The Drifting Pioneers
The Drifting Pioneers was an American country group that was hugely popular in the American Midwest during the late 1930s and early 1940s. They made numerous radio appearances, including in the WCOP Hayloft Jamboree and the Louisiana Hayride .
Career
The Drifting Pioneers started their careers in the mid 1930s by traveling around with vaudevilles . In addition to Walter and Bill Brown and Morris Marlin, Merle Travis also played in the group. Travis would later become a well-known composer and inventor of the first electric guitar. Soon the Drifting Pioneers appeared on a small radio station in Illinois , followed by appearances on more popular radio shows such as the Hayloft Jamboree. During an appearance on this radio show, the band met the young singer Judy Dell. Dell, like the comedian who later joined the band , only known under the name Denny , became a permanent member of the band and took over parts of the vocals.
The Drifting Pioneers performed successfully until 1942, after which their popularity steadily declined and the band members became increasingly concerned with their solo career, which only Merle Travis successfully continued. In the early 1950s they were completely supplanted by the emerging rock 'n' roll .