Louisiana Hayride
 |
|
|---|---|
| Radio show from Shreveport, Louisiana | |
| publication | 1948-1987 |
| production | KWKH |
| Contributors | |
| Moderation | Horace Lee Logan |
The Louisiana Hayride is one of the most famous country music programs on US radio. It has been broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport , Louisiana , since 1948 , and was only surpassed in popularity by the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s . The byname of the Hayrides is Cradle of the Stars , as the show was a "stepping stone" to careers for many musicians.
history
Beginnings
The Louisiana Hayride first went on air on April 3, 1948. The Saturday evening show was initiated by Henry Clay and Dean Upson, who were part of the management of KWKH Shreveport. From 1948 onwards it was broadcast weekly. The reception was initially limited to Louisiana and the neighboring states. From 1954, 30-minute excerpts were also broadcast overseas via the AFN network. All of North America was reached via the CBS network.
Rise and end
The first stars included Hank Williams and Kitty Wells . From 1954 Elvis Presley was a member of the ensemble for 18 months after he failed in the Grand Ole Opry . During his last appearance on December 15, 1956, there was a mass hysteria among the mostly female fans, which the announcer Horace Lee Logan tried to calm down with the message " Elvis has left the building ".
The Louisiana Hayride has always been overshadowed by the Grand Ole Opry . "The Cradle of the Stars" mainly served as a springboard for up-and-coming talents, but also offered established musicians the opportunity to perform who did not want to submit to the strict regime of the Opry .
After Presley's departure, the show saw a gradual decline. At times only tape recordings of old programs were played. The KWKH station withdrew and in 1969 the broadcasts were finally stopped. David Kent took over the naming rights in 1975 and revived the hayride between 1973 and 1987. The show was continued in another building with a reduced star cast. From 1984 it was also broadcast on television. Three years later they moved back to the Municipal Auditorium. The successes of the period from 1948 to 1960 could no longer be built on and the shows were discontinued. There are currently plans to restore the Municipal Auditorium and allow the Louisiana Hayride to take place there again.