Hometown Jamboree

Hometown Jamboree was a country music radio and television show broadcast each Saturday night by KXLA radio, Pasadena, California and KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, California beginning in 1949.

The legendary Hometown Jamboree was broadcast five days a week. On Saturdays, it was broadcast over KCOP, Channel 13 in the Los Angeles area at 7:30pm.

The show was hosted by Cliffie Stone and first held at the American Legion Stadium in El Monte, California, and later at the Harmony Park Ballroom in Anaheim, California. The show was the springboard for many of country music's premier musicians including Tennessee Ernie Ford, Billy Strange, Zane Ashton (aka Bill Aken), Speedy West and a host of others.

For about five years, the show was broadcast from the American Legion Stadium in El Monte, California. Then, in a move that was an attempt to 'get closer to its audience, it moved to the Harmony Park Ballroom in Anaheim.

One of its stars was Country Music Hall of Famer, Tennessee Ernie Ford. He also had his own radio show that aired over the CBS radio network five days a week. He also had a show that aired over stations in the midwest during the week, too.

The legendary Cliffie Stone was the producer, promoter and emcee as well as all around entertainer on the Hometown Jamboree.

Like the Town Hall Party, the cast of the Hometown Jamboree also read like a who's who of country music on the west coast. Some of the stars included:

1. Al Williams
2. Al Ryfle
3. Billy Hill
4. Billy Liebert
5. Billy Strange
6. Buckie Tibbs
7. Carl Saunders
8. Cliffie Stone
9. Cousin Herb Hanson
10. Dallas Frazier
11. Darla Daret
12. Deacon Moore
13. Eddie Kirk
14. Ferlin Husky
15. Gary Goodwin
16. Gene O'Quin
17. Harold Hensley
18. Harry Rodcay
19. Herman the Hermit
20. Jane Black
21. Jeanne Black
22. Jimmy Bryant
23. Jimmy Pruett
24. Joanie O'Brien
25. Joe Maphis
26. John Stokes
27. Johnny Horton
28. Judy Kirk
29. Larry Tice
30. Leon McAuliffe
31. Les Taylor
32. Merle Travis
33. Merrill More
34. Molly Bee
35. Paul Paret
36. Ray Merrill
37. Rose Lee
38. Roy Harte
39. Skeets McDonald
40. Sam Leichter
41. Speedy West
42. TennesseeErnie Ford
43. Tommy Sands
44. Zane Ashton

The band for the Hometown Jamboree consisted of many great musicians including:

• Billy Liebert
• Speedy West
• Jimmy Bryant
• Billy Strange
• Harold Hensley
• Larry Tice
• Les Taylor
• Roy Harte
• AL Williams
• Ray Merrill

Back Row (L-R) Roy Harte, Billy Liebert, Ray Merrill, Herman the Hermit, Billy Strange, Speedy West, Al Williams.

Middle Row (L-R) Jimmy Bryant, Bucky Tibbs, Jonell McQuaig, Cliffie Stone, Glenell McQuaig, Joan O'Brien, Harold Hensley

Front Row (L-R) Tennessee Ernie Ford, Molly Bee, Gene O'Quinn

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched, compiled and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Jun. 10, 2010.