Bill Monroe photo courtesy of countrymusichalloffame.com.
Check in with Lew Jones for the latest on your favorite country legends!
Q: What was the first country Christmas song recorded, and who was the artist?
(Mary, San Antonio, TX)
A: Well Mary, it's always tough to come up with an actual "first" because no matter what you choose, there may be another that can come up with a prior claim, but here goes anyway. In Joel Whitburn's book, Christmas In The Charts, derived from rankings published in Billboard magazine, he lists "Footprints In The Snow" by Bill Monroe as having charted in 1946. He obviously counts it as a Christmas song.
However, when I listen to the recording, much as I love Bill Monroe's bluegrass sound, I'm not coming up with that holiday spirit. So if you don't count that one, the next one I see is Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus," which went Top 10 on both the country and pop charts in 1947. It was two years later when Gene topped the charts with his runaway best seller, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Another early holiday recording was by Eddy Arnold, with "Will Santy Come To Shantytown," also in 1949. And Ernest Tubb brought out "Blue Christmas" that same year, 8 years before Elvis Presley recorded it. There were a few Christmas recordings by big band and pop acts in the 1920s and 1930s, but they all predate the country charts.
Q: Where is the house that Tanya Tucker did the show "Tuckerville" in? Was it her real house? I know it was in Tennessee. I miss the show and wonder why it isn't on anymore.
(Wanda, Thomasville, NC)
A: Her publicist, Don Grubbs of Webster P.R. in Nashville, replies that it was indeed, Tanya's house, which was in the Cool Springs, Tenn. area. However, she has since sold the home and moved to Malibu, Calif., ironically, where members of her family have had to evacuate at least once during the recent wildfires! Tanya still had not moved when I interviewed her in Nashville last spring. She revealed at that time that she was no longer doing "Tuckerville," and that she was uncomfortable with requests from the producers to script some of the activities, which she felt compromised the reality aspect of the show. This may or may not be the reason it's no longer being produced.
Q: Who sang "Hello Country Bumpkin"?
(Barb, Plain City, OH)
A: It was Cal Smith, Barb. This tender story of derision-turned-to-lifelong-love was his second of three No. 1 songs, charting in 1974. Cal is another of the many illustrious "graduates" of Ernest Tubb's band in the early 1960s. Last we heard, he was headquartering in Branson, Missouri.
Q: Does Bobby Bare still have his teddy bear store in Nashville, and if so, where is it?
(Leon, St. Regis Falls, NY)
A: Bobby insists it was not his store, Leon, but belonged to his wife, Jeannie. And no, she closed the store a number of years ago. It was located on Broadway in downtown Nashville. I think they found that having the duties of a retail establishment to contend with frequently got in the way of a good fishing trip!
Q: Which country group sings "I like my women just a little on the trashy side?" I can't find the answer, no matter where I search.
(Melody, Ingram, TX)
A: The song was "Trashy Women" and I suspect you're thinking of Confederate Railroad, Melody. It was a Top 10 song for them in 1993. However, it was previously released by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1989.
Q: Where can I find a CD of Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius' greatest hits? I used to have the cassette but I wore it out. Thank you, GAC, for featuring the legends and the traditional artists.
(Daniel, Niceville, FL)
A: The good news, Daniel, is that it has been released on CD. The more recent version (in 2000) is entitled Anthology: Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius. The bad news is, as you may have found out, almost everyone is "temporarily out of stock." Unfortunately, as I file this column, that includes our own click-through shopping service! You can choose to be notified when it comes in, or you can try finding it on one of the auction sites. I found a copy on eBay, for instance.
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