Wesley Tuttle
(Part 1 of 2)
By the age
of five, Wesley
Tuttle was strumming a ukulele and singing along with it. He wasn’t
even
bashful about doing it in front of others.
Wesley Tuttle’s parents owned
and operated a meat market (butcher shop) in the San Fernando Valley
when he
was a boy. And one day, when he was 8 years of age, Wesley was helping
his
father by grinding some meat into hamburger. His left hand slipped and
went
into the grinding machine, severing his three middle fingers.
Kids are tough,
though, and
Wesley bounced back. He did most everything all the other kids were
doing back
then, including being on the football team.
The “Old Blue Yodeler,” Jimmie
Rodgers had quite an impact on young Tuttle. He would listen to Rodgers
on the
radio every chance he got. And he even learned to yodel by imitating
Rodgers.
However, when Tuttle decided he
wanted to play the guitar he had to learn to play it left-handed
(chording on
the neck with his right hand and strumming with his left hand). That
meant he
had to have a guitar specially built for a left-handed strummer. And
that is
what he did.
At the age of 12, Wesley got up enough
nerve to approach
another idol of his, the legendary Stuart Hamblen. Hamblen had a
popular radio program each day of the week in Los Angeles. So Tuttle
walked into the studio one morning and asked if he could sing a song or
two. Hamblen agreed and it opened the door for his life-long career.
In 1937, Walt Disney Studios
chose Wesley Tuttle to perform the yodeling that the dwarf Dopey is
shown singing
in the classic movie, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".
Tuttle decided to go east. In
1939 he moved to Ohio and worked on the “Boone County Jamboree” show
originating in Cincinnati. It was while working there that he became
close
friends with another struggling performer, guitarist and songwriter
Merle
Travis. That friendship would deepen and last until the death of Travis
many
decades later.
It was in 1939 that Wesley
Tuttle bought a Gibson L-5 guitar that he would play until his death in
2003.
After his death, Marilyn sold the guitar to their close friend, Riders
in the
Sky lead singer Ranger Doug Green. The Gibson Company web site has a
nice
article about Green’s love of that guitar and gave this information
about its
history:
“The
L-5 is an ‘archtop’ style, a style invented and
perfected by the Gibson company, featuring a top that is carved into an
arched
shape, like a violin. The violin similarities extend to the ‘f-holes'
in the top. In the 1930s, before the advent of electric guitars,
guitarists in big bands found that archtop models were the only guitars
that could produce the high volume and crisp tone necessary to 'cut
through' and be heard above drums and horn sections. Gibson's L-5 was
the original f-hole archtop, and it was the favorite of many performers
throughout the 1930s and '40s" (Click
here to read the entire article).
It
was also during this period that Wesley Tuttle met and married his
first wife. They soon had a baby girl named Harva. However, the
marriage lasted only a handful of years.
Tuttle's
career at WLW came to a halt over some dispute between himself and
management. So he and his young family returned to sunny southern
California. He quickly found work in area clubs and on different radio
stations.
Here a very young Wesley Tuttle in about 1940 proudly displays
his Gibson L-5 guitar, and he is wearing his "hillbilly" outfit.
Some of his early recordings were listed as "Wesley Tuttle
and His Coonhunters"
In the 1940s
Wesley Tuttle was part of a musical trio that featured himself, his
close friend Merle Travis, and Eddie Dean (this was the brother of
Jimmy Dean, not the Eddie Dean of "B Western" movies).
Tuttle has shed his
"Coonhunter" image here, in about 1943
<><><><>During
this
period, Wesley also became close friends with an extraordinarily good
guitar picker from Oklahoma named Johnny Bond. Bond had been a part of
the original "Jimmy Wakely Trio," until he was hired to be lead
guitarist for actor/singer Gene Autry (a position he held for some 20
years). And it was Bond who helped Tuttle become a member of that Trio
for a time.
Tex Ritter was the very
first country/Western artist to actually record
for Capitol Records. And it was Ritter who got a recording contract for
his friend, Wesley. That is how Wesley Tuttle became only the second
country/Western singer to record on the Capitol Records label. (NOTE:
Some say Jack Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's cousin, was the second. If true,
that would make Tuttle the third. Still pretty ground-breaking stuff.)
It was Wesley Tuttle who in 1944 backed Tex Ritter on
the hit recording
of "Jealous Heart". It became a top 10 country hit for Ritter.
In October of 1944, Tuttle and friend Merle Travis
recorded several
songs for Capitol Records. The titles included "Give Me Your Hand," "I
Know It's Wrong," "It May Be Too Late," and "I Dreamed That My Daddy
Came Home". Charles Linville played his fiddle on those recordings.
Wesley Tuttle finally hit the big time in 1945. That
was when his
record, "With Tears in My Eyes," went all the way to Number 1 on the
country chart. Merle Travis not only played guitar on the record but
sang harmony with Wesley. Click here to listen to them singing,
With Tears In My Eyes".
Tuttle struck paydirt, again, in 1946. His version of
"Detour" went to Number 3 (Spade Cooley's cover of the song hit Number
2 and yodeler Elton Britt had a Number 5 hit with it). And the very
same year, 1946, Wesley also had top ten hits with "Tho I Tried" and "I
Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine". It was a very good year, indeed.
This
sheet music was published in 1945.
Note the unusual combination
of writing talent
on this song: Gene Autry and Dale Evans.
Along the journey he also appeared as a singer in movies with
Russell
Hayden, Charles Starrett, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter and Jimmy
Wakely.
In the film shown
above,
with Wakely, the thin plot had them traveling across the prairie in a
car when it has a flat. So they hook a hose from the tire to an
accordian. And while Wesley Tuttle sang his smash hit song, "Detour,"
the accordian player played along and simultaneously pumped up the tire.
On February 9, 1947, Wesley Tuttle married a beautiful blond named
Marilyn Myers. She had been in a few movies, as a child actor,
including being a part of a dance troup in a Shirley Temple movie. She
was also a fine singer.
In fact, before they were married, it was Wesley Tuttle who had
recommended Marilyn to Jimmy Wakely as a replacement for his lead
female singer in his backup trio, The Sunshine Girls. It seems that his
lead singer's husband was convinced she and Jimmy were having an
affair, so he made her quit. And so Marilyn Myers stepped in and sang
with the trio for about a year.
However, the woman she had replaced then filed for divorce from her
husband and asked Wakely for her job back. So Marilyn was released.
"Her voice was certainly better than mine, but she was also sleeping
with the boss. So I couldn't compete with that combination."
That woman left Jimmy Wakely's trio after a time to become Les Paul's
lead singer and, eventually, his wife. Her stage name became Mary Ford.
The two of them sold millions and millions of records together.
There are several videos now available to watch on the internet of
Wesley Tuttle performing. Most were filmed durin the early 1950's. Here
are some links:
Red
River
Valley - a duet with Marilyn in 1950.
Yodeling
Boogie - Wesley Tuttle and His Westerners, featuring the
legendary Speedy West on steel guitar, Billy Liebert on accordian, Hank
Caldwell on the bass fiddle and Johnny Paul on the fiddle. Marilyn
Tuttle is a pretty, but non-singing, fixture on the set. In this video
you will note Wesley playing his left-handed Gibson L-5 guitar. And, if
you look closely, you will notice that he is missing the middle three
fingers on his left hand.
Strawberry
Roan - Wesley Tuttle and His Westerners. Marilyn Tuttle
leads a horse onto the set, but does not sing. This video is
interesting for another reason: you will note that he is wearing a
special prosthesis on his left hand to make it appear that he has all
of his fingers.
When Pay
Day Rolls Around - Wesley Tuttle sings while Marilyn
stands
beside him.
With
Tears in My Eyes - This is the audio, only.
Tennessee
Mambo - This, too, is only audio. It is a catchy little
novelty song featuring a duet by Wesley and Marilyn. Alas, it did not
catch on to the short popularity of mambo music. Others, such as Hank
Snow, managed to have a hit with that beat.
This publicity photo, taken in the early 1950's at Capitol Records,
shows his Gibson L-5 guitar . . . and the prosthesis on his left hand
that made it appear he was not missing any fingers. He stopped using it
after a short time.
The Town Hall Party
Wesley Tuttle and Marilyn were regulars on the regional hit TV show,
"Town Hall Party". The show began in the fall of 1951. It covered the
Los Angeles area, being heard on KXLA (Pasadena) from 9:00 pm to 9:30
pm on Friday nights, and on KFI (Los Angeles) on Saturday nights from
8:30 pm until 9:30 pm. Then, following the radio show on Saturday
night, another live show was broadcasted on TV (KTTV, Channel 11 in Los
Angeles) for three hours, from 10:00 pm until 1:00 am.
Physically, The Town Hall Party was held at the old Town Hall building
at 400 S. Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, Calif. It was a very big
building. It could seat more than a thousand people near the stage,
still leaving room for more than a thousand folks to dance at the
back. Promoter William B. Wagon, Jr mandated that the
performers could only perform songs that the audience could dance to.
The simple formula worked, as they consistently had around 2,800 paid
admissions each night.
Part 1 of "Town Hall Party Cast" in
1955. Top row, left: Freddie
Hart and Les "Carrot Top" Anderson (he had red hair). "Fiddlin' Kate"
is at the far right.
Part 2
of cast of Town Hall Party (1955): Sitting, bottom left:
comedians Texas Tiny and Quincy Snodgrass. Top left, Merle Travis. In
front of him, The Collins Kids. Marilyn Tuttle with Wesley behind her.
To the right of the Tuttles are Tex Ritter, Rose Maphis and Joe Maphis.
At bottom, right, is Jenks "Tex" Carman, singer and steel guitar player.
Johnny Bond, who was also Gene Autry's lead guitarist
for some 20 years, was the manager of the show. Wesley Tuttle became
the Musical Director early on. They would set a theme for each show a
week or two in advance and ask their regular performers to submit the
related songs they would like to sing. Johnny and Wesley would sift
through and choose the ones that best fit. Then Johnny Bond would go
into his office and write a script for each show, with a minimum of
talk and a maximum of music. Good dance music, you understand.
On November 6, 1954,
someone filmed the entire Town Hall Party TV show. And the Bear Family
record company of Germany has issued a DVD of that show. It features
live performances by:
Les "Carrot Top" Anderson ("The Bunny Hop")
Johnny Bond ("It Makes No Difference Now")
Larry Collins and Joe Maphis ("Mutt and Jeff Boogie")
Tommy Duncan (Medley of country songs)
Judy Haden, Rose Lee Maphis and Marylin Tuttle ("Rock-a-Bye Boogie")
Joe Maphis and Quincy Snodgrass ("The Audience Song")
Joe Maphis and Rose Lee Maphis ("Half As Much")
Joe Maphis, Fiddlin' Kate and Merle Travis ("Turkey In The Straw")
The Rangers Quartet ("Rock of Ages")
Tex Ritter ("There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder")
Dick Stubbs, Fiddlin' Kate and Billy Hill (an instrumental)
Merle Travis and Joe Maphis ("Cannon Ball Rag")
Merle Travis and Judy Haden ("John Bolin")
Wesley Tuttle singing "Footprints in the Snow," "Tennessee Waltz,"
and "That Little
Boy of Mine".
Those were Wesley Tuttle's busiest days, traveling to perform concerts
all across the country, recording song after song, and performing in
movies with his friends.
All of that frenzied activity ended, though, in 1957. That was when
Wesley Tuttle became a Christian, a real born-again Believer. And, much
as his mentor Stuart Hamblen had done many years before, Tuttle gave up
his recording contract and left the glamour of the country music world
for what he considered to be a much higher calling.
Read about that and the rest of his life in Part 2 .
Wesley Tuttle
(Part 1 of 2)
By the age of five, Wesley Tuttle was strumming a ukulele and singing along with it. He wasn’t even bashful about doing it in front of others.
Wesley Tuttle’s parents owned and operated a meat market (butcher shop) in the San Fernando Valley when he was a boy. And one day, when he was 8 years of age, Wesley was helping his father by grinding some meat into hamburger. His left hand slipped and went into the grinding machine, severing his three middle fingers.
Kids are tough, though, and Wesley bounced back. He did most everything all the other kids were doing back then, including being on the football team.
The “Old Blue Yodeler,” Jimmie Rodgers had quite an impact on young Tuttle. He would listen to Rodgers on the radio every chance he got. And he even learned to yodel by imitating Rodgers.
However, when Tuttle decided he wanted to play the guitar he had to learn to play it left-handed (chording on the neck with his right hand and strumming with his left hand). That meant he had to have a guitar specially built for a left-handed strummer. And that is what he did.
At the age of 12, Wesley got up enough nerve to approach another idol of his, the legendary Stuart Hamblen. Hamblen had a popular radio program each day of the week in Los Angeles. So Tuttle walked into the studio one morning and asked if he could sing a song or two. Hamblen agreed and it opened the door for his life-long career.
In 1937, Walt Disney Studios chose Wesley Tuttle to perform the yodeling that the dwarf Dopey is shown singing in the classic movie, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".
Tuttle decided to go east. In 1939 he moved to Ohio and worked on the “Boone County Jamboree” show originating in Cincinnati. It was while working there that he became close friends with another struggling performer, guitarist and songwriter Merle Travis. That friendship would deepen and last until the death of Travis many decades later.
It was in 1939 that Wesley Tuttle bought a Gibson L-5 guitar that he would play until his death in 2003. After his death, Marilyn sold the guitar to their close friend, Riders in the Sky lead singer Ranger Doug Green. The Gibson Company web site has a nice article about Green’s love of that guitar and gave this information about its history:
“The L-5 is an ‘archtop’ style, a style invented and perfected by the Gibson company, featuring a top that is carved into an arched shape, like a violin. The violin similarities extend to the ‘f-holes' in the top. In the 1930s, before the advent of electric guitars, guitarists in big bands found that archtop models were the only guitars that could produce the high volume and crisp tone necessary to 'cut through' and be heard above drums and horn sections. Gibson's L-5 was the original f-hole archtop, and it was the favorite of many performers throughout the 1930s and '40s" (Click here to read the entire article).
It was also during this period that Wesley Tuttle met and married his first wife. They soon had a baby girl named Harva. However, the marriage lasted only a handful of years.
Tuttle's career at WLW came to a halt over some dispute between himself and management. So he and his young family returned to sunny southern California. He quickly found work in area clubs and on different radio stations.
Here a very young Wesley Tuttle in about 1940 proudly displays
his Gibson L-5 guitar, and he is wearing his "hillbilly" outfit.
Some of his early recordings were listed as "Wesley Tuttle
and His Coonhunters"
In the 1940s
Wesley Tuttle was part of a musical trio that featured himself, his
close friend Merle Travis, and Eddie Dean (this was the brother of
Jimmy Dean, not the Eddie Dean of "B Western" movies).
Tuttle has shed his "Coonhunter" image here, in about 1943
<><><><>During
this
period, Wesley also became close friends with an extraordinarily good
guitar picker from Oklahoma named Johnny Bond. Bond had been a part of
the original "Jimmy Wakely Trio," until he was hired to be lead
guitarist for actor/singer Gene Autry (a position he held for some 20
years). And it was Bond who helped Tuttle become a member of that Trio
for a time.
Along the journey he also appeared as a singer in movies with Russell Hayden, Charles Starrett, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter and Jimmy Wakely.
Tuttle has shed his "Coonhunter" image here, in about 1943
Tex Ritter was the very
first country/Western artist to actually record
for Capitol Records. And it was Ritter who got a recording contract for
his friend, Wesley. That is how Wesley Tuttle became only the second
country/Western singer to record on the Capitol Records label. (NOTE:
Some say Jack Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's cousin, was the second. If true,
that would make Tuttle the third. Still pretty ground-breaking stuff.)
It was Wesley Tuttle who in 1944 backed Tex Ritter on the hit recording of "Jealous Heart". It became a top 10 country hit for Ritter.
In October of 1944, Tuttle and friend Merle Travis recorded several songs for Capitol Records. The titles included "Give Me Your Hand," "I Know It's Wrong," "It May Be Too Late," and "I Dreamed That My Daddy Came Home". Charles Linville played his fiddle on those recordings.
Wesley Tuttle finally hit the big time in 1945. That was when his record, "With Tears in My Eyes," went all the way to Number 1 on the country chart. Merle Travis not only played guitar on the record but sang harmony with Wesley. Click here to listen to them singing, With Tears In My Eyes".
Tuttle struck paydirt, again, in 1946. His version of "Detour" went to Number 3 (Spade Cooley's cover of the song hit Number 2 and yodeler Elton Britt had a Number 5 hit with it). And the very same year, 1946, Wesley also had top ten hits with "Tho I Tried" and "I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine". It was a very good year, indeed.
It was Wesley Tuttle who in 1944 backed Tex Ritter on the hit recording of "Jealous Heart". It became a top 10 country hit for Ritter.
In October of 1944, Tuttle and friend Merle Travis recorded several songs for Capitol Records. The titles included "Give Me Your Hand," "I Know It's Wrong," "It May Be Too Late," and "I Dreamed That My Daddy Came Home". Charles Linville played his fiddle on those recordings.
Wesley Tuttle finally hit the big time in 1945. That was when his record, "With Tears in My Eyes," went all the way to Number 1 on the country chart. Merle Travis not only played guitar on the record but sang harmony with Wesley. Click here to listen to them singing, With Tears In My Eyes".
Tuttle struck paydirt, again, in 1946. His version of "Detour" went to Number 3 (Spade Cooley's cover of the song hit Number 2 and yodeler Elton Britt had a Number 5 hit with it). And the very same year, 1946, Wesley also had top ten hits with "Tho I Tried" and "I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine". It was a very good year, indeed.
This
sheet music was published in 1945.
Note the unusual combination of writing talent
on this song: Gene Autry and Dale Evans.
Note the unusual combination of writing talent
on this song: Gene Autry and Dale Evans.
Along the journey he also appeared as a singer in movies with Russell Hayden, Charles Starrett, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter and Jimmy Wakely.
In the film shown
above,
with Wakely, the thin plot had them traveling across the prairie in a
car when it has a flat. So they hook a hose from the tire to an
accordian. And while Wesley Tuttle sang his smash hit song, "Detour,"
the accordian player played along and simultaneously pumped up the tire.
On February 9, 1947, Wesley Tuttle married a beautiful blond named Marilyn Myers. She had been in a few movies, as a child actor, including being a part of a dance troup in a Shirley Temple movie. She was also a fine singer.
In fact, before they were married, it was Wesley Tuttle who had recommended Marilyn to Jimmy Wakely as a replacement for his lead female singer in his backup trio, The Sunshine Girls. It seems that his lead singer's husband was convinced she and Jimmy were having an affair, so he made her quit. And so Marilyn Myers stepped in and sang with the trio for about a year.
However, the woman she had replaced then filed for divorce from her husband and asked Wakely for her job back. So Marilyn was released. "Her voice was certainly better than mine, but she was also sleeping with the boss. So I couldn't compete with that combination."
That woman left Jimmy Wakely's trio after a time to become Les Paul's lead singer and, eventually, his wife. Her stage name became Mary Ford. The two of them sold millions and millions of records together.
There are several videos now available to watch on the internet of Wesley Tuttle performing. Most were filmed durin the early 1950's. Here are some links:
Red River Valley - a duet with Marilyn in 1950.
Yodeling Boogie - Wesley Tuttle and His Westerners, featuring the legendary Speedy West on steel guitar, Billy Liebert on accordian, Hank Caldwell on the bass fiddle and Johnny Paul on the fiddle. Marilyn Tuttle is a pretty, but non-singing, fixture on the set. In this video you will note Wesley playing his left-handed Gibson L-5 guitar. And, if you look closely, you will notice that he is missing the middle three fingers on his left hand.
Strawberry Roan - Wesley Tuttle and His Westerners. Marilyn Tuttle leads a horse onto the set, but does not sing. This video is interesting for another reason: you will note that he is wearing a special prosthesis on his left hand to make it appear that he has all of his fingers.
When Pay Day Rolls Around - Wesley Tuttle sings while Marilyn stands beside him.
With Tears in My Eyes - This is the audio, only.
Tennessee Mambo - This, too, is only audio. It is a catchy little novelty song featuring a duet by Wesley and Marilyn. Alas, it did not catch on to the short popularity of mambo music. Others, such as Hank Snow, managed to have a hit with that beat.
This publicity photo, taken in the early 1950's at Capitol Records, shows his Gibson L-5 guitar . . . and the prosthesis on his left hand that made it appear he was not missing any fingers. He stopped using it after a short time.
Wesley Tuttle and Marilyn were regulars on the regional hit TV show, "Town Hall Party". The show began in the fall of 1951. It covered the Los Angeles area, being heard on KXLA (Pasadena) from 9:00 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday nights, and on KFI (Los Angeles) on Saturday nights from 8:30 pm until 9:30 pm. Then, following the radio show on Saturday night, another live show was broadcasted on TV (KTTV, Channel 11 in Los Angeles) for three hours, from 10:00 pm until 1:00 am.
Physically, The Town Hall Party was held at the old Town Hall building at 400 S. Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, Calif. It was a very big building. It could seat more than a thousand people near the stage, still leaving room for more than a thousand folks to dance at the back. Promoter William B. Wagon, Jr mandated that the performers could only perform songs that the audience could dance to. The simple formula worked, as they consistently had around 2,800 paid admissions each night.
On February 9, 1947, Wesley Tuttle married a beautiful blond named Marilyn Myers. She had been in a few movies, as a child actor, including being a part of a dance troup in a Shirley Temple movie. She was also a fine singer.
In fact, before they were married, it was Wesley Tuttle who had recommended Marilyn to Jimmy Wakely as a replacement for his lead female singer in his backup trio, The Sunshine Girls. It seems that his lead singer's husband was convinced she and Jimmy were having an affair, so he made her quit. And so Marilyn Myers stepped in and sang with the trio for about a year.
However, the woman she had replaced then filed for divorce from her husband and asked Wakely for her job back. So Marilyn was released. "Her voice was certainly better than mine, but she was also sleeping with the boss. So I couldn't compete with that combination."
That woman left Jimmy Wakely's trio after a time to become Les Paul's lead singer and, eventually, his wife. Her stage name became Mary Ford. The two of them sold millions and millions of records together.
There are several videos now available to watch on the internet of Wesley Tuttle performing. Most were filmed durin the early 1950's. Here are some links:
Red River Valley - a duet with Marilyn in 1950.
Yodeling Boogie - Wesley Tuttle and His Westerners, featuring the legendary Speedy West on steel guitar, Billy Liebert on accordian, Hank Caldwell on the bass fiddle and Johnny Paul on the fiddle. Marilyn Tuttle is a pretty, but non-singing, fixture on the set. In this video you will note Wesley playing his left-handed Gibson L-5 guitar. And, if you look closely, you will notice that he is missing the middle three fingers on his left hand.
Strawberry Roan - Wesley Tuttle and His Westerners. Marilyn Tuttle leads a horse onto the set, but does not sing. This video is interesting for another reason: you will note that he is wearing a special prosthesis on his left hand to make it appear that he has all of his fingers.
When Pay Day Rolls Around - Wesley Tuttle sings while Marilyn stands beside him.
With Tears in My Eyes - This is the audio, only.
Tennessee Mambo - This, too, is only audio. It is a catchy little novelty song featuring a duet by Wesley and Marilyn. Alas, it did not catch on to the short popularity of mambo music. Others, such as Hank Snow, managed to have a hit with that beat.
This publicity photo, taken in the early 1950's at Capitol Records, shows his Gibson L-5 guitar . . . and the prosthesis on his left hand that made it appear he was not missing any fingers. He stopped using it after a short time.
The Town Hall Party
Wesley Tuttle and Marilyn were regulars on the regional hit TV show, "Town Hall Party". The show began in the fall of 1951. It covered the Los Angeles area, being heard on KXLA (Pasadena) from 9:00 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday nights, and on KFI (Los Angeles) on Saturday nights from 8:30 pm until 9:30 pm. Then, following the radio show on Saturday night, another live show was broadcasted on TV (KTTV, Channel 11 in Los Angeles) for three hours, from 10:00 pm until 1:00 am.
Physically, The Town Hall Party was held at the old Town Hall building at 400 S. Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, Calif. It was a very big building. It could seat more than a thousand people near the stage, still leaving room for more than a thousand folks to dance at the back. Promoter William B. Wagon, Jr mandated that the performers could only perform songs that the audience could dance to. The simple formula worked, as they consistently had around 2,800 paid admissions each night.
Part 1 of "Town Hall Party Cast" in 1955. Top row, left: Freddie Hart and Les "Carrot Top" Anderson (he had red hair). "Fiddlin' Kate" is at the far right.
Part 2 of cast of Town Hall Party (1955): Sitting, bottom left: comedians Texas Tiny and Quincy Snodgrass. Top left, Merle Travis. In front of him, The Collins Kids. Marilyn Tuttle with Wesley behind her. To the right of the Tuttles are Tex Ritter, Rose Maphis and Joe Maphis. At bottom, right, is Jenks "Tex" Carman, singer and steel guitar player.
Johnny Bond, who was also Gene Autry's lead guitarist for some 20 years, was the manager of the show. Wesley Tuttle became the Musical Director early on. They would set a theme for each show a week or two in advance and ask their regular performers to submit the related songs they would like to sing. Johnny and Wesley would sift through and choose the ones that best fit. Then Johnny Bond would go into his office and write a script for each show, with a minimum of talk and a maximum of music. Good dance music, you understand.
On November 6, 1954,
someone filmed the entire Town Hall Party TV show. And the Bear Family
record company of Germany has issued a DVD of that show. It features
live performances by:
Les "Carrot Top" Anderson ("The Bunny Hop")
Johnny Bond ("It Makes No Difference Now")
Larry Collins and Joe Maphis ("Mutt and Jeff Boogie")
Tommy Duncan (Medley of country songs)
Judy Haden, Rose Lee Maphis and Marylin Tuttle ("Rock-a-Bye Boogie")
Joe Maphis and Quincy Snodgrass ("The Audience Song")
Joe Maphis and Rose Lee Maphis ("Half As Much")
Joe Maphis, Fiddlin' Kate and Merle Travis ("Turkey In The Straw")
The Rangers Quartet ("Rock of Ages")
Tex Ritter ("There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder")
Dick Stubbs, Fiddlin' Kate and Billy Hill (an instrumental)
Merle Travis and Joe Maphis ("Cannon Ball Rag")
Merle Travis and Judy Haden ("John Bolin")
Wesley Tuttle singing "Footprints in the Snow," "Tennessee Waltz," and "That Little Boy of Mine".
Les "Carrot Top" Anderson ("The Bunny Hop")
Johnny Bond ("It Makes No Difference Now")
Larry Collins and Joe Maphis ("Mutt and Jeff Boogie")
Tommy Duncan (Medley of country songs)
Judy Haden, Rose Lee Maphis and Marylin Tuttle ("Rock-a-Bye Boogie")
Joe Maphis and Quincy Snodgrass ("The Audience Song")
Joe Maphis and Rose Lee Maphis ("Half As Much")
Joe Maphis, Fiddlin' Kate and Merle Travis ("Turkey In The Straw")
The Rangers Quartet ("Rock of Ages")
Tex Ritter ("There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder")
Dick Stubbs, Fiddlin' Kate and Billy Hill (an instrumental)
Merle Travis and Joe Maphis ("Cannon Ball Rag")
Merle Travis and Judy Haden ("John Bolin")
Wesley Tuttle singing "Footprints in the Snow," "Tennessee Waltz," and "That Little Boy of Mine".
Those were Wesley Tuttle's busiest days, traveling to perform concerts all across the country, recording song after song, and performing in movies with his friends.
All of that frenzied activity ended, though, in 1957. That was when Wesley Tuttle became a Christian, a real born-again Believer. And, much as his mentor Stuart Hamblen had done many years before, Tuttle gave up his recording contract and left the glamour of the country music world for what he considered to be a much higher calling.
Read about that and the rest of his life in Part 2 .
© 2008 by Stan Paregien, Sr.