The Professional Work of Balin' Wire Bob Strack
Bob Strack was born on Oct. 7, 1922. Bob started playing country music at an early age. When he was in the military service, he entertained the troops while a part of a USO troupe. After his stint in the military service (191946), he went back to the Montana area. Around time he found work on KXLJ (Helena, Montana).
In 1953, Bob was working at radio station KOGT (Orange, Texas). Bob worked from 5:00am to noon. He'd have a half-hour of singing songs to the listening audience with just him and his guitar. He'd play the many requests that fans would call in or write. While working at KOGT, he was part of a short-lived show called the South Texas Serenade.
In 1954, Bob got a position at KTEM (Temple, Texas) with a shorter on-air schedule. Strack performed various duties, including disc jockey (DJ), staff announcer as well as that of singer and musician. His friend, Charline Arthur helped him get a spot on the KRLD Big 'D' Jamboree that aired out of Dallas, Texas. Bob played several instruments, including the guitar, banjo, mandolin, the Jews harp and the mouth harp. He also started developing his songwriting skills while at KRLD and continued to write through the years.
While he was at KTEM, his career took another turn. A rising star from KWKH (Shreveport, Louisiana) at the time and DJ by the name of Jim Reeves stopped by to visit Balin' Wire Bob one day. Balin’Wire interviewed Jim during his show and later on, Jim sent him an album of his songs. Jim went back to KWKH and told them he was going to try his luck in Nashville.
That would have left a void on the show that followed the Louisiana Hayride on Saturday Nights. Jim recommended that the station look into hiring Bob Strack as his replacement on the Red River Roundup show. Bob got a call to come and interview at the station and he got the job. The year was 1955.
By 1957, Bob had moved to radio station KIMO in Independence, Missouri as DJ and announcer. Around that time, Bob started recording for Fee Bee Records, which generated Anyplace I Hang My Hat is Home b/w Hillbilly Lovin'. By 1958, Balin' Wire Bob was working at KOAM (Pittsburg, Kansas). At that time, he was recording for the Del Ray label. There Bob recorded Ramblin' Eyes, Gamblin' Heart b/w Is This The End.
Bob has retired from the working life and the entertainment industry. He is enjoying the settled life in the northwest United States.
