Iowa Barn Dance Frolic
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| Des Moines, Iowa radio show | |
| publication | 1931-1958 |
| production | WHO |
| Contributors | |
| Moderation | Stan Widney, Bob Williams |
The Iowa Barn Dance Frolic was an American country program broadcast by WHO from Des Moines , Iowa from 1931 to 1958 .
history
The early years (1931 to 1940)
The show started in 1931 from Davenport on the radio station WOC. The first thirty minute shows were held in the PSC auditorium. After a year, the program was taken over by the sister station WHO and broadcast from the 1,300-seat President Theater in Des Moines. The frolic has now been extended to three hours. With 4,200 seats, the Shrine Auditorium, which they moved to in 1935, was a suitable venue for the show, although the show continued to attract more audiences and became one of the most sought-after programs of its kind in the Midwest. During the summer months of July and August, the show was canceled as there was no air conditioning in the Shrine Auditorium at the time. This gave the management an opportunity to let the show “go through the country” during this period and to give concerts in other cities. The show was produced and hosted by Stan Widney with Bob Williams.
The stage of the show was designed in the style of a street, which was adorned among other things by the "Sunset Corners Opry House". Stars of the show included Skeeter Bonn , Jerry & Zelda and Slim Hayes. Hayes had performed in the much more famous National Barn Dance . Other members of the Barn Dance Frolics were Smilin 'Sam, the Scott Sisters, Jerry Smith, Lonesome Shorty, Gran'pa Jitters, Mountain Pete and his Mountaineers and the Williams Brothers .
Success also on television (1941 to 1958)
In the 1940s the auditorium was sold to the KRNT broadcaster and renamed the KRNT Theater, but the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic continued to be held. From the mid-1950s, the show was also broadcast on television on WHO-TV. Nevertheless, the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic was discontinued in 1958 because the format of the Barn Dance Show was felt to be "out of date".
Aftermath
In 1982, when WHO moved into a new studio, a reunion concert was held to inaugurate the new building. However, there are no longer regular editions of the show.
Guests and members
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