| Country Music Trivia: Fred Rose played piano on some Hank Williams sessions (he can be heard briefly at the end of Hank's 1952 "Half as Much")
Rabon Delmore (Delmore Brothers) was passed on after a battle with lung cancer 
Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" caused a Country Music revolution in 1952. The song became the first in the genre by a woman to sell a million copies and reach Number One on country charts, opened the doors wide for women in country, She was named the Queen Of Country Music by Fred Rose and still holds her title with great dignity.
Four Aces of Swing?
Saddlemen? Just before the Thanksgiving holidays in 1952, Haley's band changed their name and their image for the last time. Off came the cowboy boots and the white Stetsons. With some regrets and more than a little apprehension, the four young musicians, turned their backs on their beloved country/western music and bravely faced an unknown future as "Bill Haley and his Comets"
Marty Robbins makes his chart debut with "I'll Go On Alone," which also becomes his first No. 1
"High Noon" movie soundtrack released featuring Country Music Hall of Fame member Tex Ritter | 
The Starday Label was started in Beaumont, Texas in 1952 by Harold W. "Pappy" Daily and Jack Starnes, Jr. The label recorded country & western, Cajun music, and sacred music. The Nashville Label subsidiary was started in 1964 and recorded country & western music, the artists were interchangeable between the two labels. The Starday label lasted into the late 1970's, although by that time it was reissuing material recorded earlier. The Nashville label operated into the early 1970's
More>> The Starday Story
Faron Young, a monster on the country charts for most of two decades, epitomized this sound for much of his time on Capitol. Arguably the last singing cowboy, Faron possessed the teen-idol looks that earned him seven motion picture roles and made him the star of a TV series, "The Young Sheriff." The opening "Tattle Tail Tears" from 1952 permits him to show off his sweeping, rangy voice just within the three title words. "He was signed to Capitol Records by producer Ken Nelson early in 1952. He moved to Nashville with girlfriend Billie Jean Jones Eshliman that year, and Hank Williams took Billie Jean from him in exchange for a song, "Goin' Steady," which became Young's first hit early the next year." (CMHOF) "The Eddy Arnold Show" premiered on CBS-TV | 
The Legendary
Ray Price
In 1952, Ray began a strong friendship with Hank Williams, who helped him become part of The Grand Ole Opry Ray Price's first hit came in the same year with "Talk To Your Heart", which hit Number 11 on the Billboard charts in July. Later that year "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" reached Number 4 and he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1952. An excerpt from TCB's 2002 interview with the legendary singer: In the early days of his career, Ray made an acquaintance that would have a lasting impact, when his paths crossed with that of Hank Williams." In Nashville, on Friday nights, they had what was called the Friday Night Frolics and when the stars came into town Friday some of them had radio shows. Hank had one for Duck Head Overalls, I believe. A friend of mine in the promotion business, Troy Martin, got me on his show." The pair hit it off and the business side of things soon evolved into a friendship that saw Ray and Hank become roommates. "At that time he had Audrey had gotten a divorce and he wanted me to live in the house with him. I lived upstairs and he lived downstairs." he recalls "He was a great guy, certainly there was none of this 'I’m a star, you’re not' sort of thing. He was just a regular person." Citing him as a mentor as well as a friend, Ray learned first hand from one of country music's masters. "I watched him on stage a lot. I watched how he worked the stage, how he carried himself. He was really down to earth. He talked between songs. I tried to expand on that but I never did talk much. I just sang songs. He’d say why don’t you talk to the audience? I’d said well they don’t buy me talking on records." he laughs "Later on I learned to relax a little bit, and talk to them. I enjoy it now that I do it." Despite the legendary status that Hank William's life has achieved, Ray feels some of it can be attributed to Hank's untimely death, "The legend was built up by a lot of publicity and by the record companies. They've built up things in people’s minds. I don’t think Hank would have liked it like that." One thing Ray is sure of, sadly enough : "If he had stayed with us, he would never had made it on records anymore than anybody else." More>> |
Ironically his 1952 hit "I''ll Never Get Out of This World Alive" was released just before his death on New Year's Day, 1953 from a heart attack brought on by drinking. He and his Drifting Cowboys had been booked to play a show in Canton, Ohio, and Williams hired a driver to chauffeur him through a snowstorm to the gig. He fell asleep along the way -- but when the driver tried to rouse him at Oak Hill, West Virginia, Williams was dead. After his death, his records continued to sell in massive quantities. "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Take These Chains From My Heart," "I Wont Be Home No More," and "Weary Blue From Waitin'" all charted during the year that followed.
