Broadway Barn Dance

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Broadway Barn Dance
Radio show from New York City, New York
publication 1944 - min. 1945
production WOV
Contributors
Moderation Layman Cameron
Zeb Carver
Tex Fletcher

The Broadway Barn Dance was an American country show broadcast on WOV of New York City , New York State .

history

prehistory

In the early 1940s, a demand for hillbilly music developed in major US cities as many rural workers had moved to the city; so also in New York. As a result, records of hillbilly music were played on the radio and bands performed live on the radio. In 1944, WOV, a New York broadcaster, decided to introduce a barn dance show to entertain the residents who came from the country.

Barn Dance on Broadway

The first Broadway Barn Dance, as WOV called its new hillbilly program, took place on the Saturday evening of July 1, 1944 in Palm Garden, which was on 54th Street and 8th Avenue. The Palm Garden, which had 1200 seats, was sold out at the first presentation. The price of admission was 85 US cents for a show of which a sequence of half an hour was broadcast on the radio and then a square dance took place. On July 22nd, Billboard magazine ran the headline : " Hillbillies win in New York ".

The show was hosted by Layman Cameron, who had previously worked for WLW and WOAI. After the show, Cameron also acted as a caller . The Broadway Barn Dance quickly became one of the most popular radio shows in the region and the most popular of its kind. The shows were often sold out weeks in advance. In addition to local musicians such as Eddie Smith, Paul Anthony or Johnny Newton, then stars such as Elton Britt , Chester & Lester Buchanan, Bill Brenner and the Circle-B Rangers had guest appearances in Broadway Barn Dance.

In November 1944, the Broadway Barn Dance moved to the Winthrop Ames Theater on 44th Street. The moderator was Zeb Carver, who also took part in the show as a musician.

These days, the Broadway Barn Dance is no longer on the air as WOV (now WOR) changed its format to become a news channel.

Guests and members

  • Elton Britt
  • Tex Fletcher
  • Gully jumper Julie-B
  • Eddie Smith
  • Paul Anthony
  • Johnny Newton
  • Chester & Lester Buchanan
  • Bill Brenner
  • The Circle B-Rangers
  • Chuck & Ellie Story

literature

  • The Billboard - Mountain Music Moves into New York with Barn Dance , July 22, 1944 issue

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Billboard November 11, 1944 - B'way Barn Dance Back