[78-L] The Yodeling Ranger or Singing Brakeman

[David Sanderson]

On 10/21/2012 3:29 PM, Cary Ginell wrote:
> Why? Pre-war country music was filled with Jimmie Rodgers imitators.
> Rodgers' song "Yodeling Ranger" inspired Hank Snow to give himself
> that nickname when performing on Canadian radio stations. Ernest Tubb
> also started out as a Rodgers imitator. Rodgers' own cousin, Jesse
> Rodgers, tried to capitalize on Jimmie Rodgers' celebrity by
> recording for his old company, Victor. Gene Autry and Jimmie Davis,
> both of whom developed their own unique styles in later years,
> started out by doing keen imitations of Rodgers. Autry was actually a
> better guitar player than Rodgers was.
>
> Snow's early recordings for Canadian Bluebird were all labeled as
> "Hank, the Yodeling Ranger," which gave way to "Hank, the Singing
> Ranger" when he started writing his own material.
>
> I annotated a six-CD box set for Bear Family on the Jimmie Rodgers
> influence, which continues to this day. The set includes recordings
> of songs inspired by Rodgers' career by artists such as Bill &
> Charlie Monroe, Cliff Carlisle, Buddy Jones, Roy Rogers, Bob Wills,
> and dozens more.
>
> Cary Ginell

Yep - go listen to early Gene Autry recordings, all bluesy Jimmy Rodgers 
style.


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