ROOTS of Country Music

WHAS: Old Kentucky Barn Dance, Live Radio Broadcast 1939-1951

WHAS is a 50,000 watt AM radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz, broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. Its first broadcast was on July 18, 1922. It was originally assigned the frequency of 350 kHz. On Mar. 29, 1941 the station moved to its current frequency of 840 AM. It was owned by the Bingham family who also owned the Courier-Journal newspaper.

WLS in Chicago is credited with developing the barn dance radio format, which was in large part responsible for the advent of country music in the USA. The barn dance served two distinct audiences. It targeted the rural farm audiences as well as city listeners that had come from rural communities. The Renfro Valley Barn Dance was a country music stage and radio show originally carried by WLW (Cincinnati, Ohio) on Saturday nights.

It debuted on Oct. 9, 1937 from the Cincinnati Music Hall and moved to the Memorial Auditorium in Dayton, Ohio. It was hosted by John Lair, Red Foley, Cotton Foley, and Whitey Ford.

The show later moved to larger quarters near Mt. Vernon, Kentucky in Nov. 1939 and was carried by WHAS, Louisville, the NBC Radio Network and WCKY, Cincinnati. For a time WHAS aired the Old Kentucky Barn Dance from the National Theatre, Louisville, KY. The following are some of the WHAS radio broadcast aired from 1939 to 1951.

Banjo Pickin' Girl: Song sung and played by the Coon Creek Girls on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS, Jun.2, 1946.

Big Ball in Texas: Song sung and played by Claude Seet and Roy Davidson on the Renfro Valley Country Store, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS Apr. 20, 1951.

Brakeman Blues: Song sung by Jerry Behrens on the Renfro Valley Breakfast Party, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS Jan. 10, 1946.

Cherokee Boogie: Song sung and played by Claude Sweet on the Renfro Valley Country Store, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS Nov. 19, 1951. (Includes opening announcement and commercial for Post Sugar Crisps)

Columbus Stockade Blues: Song sung and played by Wade Baker on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS Jun. 29, 1946.

Crying Blue Eyes: Song sung by Randy Atcher on the Kentucky Play Party radio program, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky Jan. 2, 1939.

Down Yonder: Song played and sung by Hank Keene and His Gang recorded for audition on Dec. 12, 1936, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky. Also included are commercials for Crazy Water Fizz read by announcer Foster Brooks.

Pictured left Randy Atcher

Ground Hog: Song sung and played on banjo by Cousin Emmy (Barren County, Kentucky) on radio demonstration recording of Cousin Emmy (Cynthia Mae Carver) and Her Kinfolks, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky Sep. 12, 1939.

Here Rattler Here: Song played and sung by all cast members of the Kentucky Play Party radio program,

WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 11, 1939. Includes commercial message for Kolorbak hair coloring.

Jealous Heart: Song sung by Mary Randolph on the Renfro Valley Country Store program, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS, May 14, 1951.

Little Old Band of Gold: Song sung and played by Bernice Scott on the Renfro Valley Breakfast Party, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station, WHAS, 1946.

Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane: Song played on Banjo by Lloyd Davidson on the Renfro Valley Breakfast Party, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS, Mar. 5, 1948. (Includes closing announcement and commercial for Ballard Flour).

Rocky Mountain Express: Song sung and played by Sunshine Sue Workman and the Rock Creek Rangers on the Kentucky Play Party radio program, WHAS, Louisville, KY Jan. 2, 1939.

South of the Border: Song played and sung by Asher and Little Jimmie Sizemore and recorded Apr. 5, 1940, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky.

Sweet Kitty Wells: Song sung by Sunshine Sue Workman on the Kentucky Play Party radio program, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky Jan. 2, 1939.

Truck Drivers' Blues: Song sung by the Collard Brothers of Cousin Emmy (Cynthia Mae Carver of Barren County, Kentucky) and Her Kinfolks, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky Oct. 2, 1940.

Winking at Me: Song sung by Little Eller (Beth Kremer) on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Louisville radio station WHAS, Jun. 29, 1946.

Zeb Turney's Gal: Song sung by the Coon Hunter (Grady Warren) on the Kentucky Play Party radio program, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky Nov. 11, 1939.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched and compiled by Richard Bell, Roots of Countyry Music, Jan. 12, 2010.