Anyone been there done that? Give us a holler if you have. I know Elvis was there, I saw him!! This was in the mid 50's I also very distinctly remember the same night a singer all dressed up and had yellow pants on. The way the light was shining we all could see his under shorts very clearly, they were boxers and came almost down to his knees. Funny how the human mind will remember some things and forget what I did yesterday.

He lives in the Fort Worth, TX area and was on the Hayride.

------------------
Jack Shults
MSA U-12
Evans Amps
Stereo Steel

Dear Billy,

You don't know me but when I was a kid in about 1945, my parents had a
friend name Sokolosky (Soko for short) who played the accordian on the
Louisiana Hayride, At the time I really didn't know what the Hayride
was. He was here in Tulsa, OK for a while and played at a few places.
I did hear him play at the house and I was in awe of how good he was and
was also facinated with the accordian. I was taking piano lessons at
the time....but I always thought I wanted an accordian. Soko could
really play it. When he left Tulsa he went back to play on the
Louisiana Hayride. Since I am grown now I have met a lot of people who
played on the Hayride.....Rocky Caple, John Hughey. Rocky Caple lives
here in Tulsa and a fine steel player. Randy Beavers is my son and we
took him everywhere Rocky played. Rocky was Randy's idol and talked
Rocky's leg off with questions on how and what he did to get this or
that sound. Randy was 10 yrs. old at the time and was taking steel
guitar lessons from Dick Gordon here in Tulsa. Rocky would come to our
house and he would show Randy different things.....also taught Randy
"Sawed Off Shotgun" which was Rocky's, and "Rose City Chimes" which
Randy still plays today.

I hope you get a lot of response to this thread. I just wanted to add
my little bit of information.

Sincerely,
Evelyn Beavers (Randy's Mom)
Tulsa, OK

Evelyn also added:

Dear Billy,

Nice to hear from you. It is okay to post this on the Forum. I have
always been fascinated watching mucisians play whatever instrument they
played. This was some time ago, but it was something that has always
stayed with me. I hope there are some of the guys that remember Soko
and his accordian music. My grandmother was 4 ft. 10 inches tall, but
she would sit on the hassock and play her accordian in addition to
saxaphone, clarinet, and piano. Being so short, this accordian was
nearly as big as she was. I was always wondering what would she do if
she fell off the hassock with this on top of her!

Billy, thank you for the response on Soko and look forward to reading
the responses on the Forum in regard to the Hayride.

Sincerely,
Evelyn

mr. billy;
tonite, i attended the billy walker show in west monroe, louisiana. so did
a lot of other folks....the house was packed! they love real country music
in louisiana!
fiddle's and steel guitars and country stars.........
hat's off to the sound men! it was g-r-e-a-t!
i am sending you this because of the connections to the forum thread that i
have been watching since last week from your post "louisiana hayride
alumni".
not only was grand ole opry star billy walker tonite's attraction, but
former louisiana hayride star billy walker, tore the house down.he was on
the money!
the tall texan was on the hayride from '52 - '55.
he was there when it happened!
now for the rest of the forum connection. this is also the neat part.
steel guitar forumite, marty chamberline, was the steeler tonite for wilford
ray and the nashville band, who hosted the packed house event. marty also
filled the bill for the tall texans, steelin' behind danny patton and
charles lily.
and did he handle it well! no overplay! just right.
weldon would'a been pleased, marty! me thinxxx!
that's the way it was travelin' west, in west monroe.
former home of horace logan. mr. louisiana hayride.
jack

"i played david kent's hayride the first time in late '76 or early '77, i
believe.i don't know who the steeler was but i do know that the legendary
roscoe whorton was the piano and band leader, kenny mcCarty on guitar and
bud christian on bass with joe spivey on fiddle.roscoe was the same roscoe
all you west coast guy's refer to as roscoe the piano guy. he was
super-duper talent and a class guy to boot.eddie raven was the star that
nite.
the emcee/announcer was d.j.hall of fame legend frank page, the energizer
bunny and father time....
i forget the guy's name in black with the black hat. i knew him years later
and his story is another chapter for someone. i know he's passed on, i
remember when in the 80's. i think the girl was miki furman. does anyone
have her story?
i also remember they had a talent search going on and a school girl from
carthage, texas was in the hunt and several school bus loads of carthage
fans were there to support their hometown sweetheart and oddly enuff the
winner just happened to be from carthage, texas
little miss linda davis!
i was countryand still is................"

------------------
Zb custom s10
pedalmaster d10
Fender 2000 D10
Gibson melody maker

To: Page, Frank
Subject: hayride alumni
From Country Jack Harper

my dear most honorable mr frank page;
permit me to introduce myself. they call me country jack.
i am the guy that lived in shreveport in the mid '90's that came down from
little rock and was a picker & grinner for many years with jack hulett. the
songwritin' guy with the beard and unruly hair. yeah, that's me! i left town
before i could write that song with your wife and it bothers me that we
didn't finish her idea. it was a good idea and i was honored that she
mentioned it to me.
but, that's not the reason for my bothering you at this time. my job led me
to mississippi. i still write and play and entertain.i just wish country
music was similar to how it was. but that's not the reason, either.
if you have a bit of time, would you go to www.steelguitarforum.com and
click on enter.
you will see a heading choice "events and happenings".
it should be the 1st one.
click on that and when it opens scroll down to a subject heading "louisiana
hayride alumni", click on that.
as you will notice there are some valid comments comming in and i think it
is time for a coment from the authority of utmost knowledge, frank page.
it hasn't been posted yet but the questions are comming in
asking why the hayride didn't continue and even a coment
today refering to talk in nashville about "the opry going the way of the
louisiana hayride"
i think this would be a great opportunity to mention your book and how to
obtain this historical masterpiece.
you won't have to give away a long explanation, just what you think, when
you think it.
you can send any correspondence to me and i will have it posted, with
everything but your personal address, e-dress and anything else you prefer
to delete.
thanxxx, jack harper... countryjack@bellsouth.net .

Now Frank's Reply

GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU, JACK. I REMEMBER YOU. WE ALSO TALK TO JACK
HULETT, MY WIFE'S BROTHER QUITE OFTEN. I AM STILL AT KWKH AND SIXOTHER
RADIO STATIONS OWNED BY CLEAR CHANNEL, HERE IN SHREVEPORT.LA. IT WAS
INTERESTING TO READ THE COMMENTS OF YOUR CONTRIBUTORS. ODDLY ENOUGH,
I AM TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE ''THE WALK OF STARS'' THIS FRIDAY AT 3PM,
UNDER THE TEXAS STREET BRIDGE, IN SHREVEPORT. IT'S AN ENTERAINMENT
AND RESTURANT DISTRICT WHERE MY FOOTPRINTS AND HAND PRINTS WILL BE
PUT IN CONCRETE, ALONG WITH ELVIS, JAMES BURTON, JOE FERGUSON, KIX BROOKS,
TILMAN FRANKS, JIMMIE DAVIS, HAL SUTTON, HUDDIE LEDBETTER AND
OTHERS. ALSO, I AM TO INTRODUCE JAMES BURTON SATURDAY NIGHT, AT HIS
INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL, FEATURING A CONCERT BY SOME OF THE
TOP GUITAR PICKERS IN THE WORLD. IT'LL BE HELD IN THE FAMOUS MUNICIPAL
AUDITORIUM WHICH HAS BEEN RENOVATED, MADE INTO A STAGE OF STARS
MUSEUM. JOEY KENT, DAVID KENT'S SON AND I HAVE THE HISTORY OF
THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE ABOUT READY TO GO TO PRESS, THERE IS A NEW
ELVIS CD AND BOOK IN THE WORKS. ALSO, JOEY HAS WRITTEN A SCREEN PLAY
ABOUT THE FABULOUS FOUNDER OF KWKH, WILLL K. HENDERSON. LPB JUST
SHOWED THE DOCUMENTARY, ''MAKING WAVES'', LOUISIANA'S RADIO STORY,
IN WHICH JOEY KENT TOOK A BIG PART AND I TALKED ABOUT ELVIS.
THIS HAS BEEN MY YEAR, I GUESS, I WAS CERTIFIED AS A LOUISIANA LEGEND,
GIVEN A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF
BROADCASTERS, AND SEVERAL YEARS BACK, PUT IN THE LOUISIANA MUSIC
HALL OF FAME.

YOU ASKED THAT I GIVE MY OPINION ABOUT THE DEMISE OF THE LOUISIANA
HAYRIDE. IT WAS A COMBINATION OF THINGS. ELVIS INTRODUCED ROCK AND
ROLL TO THE AUDIENCE, RUNNING OFF THE MATURE AUDIENCE AND PUTTING IN
A YOUNG, FICKLE AUDIENCE WHO LEFT WHEN HE LEFT. TV CAME ON THE SCENE
IN FULL FORCE, THE GRAND OL OPRY HAD A 25 YEAR HEAD START WITH ALL THE
RECORDING STUDIOS, PUBLISHERS, AND MUSCIANS. THEN TOO, THE OWNERS
OF THE HAYRIDE WERE JUST NOT INTERESTED IN OWNING A COUNTRY MUSIC SHOW.
WE FOUGHT TO HANG ON, I WAS THE PRODUCER OF THE SHOW, FROM 1957
UNTIL IT CLOSED PERMANENTLY. IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT ERA. MY INTRODUCTION OF
ELVIS WAS A SEMINAL MOMENT IN HISTORY, THO I HADN'T
THE FOGGIEST IDEA ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. NO ONE DID. BUT, AT
THAT MOMENT, NOT ONLY DID MUSIC STYLES CHANGE, BUT CLOTHING, HAIR
STYLES AND THE WAY PEOPLE ACTED AND REACTED TO EVENTS.