Midwestern Hayride
Encyclopedia
Midwestern Hayride, sometimes known as Midwest Hayride, was an American country music
show originating in the 1930s from WLW-AM
and later from WLWT-TV
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. During the 1950s it was carried nationally by NBC
and then ABC
television. The program featured live country music (performed mainly by local musicians but on lesser occasions by national stars) and what was then called "hayseed" comedy, much of which was the inspiration for the later TV series Hee Haw
.
-based Louisiana Hayride
, the show was originally called Boone County Jamboree (named for nearby Boone County
in Northern Kentucky
). Midwestern Hayride was first broadcast before 1937 and was carried live on the radio each Saturday evening through the early 1970s.
WLW television came on the air in 1948, sharing larger quarters with WLW-AM in the former Elks Building, re-christened Crosley Square. It eventually became the originating studio for the regional network Avco Broadcasting Corporation, which included WLW-A in Atlanta
, WLW-D
in Dayton, WLW-C
in Columbus and later WLW-I
in Indianapolis (after WLW-A was sold) when the program moved to television in the early 1950s. Then originating from WLW-TV, Midwestern Hayride was simulcast on WLW-AM until the early 1960s, then was revived in the mid-60s. At the show's peak there was a one-year waiting list for tickets to be in the audience (100 people was the limit for each weekly show).
In 1951, Midwestern Hayride was picked up by NBC-TV as a summer replacement for Sid Caesar
's Your Show of Shows
. NBC aired it each of the following summers through 1956, except 1953. ABC-TV then carried it during the summers of 1957–59. For much of its television run MH was hosted by Dean Richards, lead vocalist of The Lucky Pennies, a local singing group. Richards also introduced a "Polka Time" segment (geared to Cincinnati's German heritage and its local breweries) aired near the program's close until 1969, when he was replaced by Henson Cargill
riding on the success of his hit song "Skip a Rope".
By the early 1970s, then-16 year MH veteran Kenny Price
, a popular musician and comedian nicknamed The Round Mound of Sound, had a string of country hits for RCA Records
including local favorite "The Sheriff of Boone County". On the strength of those hits, Price was picked to be the new host of the show, which by then had shortened its name to Hayride (Louisiana Hayride had succumbed to rock and roll's popularity and left the airwaves by 1960).
Like many other locally-produced shows of the day, Hayride become increasingly more expensive to produce, and WLW-TV executives decided to bring the show to an end in 1972. Kenny Price became a regular on Nashville-based Hee Haw four years later and remained there until his death in 1987.
In 2009, WYNS-FM
, a low-power community FM station in Waynesville, Ohio
(north of Cincinnati), announced it will commence a similar live weekly country music broadcast, The Ohio Hayride, beginning May 15, 2010. The local program, possibly the first of its kind since the demise of Hayride, will feature local musicians as well as country music artists from past decades. The program will also air on WPFB-AM in Middletown, Ohio and stream from the WYNS station Web site at www.hybridfm.net.
—all running times include commercial breaks)
NBC:
The program was also occasionally carried by NBC outside of prime time
during the regular season.
ABC:
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...
show originating in the 1930s from WLW-AM
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
and later from WLWT-TV
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
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...
. During the 1950s it was carried nationally by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and then ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television. The program featured live country music (performed mainly by local musicians but on lesser occasions by national stars) and what was then called "hayseed" comedy, much of which was the inspiration for the later TV series Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
.
History
Inspired by the ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
-based Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
, the show was originally called Boone County Jamboree (named for nearby Boone County
Boone County, Kentucky
Boone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. The population was 118,811 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Burlington. The county is named for frontiersman Daniel Boone...
in Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the name often given to the northernmost counties in Kentucky...
). Midwestern Hayride was first broadcast before 1937 and was carried live on the radio each Saturday evening through the early 1970s.
WLW television came on the air in 1948, sharing larger quarters with WLW-AM in the former Elks Building, re-christened Crosley Square. It eventually became the originating studio for the regional network Avco Broadcasting Corporation, which included WLW-A in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, WLW-D
WDTN
WDTN, virtual channel 2, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Ohio's Miami Valley. Licensed to Dayton, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter in the Frytown section of the city. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 2 and in...
in Dayton, WLW-C
WCMH-TV
WCMH-TV, channel 4, is a television station in Columbus, Ohio, affiliated with the NBC television network and owned by Media General. The station's studios and transmitter are located in Columbus. NBC-4 broadcasts from its studio and office complex near the Ohio State University on Olentangy River...
in Columbus and later WLW-I
WTHR
WTHR, channel 13, is a full-service television station serving the Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan area. An affiliate of the NBC television network, its studios at 1000 N. Meridian Street anchor the south end of Indy's Television Row...
in Indianapolis (after WLW-A was sold) when the program moved to television in the early 1950s. Then originating from WLW-TV, Midwestern Hayride was simulcast on WLW-AM until the early 1960s, then was revived in the mid-60s. At the show's peak there was a one-year waiting list for tickets to be in the audience (100 people was the limit for each weekly show).
In 1951, Midwestern Hayride was picked up by NBC-TV as a summer replacement for Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an Emmy award winning American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.- Early life :Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York,...
's Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
. NBC aired it each of the following summers through 1956, except 1953. ABC-TV then carried it during the summers of 1957–59. For much of its television run MH was hosted by Dean Richards, lead vocalist of The Lucky Pennies, a local singing group. Richards also introduced a "Polka Time" segment (geared to Cincinnati's German heritage and its local breweries) aired near the program's close until 1969, when he was replaced by Henson Cargill
Henson Cargill
Henson Cargill was an American country music singer best known for the 1968 No. 1 hit, "Skip a Rope". His music career began in Oklahoma in clubs around Oklahoma City and Tulsa...
riding on the success of his hit song "Skip a Rope".
By the early 1970s, then-16 year MH veteran Kenny Price
Kenny Price
James Kenneth "Kenny" Price was a singer, songwriter, and actor. Nicknamed the "Round Mound of Sound," Price recorded for the Boone and RCA Victor, MRC and Dimension record labels, charting thirty-four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts between 1966 and 1980...
, a popular musician and comedian nicknamed The Round Mound of Sound, had a string of country hits for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
including local favorite "The Sheriff of Boone County". On the strength of those hits, Price was picked to be the new host of the show, which by then had shortened its name to Hayride (Louisiana Hayride had succumbed to rock and roll's popularity and left the airwaves by 1960).
Like many other locally-produced shows of the day, Hayride become increasingly more expensive to produce, and WLW-TV executives decided to bring the show to an end in 1972. Kenny Price became a regular on Nashville-based Hee Haw four years later and remained there until his death in 1987.
In 2009, WYNS-FM
WYNS-FM
WYNS "89.3, ClassX" signed on the air in April 2009. It is owned by Spryex Communications, Inc. and is a simulcast of WMWX FM in Miamitown, OH. ClassX can also be heard at http://classxradio.com-External links:***...
, a low-power community FM station in Waynesville, Ohio
Waynesville, Ohio
Waynesville is a village in Wayne Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,558, up from 1,949 in 1990. It is named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. The village, located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 42 and State Route 73, is known for its...
(north of Cincinnati), announced it will commence a similar live weekly country music broadcast, The Ohio Hayride, beginning May 15, 2010. The local program, possibly the first of its kind since the demise of Hayride, will feature local musicians as well as country music artists from past decades. The program will also air on WPFB-AM in Middletown, Ohio and stream from the WYNS station Web site at www.hybridfm.net.
Performers
|
Salty Holmes Floyd Holmes , better known as Salty Holmes, was an American country musician and Western B-movie actor.... Homer and Jethro Homer and Jethro were the stage names of American country music duo Henry D. Haynes and Kenneth C. Burns , popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical versions of popular songs... Grandpa Jones Louis Marshall Jones , known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer... Bradley Kincaid William Bradley Kincaid was an American folk singer and radio entertainer.He was born in Point Level, Garrard County, Kentucky but built a music career in the northern states. His first radio appearance came in 1926 when he performed on the National Barn Dance show on WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois... Dixie Lee Dixie Lee was an American actress, dancer, and singer.Born Wilma Wyatt, she adopted the professional name "Dixie Carroll" as a singer and showgirl. Winfield Sheehan of the Fox film studio changed the name to Dixie Lee, to avoid confusion with actresses Nancy Carroll and Sue Carol... Freddie Langdon Freddie Langdon was a world champion fiddle player.Birth: February 23, 1922 Death: August 2, 1988... Bonnie Lou Bonnie Lou is an American rock and roll and country music singer. During the mid-1950s, Bonnie Lou helped pave the way for future female artists as one of rock and roll's first female singers... |
Clayton McMichen Clayton McMichen was an American fiddler and country musician.-Biography:Born in Allatoona, Georgia, McMichen learned to play the fiddle from his father and uncle. He moved to Atlanta with his family in 1913, working as an automobile mechanic. While there, he entered and won several competitions... Joe Maphis Joe Maphis, born Otis W. Maphis , was an American country music guitarist. He married singer Rose Lee Maphis in 1948.... Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... Hank Penny Herbert Clayton Penny was an accomplished banjo player and practitioner of western swing. He worked as a comedian best known for his backwoods character "That Plain Ol' Country Boy" on TV with Spade Cooley... Kenny Price James Kenneth "Kenny" Price was a singer, songwriter, and actor. Nicknamed the "Round Mound of Sound," Price recorded for the Boone and RCA Victor, MRC and Dimension record labels, charting thirty-four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts between 1966 and 1980... Riley Puckett George Riley Puckett was an American country music pioneer mostly known for being a member of Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers.-Biography:... Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting... |
Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"... Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and... Jim Wood (fiddler) Jim Wood, the five-time Tennessee State Fiddle Champion, was born in Nashville, Tennessee on August 28, 1964 and raised outside Fairview, a little country town twenty-five miles southwest of Nashville... |
Network television broadcast history
(all times are Eastern TimeEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
—all running times include commercial breaks)
NBC:
- June 16–September 1951: Saturday 9–10 p.m.
- June–September 1952: Tuesday 8–9 p.m.
- June–September 1954: Tuesday 8–8:30 p.m.
- May–September 1955: Friday 8–8:30 p.m.
- September 1955–June 1956: Wednesday 10–10:30 p.m.
The program was also occasionally carried by NBC outside of prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
during the regular season.
ABC:
- July–October 1957: Sunday 9:30–10 p.m.
- January–September 1958: Saturday 10–10:30 p.m.
- May–September 6, 1959: Sunday 7–7:30 p.m.
External links
- Midwestern Hayride television series information at Internet Movie Database
- YouTube video clip of Midwestern Hayride singer Bonnie Lou at 1973 Ohio State Fair
- YouTube kinescope clip of Mimi Roman performing "Mama Says" on Midwestern Hayride
- Official website of The Ohio Hayride radio program on WYNS-FM and WPFB-AM