Les Anderson

Dimples or Dumplin's , 1951

My Baby Buckaroo , 1951

Les "Carrot Top" Anderson (born February 20, 1921 in Siloam Springs , Arkansas , as Clelland Irving Anderson , † October 4, 2001 ) was an American country musician . Anderson was an important exponent of the Californian western swing and was especially popular on radio and television.

Life

Les Anderson was born in Arkansas in 1921. Anderson was named by his parents after his grandfather, who also had the rare name "Clelland". Since Anderson was red-haired, he was also called "Red Anderson".

In the 1940s, Anderson played steel guitar in Bob Wills ' Texas Playboys . During this time Anderson got the name "Les" for unknown reasons, which soon replaced "Red" and accompanied him throughout his life. In the late 1940s, around 1948, Anderson settled in California and soon found a foothold in the Los Angeles and surrounding area country scene . The western swing band leader Spade Cooley hired him as a steel guitarist and singer for his band. Soon Anderson was appearing all over the Los Angeles area, on the radio and on many different television shows. During this time Anderson played first demos and commercial records as a singer for Spade Cooley's band. He made his record debut in 1945 as the singer on the B-side of an Ole Rasmussen single on La Marr's Star Records.

From the early 1950s, Anderson was a member of the Town Hall Party , which broadcast from Compton every Saturday night . In the 1950s, the Town Hall Party was the most successful country and rock and roll show on the west coast. Despite its popularity and a record deal with Decca Records in 1950 and 1951, it never posted a national hit. On the west coast, however, its popularity lasted until the late 1950s. For Foreman Phillips ' show Country Barn Dance Jubilee he took over the moderation from 1954 and was often seen as a guest on Tex Ritter's TV show Ranch Party .

Anderson played his last record in 1958 for Spry Records, which was re-released by Crosby in 1960. He later moved to British Columbia , Canada and was inducted into the Western Swing Society Hall of Fame in 1990. Les Anderson died in 2001 at the age of 80.

Discography

year	title	#	Remarks
Published titles
La Marr's Star Records
1945	I Ain't Got a Nickle to My Name / Song of the Lonesome Prairie		A-side by Ole Rasmussen
Exclusive records
1948	This Is Southland / And I Shook	57x
Cormac Records
1950	Queen of the Saddle / Storeroom on My Mind	CRS-1107
Decca Records
1950	New Panhandle Rag / Teardrops on the Roses	9-46250
1950	Blue Light Boogie / Troublen Satisfaction	9-46259
1951	I Was Sorta Wondering / Just Like Two Drops of Water	9-46303
1951	Las Vegas, Nevada / TT-Tucky Ty	9-46326
1951	Dimples or Dumplin's / My Baby Buckaroo	9-46352
1951	She's Dynamite in Blue Dungarees / Tennessee Moon	9-46370
Ace-Hi Hits Records
1952	Older and Bolder / Midnight	5006	with the ranch boys
	I'm an Old Old Man / This World Alive I'll Never Get Out Of	5007	with the ranch boys
	I Let The Stars Get In My Eyes / The Gal Who Invented Kissin '	5008	A-side of "Rose Lee" (possibly Rose Lee Maphis ); with the ranch boys
	I'll Go On Alone / All That I'm Asking Is Sympathy	5009	with the ranch boys
	No Help Wanted / Kaw League	5010	with the ranch boys
Vicca Records
	Beautiful Arkansas / Now I Know
	I Love Susie / Thrity Two Riverside Drive
Spry Records
1958	Johnny Sorrow / Brenda Lee	119-45	Republished in 1960 on Crosby 1-45
Other recordings
1949	Golden Lariat	Live recording	with the Spade Cooley Orchestra; Hollyrad Acetate
	Queen of the Saddle After Sundown Tonight		Hollyrad Acetate
1950	New Panhandle Rag (old version) Teardrops on the Roses (old version)	Decca	unpublished
1951	Hoein 'Cotton	Decca	unpublished
	Such a beautiful evening Sun sets gold Sad But True Mople Alone		[Status unknown]

Web links

• Les Anderson on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
• Radio show for free download ( Memento from October 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive )