Ashley's Melody Men

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Ashley's Melody Men
General information
Genre (s) Old-time music
occupation
Hobart N. Ashley
Anson Fuller (ca.1907–1936)
Fiddle
 Vern Baker
Homer Treat
Arle Baker
singing
 Hubert M. (Hugh) Ashley (* 1915)
Gerald Ashley

Ashley's Melody Men were an American string band from Arkansas . They also appeared under the names Ashley's Melody Makers and Hobart N. Ashley Singers .

history

Ashley's Melody Men were directed by guitarist Hobart N. Ashley in Marshall , Arkansas. Ashley's sons Gerald and Hubert (Hugh) Ashley were also members of the band. Ashley's Melody Men performed primarily in Arkansas and were some of the few old-time groups from that state that made a significant number of recordings.

The group held their first session on October 2, 1929 in Memphis , Tennessee , for Victor Records . The cast that day consisted of Hobart Ashley, Anson Fuller and Vern Baker as Fiddler, Homer Treat on banjo and Arle Baker on guitar. The song material consisted mainly of self-written pieces, which was rather unusual for a string band at the time. Many groups had traditional fiddle pieces in their repertoire and relied less on original songs. The group's first release was Bath House Blues / Searcy County Rag , two original compositions. The Bath House Blues , for example, was written by Hugh Ashley and Homer Treat.

The line-up of Hobart Ashley's band changed from time to time. In the second session, which she recorded as Ashley's Melody Makers , for example, only Hobart Ashley, Homer Treat and Hugh Ashley were represented. Hugh Ashley showed his talent as a singer and yodeler in the style of Jimmie Rodgers on some recordings (e.g. on his composition Somewhere in Arkansas ). In February 1932 the group played their last recordings for Victor in Dallas , Texas . Between 1929 and 1932 there were six published records.

While Fiddler Anson Fuller died in 1936 and the other members disappeared from the music business, Hugh Ashley started a career as a songwriter and singer. In the early 1930s he was Elton Britt's predecessor with the Beverly Hill Billies and in the 1940s he recorded a number of soundalikes for Eli Oberstein's budget labels . He was also mayor of Harrison, Arkansas, a state politician, and until at least 2008 ran a record store in Harrison, Arkansas.

Discography

year title # Remarks
Published titles
Victor Records
Bath House Blues / Searcy County Rag V-40158
There'll Be No Kisses To-night / Sweetest Flower Waltz V-40199
Somewhere in Arkansas / The Rambling Woman V-40300
Methodist Pie / I Never Felt So Blue 23661
I'm Lonely Too / Come Back, Lottie 23767
Other recordings
1929
  • If Father and Mother Would Forgive
  • The Lonely Child
 Victor unpublished
1932
  • Dandy Dan
  • I settled at all
 Victor unpublished

literature

  • Robert Cochran: Our Own Sweet Sound: A Celebration of Popular Music in Arkansas (2005), pp. 31-32; University of Arkansas Press, ISBN 9781557287939
  • Drew Beisswenger, Gordon McCann: Ozark Fiddle Music (2008), p. 185; Mel Bay Publications, ISBN 9780786677306
  • Tony Russell: Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 (2005), 68; Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-536621-1