Town Hall Party

Town Hall Party
Radio show from Compton, California
publication	1951-1961
production	KXLA, KTTV
Contributors
Moderation	Jay Stewart, Joe Maphis

Johnny Cash at the Town Hall Party: Frankie and Johnny , 1958

Johnny Cash

Eddie Dean

Tex knight

The Town Hall Party was an American country show broadcast on KXLA and KTTV of Compton , California .

history

Beginnings

The show was first broadcast in the fall of 1951 by the broadcaster KFI (other sources after KXLA) and reached a US-wide audience when it was taken over by the NBC network . There was a Friday evening show and a major Saturday evening show, which from 1953 to 1961 was also broadcast on television via KTTV, extended to three hours of broadcasting time. Themed evenings such as Jimmie Rodgers Night and Hank Williams Night were also organized in the early years of the show .

Ascent

The show was hosted by Jay Stewart (1918-1989), producer Bill Wagnon and directors Wesley Tuttle and the famous country singer Johnny Bond . The program was broadcast live from the Town Hall of the city of Compton , California . The hall was specially made to look like an old barn , similar to the country shows of the 1930s and 1940s. Famous guests included Johnny Cash , Carl Perkins , Skeets McDonald and Lefty Frizzell . The show was so successful that Columbia Records released an album with performances by the artists in 1958. The success of the Town Hall Party was mainly due to the fact that the show adapted to the musical conditions of the time. Rockabilly and rock 'n' roll musicians like Gene Vincent , Bob Luman or Wanda Jackson were allowed to perform regularly or become members of the ensemble, which also appealed to the young audience.

Through talent competitions, the management was able to pick out new musicians who they considered suitable. In 1959, the group Lee Austin & the Last of the Rebels , winners of one such competition, performed in the Town Hall Party.

After the "heyday" of country shows in the 1940s and 1950s, the Town Hall Party also lost its popularity and was discontinued in 1961.

Members and guests

Johnny Cash Carl Perkins Skeets McDonald Lefty Frizzell Tex knight Johnny Bond Tex Williams Merle Travis Gene Vincent Wanda Jackson Bob Luman Jim Reeves The Collins Kids Les "Carrot Top" Anderson

Eddie Cochran Bobby Helms The Browns Sammy Masters Gary Williams Eddie Kirk Eddie Dean Fiddlin 'Kate Eddie Cletro and his Roundup Boys Tex Carman The Armstrong Twins Joe & Rose Lee Maphis Wesley Tuttle Jimmy Pruett

Web links

• Town Hall Party in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• The Town Hall Party on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)