[78-L] Carson Robison

[David Sanderson]

On 5/13/2012 8:29 PM, Cary Ginell wrote:
> I get the impression that Robison was more sophisticated than he let
> on, considering his down-home persona. He survived a long time in the
> recording business (nearly 40 years) and at the end, was even
> recording rockabilly for MGM. I have great respect for the so-called
> Citybilly triumvirate of Robison, Frank Luther, and Bob Miller. All
> were excellent musicians, singers, and songwriters. Somewhere I have
> a photo of Robison's 1932 group that went to England - it's a very
> impressionistic photo with lots of dark shadows.

Robison was really smart, yes, and moreover had a real understanding of 
trends, I think. For one thing, he copyrighted songs religiously - some 
1200 copyrights during his career. And as Jack Palmer's Dalhart bio 
demonstrates, Robison was smart enough to move on from just recording 
when radio became popular. The British recordings are really the tip of 
the iceberg - Robison went to Europe with that group about 1932, and was 
there for several years, I think, broadcast on radio, made the 
recordings, toured, the first American country music performer to work 
in Europe, supposedly. I have the CD reissue of these recordings, well 
worth getting.

He was a great songwriter, especially humorous material, had a way with 
lyrics. He was still working during WWII, made a couple of soundies and 
had several war-related recordings. His final notable recording was the 
wonderful "Life Gets Teejus Don't It," in the late 1940's. I don't think 
there's been a full biography of Carson; time someone did the job.


-- 
David Sanderson
East Waterford Maine
dwsanderson685 at roadrunner.com
http://www.dwsanderson.com