Lennie Aleshire
Encyclopedia
Leonard Harrison Aleshire (April 27, 1890–October 15, 1987) was a versatile American
vaudeville
and later country music
performer from the 1920s into the 1960s. A singer, dancer and songwriter, he was also half of a musical comedy duo, Lennie and Goo Goo, with Floyd Rutledge. The pair appeared on local and national radio and television programs originating from Springfield, Missouri
during the 1940s and 50s.
, just south of Springfield
. He was playing the fiddle by age six and learned the guitar, banjo and other instruments by ear. At 15, he lived with the Creek Indians near Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, though his mother was half Cherokee
. After his parents died, he lived with his brother and sister near Dadeville
. Aleshire and his brother John played the fiddle
; their sister Linda played guitar. The Aleshire Trio staged their first vaudeville shows at a local silent movie theater with Aleshire sometimes performing in blackface.
In 1917, Aleshire was drafted for service in World War I
, but was excused because he had lost three fingers on his left hand in a sawmill
accident, which led to his nickname, the One Finger Fiddler. He worked for a Kansas City saddlery, a railroad, and played professional baseball for three seasons; but returned to vaudeville, writing the song "Nixa Fling" after working as a boiler engineer at a Nixa, Missouri
cheese factory in 1926, the same year he met his wife, Mae.
Aleshire had a varied vaudeville career: he joined McMae Hill, and the troupe of magician and ventriloquist Professor Sage; and spent two years with the Cauble Brothers Circus traveling through the Midwest. He also appeared with Argentinean magician Dawes the Great, performed as a tap dancer, and toured Oklahoma with saxophonist Roy Wrightsman.
musical comedy routine, playing traditional as well their homemade instruments which included cowbells strapped to their shoes. The pair toured with the Orpheum Circuit and played at the Palace Theatre
in New York City. Aleshire also worked the Bert Levy West Coast vaudeville circuit. In 1928, they joined The Weaver Brothers and Elviry act, based in Springfield, and eventually became known as Lennie and Goo Goo. Aleshire served as straight man for Rutledge's slow-witted Goo Goo.
Aleshire was also a songwriter; his tune "Iva Waltz" was named for his daughter. His "My Old Saddle Pal" was sung by Gene Autry
in his 1936 film, The Singing Cowboy. Aleshire also wrote "Sleepy Time Waltz", "Ozark Waltz", "Blackberry Jam" and "Ukulele Melody". In 1939 he co-wrote "Prairie Reveries" with Buddy Starcher.
In 1937, Aleshire joined WWVA-AM
's Mountaineer Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia
and worked with banjo player Dale Parker as part of the Rhythm Rangers for about a year. He later worked at WLW-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio
; and in 1939 at WMMN-AM in Fairmont, West Virginia
, where he and Rutledge became close friends with Louis "Grandpa" Jones
. Jones formed an act called Grandpa Jones and his Grandsons consisting of Aleshire, Loren Bledsoe and Harold Rensler. Aleshire and Rutledge introduced Jones and Ramona Riggins to cowbells, which they adopted.
The duo returned to Springfield in the early 1940s and appeared on KGBX-AM
, and Aleshire toured with Jones. In August 1944, Aleshire, Rutledge and Parker joined KWTO-AM
in Springfield and were featured on Korn's-A-Krackin, carried nationally by Mutual Radio
, and other shows. When KYTV-TV
's Ozark Jubilee
moved to ABC in 1955, Aleshire and Rutledge went along as Lennie and Goo Goo and were mainstays on the program for more than five years.
In 1955, RCA Victor released "Ridin' The Fiddle" featuring Aleshire and Parker with King Ganam and His Sons of the West.
Aleshire died in Springfield, Missouri on October 15, 1987 at age 97 and was interred in Palmetto Cemetery in Greene County
. His widow, Mae, died September 7, 1996.
Several of Aleshire's and Rutledge's homemade instruments are displayed at the Ralph Foster
Museum at the College of the Ozarks
in Hollister, Missouri
near Branson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and later country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
performer from the 1920s into the 1960s. A singer, dancer and songwriter, he was also half of a musical comedy duo, Lennie and Goo Goo, with Floyd Rutledge. The pair appeared on local and national radio and television programs originating from Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
during the 1940s and 50s.
Early years
Lennie Aleshire was born April 27, 1890 in Christian County, MissouriChristian County, Missouri
Christian County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. The county had a population of 54,285 in 2000 census. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 77,422 , making it the fastest growing county in Missouri and one of the fastest growing in the nation as the county becomes...
, just south of Springfield
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
. He was playing the fiddle by age six and learned the guitar, banjo and other instruments by ear. At 15, he lived with the Creek Indians near Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, though his mother was half Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
. After his parents died, he lived with his brother and sister near Dadeville
Dadeville, Missouri
Dadeville is a village in Dade County, Missouri, United States. The population was 224 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dadeville is located at ....
. Aleshire and his brother John played the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
; their sister Linda played guitar. The Aleshire Trio staged their first vaudeville shows at a local silent movie theater with Aleshire sometimes performing in blackface.
In 1917, Aleshire was drafted for service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but was excused because he had lost three fingers on his left hand in a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
accident, which led to his nickname, the One Finger Fiddler. He worked for a Kansas City saddlery, a railroad, and played professional baseball for three seasons; but returned to vaudeville, writing the song "Nixa Fling" after working as a boiler engineer at a Nixa, Missouri
Nixa, Missouri
Nixa is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,124 at the 2000 census, though a 2009 estimate places it at 19,458. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
cheese factory in 1926, the same year he met his wife, Mae.
Aleshire had a varied vaudeville career: he joined McMae Hill, and the troupe of magician and ventriloquist Professor Sage; and spent two years with the Cauble Brothers Circus traveling through the Midwest. He also appeared with Argentinean magician Dawes the Great, performed as a tap dancer, and toured Oklahoma with saxophonist Roy Wrightsman.
Lennie and Goo Goo
Aleshire first teamed up with his boyhood friend from Springfield, Floyd Rutledge, in the early 1920s. They developed a hillbillyHillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
musical comedy routine, playing traditional as well their homemade instruments which included cowbells strapped to their shoes. The pair toured with the Orpheum Circuit and played at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, New York
The Palace Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1564 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architects Kirchoff & Rose, the theatre was built by Martin Beck a California vaudeville entrepreneur and Broadway impresario. The project experienced a number of business problems before...
in New York City. Aleshire also worked the Bert Levy West Coast vaudeville circuit. In 1928, they joined The Weaver Brothers and Elviry act, based in Springfield, and eventually became known as Lennie and Goo Goo. Aleshire served as straight man for Rutledge's slow-witted Goo Goo.
Aleshire was also a songwriter; his tune "Iva Waltz" was named for his daughter. His "My Old Saddle Pal" was sung by Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
in his 1936 film, The Singing Cowboy. Aleshire also wrote "Sleepy Time Waltz", "Ozark Waltz", "Blackberry Jam" and "Ukulele Melody". In 1939 he co-wrote "Prairie Reveries" with Buddy Starcher.
WWVA (AM)
WWVA is an AM radio station that broadcasts on a frequency of 1170 kHz with studios in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA, and towers formerly located in St. Clairsville, Ohio, before they were destroyed in an August 2010 storm...
's Mountaineer Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and worked with banjo player Dale Parker as part of the Rhythm Rangers for about a year. He later worked at WLW-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
; and in 1939 at WMMN-AM in Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
, where he and Rutledge became close friends with Louis "Grandpa" Jones
Grandpa Jones
Louis Marshall Jones , known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer...
. Jones formed an act called Grandpa Jones and his Grandsons consisting of Aleshire, Loren Bledsoe and Harold Rensler. Aleshire and Rutledge introduced Jones and Ramona Riggins to cowbells, which they adopted.
The duo returned to Springfield in the early 1940s and appeared on KGBX-AM
KSGF (AM)
KSGF is a radio station licensed to serve Springfield, Missouri, USA. The station, which launched in 1926 as KGBX, is owned by the Journal Broadcast Corporation. The station also simulcast on 104.1 FM, which is licensed to Ash Grove, Missouri, USA....
, and Aleshire toured with Jones. In August 1944, Aleshire, Rutledge and Parker joined KWTO-AM
KWTO
KWTO refers to two radio stations in Springfield, Missouri, USA. On AM, KWTO can be found at 560 kHz, where it airs a news-talk format. On FM, KWTO operates at 98.7 MHz and carries a sports talk format....
in Springfield and were featured on Korn's-A-Krackin, carried nationally by Mutual Radio
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
, and other shows. When KYTV-TV
KYTV
KYTV is a British television comedy show about a fictional television station that ran on BBC2 from 1989 to 1993, which satirised satellite television in the UK at the time.-History:...
's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
moved to ABC in 1955, Aleshire and Rutledge went along as Lennie and Goo Goo and were mainstays on the program for more than five years.
In 1955, RCA Victor released "Ridin' The Fiddle" featuring Aleshire and Parker with King Ganam and His Sons of the West.
Later years
When Ozark Jubilee was canceled in 1960 (by then renamed Jubilee USA), Aleshire and Rutledge retired in Springfield but continued to perform; Aleshire also worked as an expert piano tuner and Rutledge, who years earlier had briefly been a local policeman, was a taxi driver (he died at age 64 in 1970). Aleshire and wife Mae had one son, Kenneth Chessnut; and daughter Iva.Aleshire died in Springfield, Missouri on October 15, 1987 at age 97 and was interred in Palmetto Cemetery in Greene County
Greene County, Missouri
Greene County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 275,174 making it the fourth most populated county in Missouri. Its county seat is Springfield...
. His widow, Mae, died September 7, 1996.
Several of Aleshire's and Rutledge's homemade instruments are displayed at the Ralph Foster
Ralph D. Foster
Ralph David Foster , was an American broadcasting pioneer and philanthropist who created the framework for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as the nation's country music capital during the 1950s...
Museum at the College of the Ozarks
College of the Ozarks
College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian liberal-arts college, with its campus at Point Lookout near Branson and Hollister, Missouri, United States. It is south of Springfield on a campus, overlooking Lake Taneycomo...
in Hollister, Missouri
Hollister, Missouri
Hollister is a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,426 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
near Branson
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
.