular music in 1916, but he switched to "Hillbilly" in 1924 to boost his fading popularity. He was very influential in Country Music from 1925-1931, and he worked for many years afterward (until the late '50s) with songwriter Carson Robison. By the way, Frank Ferara who played on some recordings with Dalhart, claimed to have introduced the Hawaiian guitar to Country Music. Frank came to the U.S. from Hawaii about 1901.

About the same time (1924), Cliff and Bill Carlisle were recording Country and Hawaiian songs. The Carlisle's were popular through the '40s. The overnight success, Jimmie Rodgers, first recorded in 1927. And in 1926, the original Carter Family group was formed. They recorded hundreds of records from 1927-1944.

(This information condensed from "The Country Music Story", copyright 1966, by Shelton and Goldblatt)

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 5 Jan 2000 10:24 pm

Donny, here is another item of interest for your topic. Bill and Cliff Carlisle recorded as a Brother act, as you previously stated, and Cliff was the Dobro/Hawaiian/Steel player on the Jimmy Rogers' sessions.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 6 Jan 2000 1:48 pm

Right Kenny, I should have said "Carlisle Brothers", instead of "The Carlisles". Cliff Carlisle started recording in 1924, but Brother Bill didn't join him until 1930. In exchange for playing steel on a lot of Jimmie Rodgers' stuff, Jimmie taught him how to yodel. Cliff was one of the first in many categories. Before 1924, he worked a duo with Wilbur Ball, playing the then popular Hawaiian music, and the two were know as "The Lullaby Larkers". Cliff retired in 1947...he had done it all!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 26 Feb 2000 4:38 pm

(bumped up for a friend!)

Mike Auldridge · Post by **Mike Auldridge** » 26 Feb 2000 7:17 pm

Although several guys played steel on Jimmie Rodgers recordings, my uncle, Ellsworth T. Cozzens (my mother's brother), was the first. He recorded on Rodgers' first Victor sessions in February of 1927. I'm not sure if this is really accurate or not, but since all of the early country recordings featured one artist or a band, I've always bragged that my uncle was the first "session steel player" in country music. It sounds cool, anyway.

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www.mikeauldridge.com

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 26 Feb 2000 11:34 pm

Wow, I get to post after THE Mike Auldridge! I thought 'All around the water tower, waitin' for a train' was the first biggie.

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disclaimer: In order to save keystrokes and countless emails, I present this blanket apology for the preceding comments: <a href=http://www.bluevalley.net/~marty/apology3.wav>I'm sorry</a>! I suffer from keyboard Tourette's syndrome.

<a href=http://www.bluevalley.net/~marty/pageda ... c.htm>Clam hunt</a>

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 27 Feb 2000 7:07 am

The late Sam McGee, old timey guitarist with McGee Brothers and many others has laid claim to be the first amplified guitarist on the Opry, he stated that in 1926 he played an amplified steel on the show, only for a song or two though.
This has been questioned by some pickers and historians though.

Interesting bit of trivia, Sam did not like bluegrass at all, in a 1970's interview he likened it to 'Crabgrass'....ow!

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Terry Huval · Post by **Terry Huval** » 27 Feb 2000 7:45 am

Is the Bill Carlisle in Cliff and Bill Carlisle, the same Bill Carlisle who is still performing on the Opry?

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 27 Feb 2000 9:18 am

I think the answer might be further up the thread but it is the same Bill Carlisle.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Ric Nelson · Post by **Ric Nelson** » 28 Feb 2000 6:30 am

Seems to me that Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman recorded "The Sinking of the Titanic" in 1924, Bristol, VA.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 28 Feb 2000 1:39 pm

Hey BJ,
I think you're right, Jimmie Rodgers is called the father of country music. But if my memory serves me correctly he first recorded with Ralph Peer around 1927. I believe Vernon Dalhart's stuff was before that. Jimmy R. had some diverse background music on his songs. Louis Armstrong even recorded with him. I believe he died in 1933 from Tuberculosis.
I've heard that Kenny Dail did a session or two with Jimmy R. and Sleepy John carried his gear for him to the studio!

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Have a good one! JH U-12<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 28 February 2000 at 01:40 PM.]</p></FONT>