Plenty of Okies in the Music Industry

No one can seem to figure out why Oklahoma produces so many top-name musicians.  There have been 8 times as many Billboard artists as any other state except Tennesee.  Ballerinas, songwriters, music promoters, Broadway stars, conductors and classical music performers abound. The Tulsa Philharmonic organized a documentary on this and it is estimated that OK has grown10 times as many well-known performers in their history as an average state.

             Take a look at Country Western/Folk Music alone. Gene Autry of Chelsea started his singing career as a 5-year old soprano in his grandfather’s church choir.  He bought a Sears guitar and became the premier Singing Cowboy of Hollywood. Will Rogers encouraged him, KVOO of Tulsa sponsored him, Ken Maynard got him a job in a movie after hearing him sing on WLS Chicago. The singing cowboy genre was created for his talent by MGM.  A wise money manager, he went on to own a major league baseball team and establish Los Angeles’s Western Heritage Museum.

            Uncle Wallis and Aunt Minerva Willis from Doaksville started the popularization of negro spirituals in the 1830s (Yes, before Indian Territory!). “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Steal Away to Jesus” and “I’m A-Rollin’” were their compositions. In the 1920s Jimmy Wilson and the Cat Fish String Band were a musical group of Rotarians from Sapulpa who raised money for charity. They practically invented charity fundraisers over radio.  Disaster relief and church enterprises were their specialties. Albert Brumley, dean of the gospel songwriters, was raised on a tenant farm near Spiro. “Turn Your Radio On,” “I’ll Fly Away” were among hundreds of gospel songs he wrote.  Smithsonian Institution labels him the “The greatest white gospel songwriter before WW II.”

            Many greats are still alive.  Wanda Jackson of Maud became popular in Oklahoma City, hired a mixed race band and became a pop-country (rockabilly) star.  But later she turned primarily to religious songs.  Joe Diffee sang with a gospel group before he turned to bluegrass then to C/W.  Ronnie Dunn, Tulsa, of Brooks and Dunn fame studied theology first.  He won a Marlboro Country talent contest along with Kix Brooks and they began to sing together.  Roy Clark of Tulsa was hired by Wanda Jackson to help with her faith songs in 1960, then began a career as actor and comedian (Clean Jokes!) as well as C/W song.  Do you see anything faith-wise in common with all these people?

            The list becomes enormous. Reba McEntire, Chockie, grew up on a ranch with her rodeo champion father and sang for rodeos.  Red Steagall heard her sing at National Finals Rodeo in OKC, hired her on the spot and she went on to be a successful soloist.  Toby Keith, Clinton and Moore, taught himself to play guitar at age 8, played semi-pro football and worked in the oil fields, before he began doing platinum records.  Roger Miller, Erick, was raised by an uncle and became a local traveling musician.  Nashville was a stop where he collected 6 Grammys.  Garth Brooks was born in Luba, raised in Yukon, schooled in Stillwater and now resides in Owasso.  Three of his albums sold over 30 million copies. Tommy Allsup, the guy who flipped a coin with Richie Valens to get on Buddy Holly’s plane and lost (but thereby won!) became a country music producer, promoter, and artist. He now leads the senior Texas Playboys.

            Those guys aren’t retired yet. But the old-timers were live performers on radio before there were records.  Hank Thompson spent 30 years in Tulsa and performed over a record 7 decades. He had 42 #1 recordings, was the first to take C/W overseas, first to record a live album, and first to do stereo. Bob Wills, another transplanted Texan, did not invent but popularized the genre of Western Swing at KVOO.  Leon McAuliffe, his lead guitarist went on to a C/W career, then returned to lead the Texas Playboys when Bob could not continue in the 70s. Otto Gray and the Oklahoma Cowboys were first to feature genuine folk cowboy music. Byron Beline promotes the International Bluegrass Festival. Merl Lindsay went on television with his music, 1947. Collins Kids, Al Clauser and the OK Outlaws started on KTUL, Tulsa. Conway Twitty, Willie and Gene, Jimmy Wakely, Vince Gill, Willis Brothers—the list is long.  Stoney Edwards an Afro-American became the first black C/W star in the 50s. Woody Guthrie sang folk/protest songs.

            So why is OK so musical?  Tulsa Philharmonic thought it was the rural life and hard times before WW II making your own entertainment, and so many cultures mixing, C/W competition by Tulsa radio stations aided—but then Okies just like to have fun.  As upbeat Western Swing star Bob Wills would say, “Take it away, Leon!”