[78-L] Frank Luther items on my want-list for decades
Guyotsmith at aol.com
Guyotsmith at aol.com
Wed Feb 18 15:09:42 PST 2009
In a message dated 2/18/2009 12:36:40 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
mbiel at mbiel.com writes:
Who was your grandmother?
Mike Biel mbiel at mbiel.com
Mike, my grandmother was not a recording artist and not noted as a musical
performer, although she did sing. She was a writer and a folklorist by the
name of Ethel Park Richardson. Upon publication of her book, "American Mountain
Songs," she journeyed from Chattanooga to New York and was on NBC within a
few days, as both a performer and a writer. In 1933, she created a series of
dramatized Appalachian folksongs, "Hillbilly Heart-Throbs." The series title
was later changed to "Heart-Throbs of the Hills" (in the belief it would
attract a sponsor without the word "hillbilly") and it ultimately became "Dreams of
Long Ago."
Frank Luther - with Zora Layman and Len Stokes, and their friend Carson
Robison - performed the music on the series. When Frank grew too busy to continue
with the program, Carson Robison took over. With the new title, "Dreams of
Long Ago," came a change in the music department. The Vass Family, who -
unfortunately - recorded only one session for Decca - did a splendid job with the
music on the show. When they left for Chicago, my grandmother put together a
group of her own design, which eventually became The Song Spinners. They also
recorded for Decca and had a couple of hits.
Although my grandmother played character parts on all her various radio
shows and did sing folk songs, her chief focus was her writing. She never had an
agent, never made a record, and never pursued a career as a performer. In my
youth, when I wanted to perform and had questions about singing, she would
tell me to call Frank Luther.
Thanks for asking.
Jonathan
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