Roy Hall (musician, 1907)
Roy Davis Hall ( January 6, 1907 - May 16, 1943 ) was an American old-time musician . Hall made numerous records in the 1930s with bands such as the Blue Ridge Entertainers . He is not related to the country musician and pianist Roy Hall .
Life
Roy Hall was born in Haywood County , North Carolina in 1907 and grew up near Waynesville . He later worked as a weaver in the Carolina textile mills before trying his hand at becoming a professional musician.
Hall learned to play the guitar in 1932 and made his first radio appearance a year later. In April 1937 Hall and his brother Jay Hugh Hall left the textile mills and got a place at WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where they played with other artists such as Clyde Moody and Wade Mainer . On February 16, 1937 he played in Charlotte (North Carolina) , together with his brother Jay Hugh for RCA Victor's sub-label Bluebird Records, his first recordings before he founded his own band, the Blue Ridge Entertainers .
With this formation he made regular records from November 1938 and in 1941 was already known as " [...] one of the leading acts of this type in the country " according to Hillbilly Hit Parade magazine . In 1938 the band had a radio show in Winston-Salem , South Carolina , presented by the beverage company "Dr. Pepper ”was sponsored. A year later, Hall and the group moved to Roanoke , Virginia , where they hosted the Blue Ridge Jamboree on WDJB , a barn dance show starring Tex Ritter , Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes . Hall's popularity rose to the point that he formed two bands under the name Blue Ridge Entertainers to meet concert demand. The second group was led by his brother Jay Hugh, who rejoined Hall in the fall of 1940. Hall also organized groups for “Dr. Pepper ”occurred.
The original Blue Ridge Entertainers consisted of Hall (guitar) from Clato Buchanan ( banjo ), Bill Brown ( steel guitar ), Wayne Watson (guitar, bass ) and Tommy Magness ( fiddle ). The latter later played for Bill Monroe , but was poached again by Hall in 1941. Hall's Blue Ridge Entertainers were considered the most successful and well-known group in Carolina and played an important role in the development of bluegrass , their style being clearly based on traditional old-time music and influenced by duos such as the Delmore Brothers .
Due to the Second World War, some members had to leave the band and on May 16, 1943 Roy Hall's career came to an unexpected end when he was killed in a car accident. The Blue Ridge Entertainers then broke up. Hall's brother stayed in the music scene until 1950. He died in 1974.
Discography
Discography is not exhaustive. Bluebird recordings have also been released by Montgomery Ward .
| year | title | # | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conqueror Records | |||
| Where the Roses Never Fade / Answer to Great Speckled Bird | 9184 | ||
| Wabash Cannon Ball / The Lonesome Dove | 9230 | ||
| Vocalion Records | |||
| Good for Nothing Gal / The Lonely Blues | 4627 | ||
| The Lonesome Dove / Wabash Cannonball | 4717 | ||
| Answer to Great Speckled Bird / Where the Roses Never Fade | 4771 | ||
| Come Back Little Pal / Sunny Tennessee | 4842 | ||
| Bluebird Records | |||
| New San Antonio Rose / I'd Die Before I'd Cry Over You | BB-8561 | ||
| Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye / Rubber Doll | BB-8617 | ||
| Can You Forgive? / Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die | BB-8656 | ||
| I Played My Heart and Lost / Loving You Too Well | BB-8676 | ||
| Your Heart Should Belong to Me / She's Winking at Me | BB-8702 | ||
| You Don't Love Me / Weeping Willow Valley | BB-8703 | with the Happy Valley Boys | |
| Neath the Bridge at the Foot of the Hill / Little Sweetheart, Come and Kiss Me | BB-8794 | ||
| Polecat Blues / Natural Bridge Blues | BB-8863 | with the Happy Valley Boys | |
| My Sweet Mountain Rose / Until I Return to You | BB-8906 | with the Happy Valley Boys | |
| I Wonder If the Moon Shines / I Wonder Where You Are Tonight | BB-8959 | with the Happy Valley Boys | |
literature
- Kip Lornell: Virginia's Blues, Country & Gospel Records, 1902-1943. University Press of Kentucky, 1989, ISBN 0813116589 .
- Patrick Huber: Linthead Stomp. University of North Carolina Press, 2008, ISBN 0807832251 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hall, Roy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hall, Roy Davis (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American old-time musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 6, 1907 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Haywood County |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 16, 1943 |