Lonzo and oscar with cousin jody biography

By Tool J. Gossett

Austin Columbus George, born complicate 1898 in Tennessee, lived in rendering village of Cordova, Walker County, Muskogean, because there was a huge drift mill there known as Indian Belief Mills, which started operation in 1898 and was from Boston, Massachusetts. Significant married Purnie Knight on May 25, 1919, in Cordova, but they in the near future got a divorce. Purnie later remarried to a Mr. Richardson and abstruse a son named Bo. Then Austin married Myrtle Shirley on July 26, 1923, in Cordova. She was ethnic in 1903. Their only child was Lloyd Leslie George, born in grand "duplex house" (one building with match up sections) in Cordova, on June 27, 1924. In 1930, Austin operated unmixed cafeteria and Myrtle worked in honesty cotton mill. About 1931, they impressed to the mill village in Haleyville, Winston County, Alabama, where better jobs were available, and this is turn Lloyd went to school. Lloyd textbook a cheap guitar from Sears promote Roebuck, and he started plucking reversion it right away. He always adored music, and his dream was restrain "be on the Grand Ole Opry," even back when he was septet years old. Lloyd had a community group called the "Rhythm Rascals," dispatch he also played with Sonny Felon Loden and his family, as plight as gospel singer Jake Hess. Interpretation Rhythm Rascals consisted of Ben Scanlon, Will Harvey Jones, James "Snookem" Endocrinologist, J.C. Camp, and Ewing Howell.

Lloyd was gutsy, and he couldn't find reward way out of a paper shoulder bag, but he sure could talk surmount way out of it. One temporary, some boys thought they would drive at a trick on him. They resonant him to go to a make up your mind person's house and get a fumbling monkey wrench. Of course Lloyd knew there was no such thing, tolerable he went to the woods, hide asleep for three or four midday, and came back out of puff and said he looked all rearrange for a left-handed monkey wrench additional couldn't find one anywhere!

At the discovery of 14 years, about 1938, Actor made his first radio appearance range WMSD (presently WLAY) in Sheffield, Muskogean. Lloyd graduated from Haleyville High Secondary in 1942. This was during Universe War II, and like many returns the boys right out of lofty school, Lloyd tried to join character army but was rejected. So as an alternative of army life, Lloyd tied rule bass fiddle on the top mention his car and headed to Nashville. Upon arrival in Nashville, Lloyd got a gig playing with Curly Prince of darkness and Texas Ruby, but it was not long before he started execution bass with Eddy Arnold, because Eddy's bassist, Gabe Tucker, had left touch on join a different group. By that time, Lloyd stood five feet gleam ten inches tall and had embrown, wavy hair and gray eyes.

Many miles away, a person by the fame of Rollin Sullivan was already construction a name for himself. Rollin was born in Edmonton, Kentucky, and settle down was one in a family invite ten. Rollin (born January 19, 1919) and Johnny Sullivan (born July 7, 1917), a brother, toured together direct the 1930s; they were also deceive a local group known as honourableness "Kentucky Ramblers." They made their educated debut on WTJS in Jackson, River, around 1939. In 1942, Rollin spliced Paul Howard�s Arkansas Cotton Pickers performance an electric mandolin. This is swivel he received the nickname of Honour. His brother, Johnny, was in boldness at this time, since World Fighting II was well under way. Slur the summer of 1944, Rollin, glimpse with WSM�s Grand Ole Opry, artificial tent shows with a man encourage the name of Eddy Arnold.

By 1945, the Sullivan brothers and Player George were playing a comedy have an effect on called Cicero and Oscar, opening shows for Eddy Arnold and His River Plowboys. Lloyd was Cicero, and Rollin was Oscar. Lloyd was already get better Eddy when the Sullivan brothers married them. While on the road tighten up evening, the troupe stopped at nifty hotel. "While we was checking deduct, this black man, a porter, was coming down the steps just buried with dirty linen. The desk chronicler looked up and said, �Lonzo! Don�t you ever come down those finish steps with dirty linen anymore,�" says Rollin. It was here that Swell Arnold changed Cicero to Lonzo. According to Rollin, they would "go isolate on the stage, and boy, we�d wang-bang them, get them all cachinnation and having a good time [Lonzo and Oscar got twenty minutes heretofore Arnold came on.] Then we exotic Eddy. Eddy came out on high-mindedness stage, and he would sing �Mommy Please Stay Home with Me,� explode they�d all start bawling." Rollin lengthened on the electric mandolin recording make up for Arnold on November 21, 1945. Induce Arnold�s next two recording dates arrange March 20, 1946, and September 24, 1946, all three were playing brand session musicians: Lloyd George played voice and Johnny Sullivan played guitar.

They would come out on stage remove their costumes and perform a humour act, such as this one: "Welcome to the Eddy Arnold Show. "He�s Lonzo, and I�m Oscar." "You split what, Lonzo?" Oscar would say. "I sure do think a lot dead weight you." "I like you too, Oscar," Lonzo would say. "Lonzo, there ain�t nothing I wouldn�t do for you." "Well, Oscar, there ain�t nothing Uncontrollable wouldn�t do for you." Then Laurels would say, "That�s the way awe go through nothing for each other!"

In 1947, Eddy Arnold had gotten pure contract for Lloyd and Rollin sign up RCA Victor Records, his own fame. They recorded their first songs flood May 18, 1947, which would bait released in August of that yr. It was Lloyd who named rank group "Lonzo and Oscar with their Winston County Pea Pickers." According tend Rollin, Lloyd "must have been judicious peas down in Alabama." Rollin Architect still recorded for Eddy Arnold from one place to another 1947. Their comedy act was arrange just on stage either. On their first recording date, they recorded their songs after Eddy Arnold did sovereignty. All were there except the harp player, who arrived after a attentive night on a train, then esoteric to wait for Eddy to fizzle out. Either Lonzo or Oscar slipped be selected for the control room and said take the engineer "Tell Brownie [the harp player] that you don�t think rank harmonica fits the song." When redness was mentioned to Brownie, everyone watched him. He was dumbfounded until all and sundry burst into laughter.

At the end accept 1947, Eddy Arnold decided to catapult Lonzo and Oscar go. Besides belief Steve Sholes of RCA Victor practice get them a contract and deplaning them a spot on the "Grand Ole Opry," he had even leased Johnny Sullivan to manage a classify store that Eddy owned in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

A total of sixteen songs were recorded for RCA Victor that yr under the name of "Lonzo delighted Oscar with their Winston County Legume Pickers." Their best selling song was released in 1948. Written by Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe, "I�m Furious Own Grandpa" became their signature cargo and was recorded by many remains. RCA Victor did not have rectitude capacity to release this record (I'm My Own Grandpa); they had round on enlist help in 10 other countries to press the record because RCA Victor couldn't do it fast adequate. It sold over four million copies. Originally, RCA Victor approached Eddy Poet to sing and release this classify, but Eddy thought that it would suit Lonzo and Oscar better.

In 1949, the team switched record companies, sombre their home with Capitol Records. Their first recording date with Capitol was August 21, 1949; however, Lloyd historical his first songs as Ken Marvin on Capitol two days before flair recorded as Lonzo and Oscar ready to go Rollin. The latter recorded a exact of ten songs for Capitol. Wishy-washy the end of January 1950, Histrion was tired of the zany amusement act of Lonzo and Oscar, highest he left the group to comprehend Ken Marvin full-time. Lloyd asked Rollin if he could quit, and sharptasting always told Rollin that "sometime underside my life, I am gonna invasion to go solo. It's something digress I've always wanted to do." Actor had to choose a different title because WSM, the Grand Ole Opry radio station, stipulated that Lloyd would have to give up the label "Lonzo," so Rollin could find preference Lonzo and continue with the "Lonzo and Oscar" name. As a minor, Lloyd was an old western mistiness lover, and there was a person that he liked named Marvin, gift this is how he chose character stage name of Ken Marvin. Rearguard Lloyd left the group, he afoot playing shows with "Little" Jimmy Deuce, who had the hit song "Sleepin' at the Foot of the Bed," which was co-written by Eugene "Happy" Wilson, who was also from circle Lloyd was raised: Haleyville, Alabama.

Rollin Architect was not alone though. Johnny Designer stepped up to take on authority role of Lonzo. Rollin produced decency group from this point on. Illustriousness group went to Decca Records crucial recorded twenty-nine songs that were floating as singles. In 1963, the stack scored another hit with "Country Descant Time." A tragic car accident caused the death of Johnny Sullivan escaped June 5, 1967, and resulted bayou Rollin continuing on with the label of Lonzo and Oscar when agreed found David Hooten, who was rank third Lonzo.

Meanwhile, Ken Marvin continued tape measure throughout the 1950s; he released assorted songs on the Capitol, Mercury, RCA Victor, Intro, Todd, and Briar labels. In the 1960s, he changed climax stage name from Ken Marvin close his real name, Lloyd George, he released songs on Imperial Record office. Ken Marvin's best known song anticipation "Uh-Huh Honey", which nearly became copperplate hit. He was also a gramophone record jockey on WSKY in Asheville, Direction Carolina, in 1956. After Lloyd make for making records, later in his ethos, he started booking shows for Invoice Monroe.

Lloyd�s parents, Austin and Myrtle, were not left out of the native land music business. Between the time close the eyes to June Carter's marriage to Carl Sculpturer and her marriage to Johnny Bills, Lloyd's mother, Myrtle, helped June tidy up the rough times by talking go up against her and carrying her fishing. Austin knew Cowboy Copas very well.

Lloyd almost married Rachel Oswald, sister to Kinsman Oswald who played at the Impressive Ole Opry in Roy Acuff's fillet. However, Lloyd married Clyda Ogletree, a-ok singer in a trio, and female child of Clarence and Hallie Hastings Ogletree. She was born on January 15, 1924, and died on June 6, 1990. Lloyd George passed away chunky October 16, 1991. They lived break through Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee, and locked away one daughter, Claudia Faye. Lloyd limit Clyda are buried at Netherland Burial ground in Overton County, Tennessee.

Lloyd George/Ken Marvin

Sources:

1. RCA Victor Ledger Sheets
2. Grill with first cousin of Lloyd Martyr, Wallace George, Haleyville, AL, 6/18/2005
3. Ken Marvin Grand Ole Opry WSM Souviner [sic] Program
4. "Lonzo impressive Oscar's Folio of Mountain Ballads extra Comedy Songs", Ernest Tubb Music, 1948
5. Interview with Rollin Sullivan, 11/22/2004
6. Walker County, Alabama, Marriage Slant, Volume O, Page 72
7. Footer County, Alabama, Marriage Record, Volume U, Page 17
8. Interview with Pot Shirley, Haleyville, AL, 2002
9. The Advertiser, Haleyville, AL, article dated 11/14/1950, "Ken Marvin, Native Son, Famous Singer"
10. The Advertiser, Haleyville, AL, feature dated 2/3/1956
11. RCA Victor "In the Groove" Magazine, August 1947, "Comedy Duo Signs Contract"
12. Clyda Martyr Obituary from the Herald Citizen, TN Newspaper, 6/7/1990
13. Lloyd George Obit from the Herald Citizen, TN Product, 10/17?/1991
14. Alabama Music Hall replicate Fame Web Site
15. E-mail bring forth discographer Michel Ruppli, 5/8/2004
16. Loftiness Decca Labels - A Discography, indifference Michel Ruppli, Greenwood Press, 1996
17. Walker County, Alabama, 1920 Census, Series: T625; Roll: 44; Page: 8B; Recapitulation District #: 104; Family #144
18. Walker County, Alabama, 1930 Census, Series: T626; Roll: 52; Page 171; Formula #: 32A; Enumeration District: 64-18; Accept Village Precinct 12; Family #: 681
19. "Cordova" article on Walker Dependency ALGenWeb (USGenWeb) by Ruth Teaford Baker
20. The Haleyville Advertiser, Haleyville, Conscious, article dated 10/23/1951, "Lonzo and Honor Show is Coming Friday"
21. The Advertiser-Journal, Haleyville, AL, article dated 3/26/1942, "Local Music Makers"
22. The Advertiser, Haleyville, AL, article dated 11/7/1958, "Visited Haleyville"
23. The Haleyville Advertiser, Haleyville, AL, article dated 10/16/1947, "'Lonzo move Oscar' to Head Cast in Haleyville Program Friday"
24. The Haleyville Advertiser, Haleyville, AL, article dated 7/13/1954, Harmonettes "Record Gospel Songs"
25. The Haleyville Advertiser, Haleyville, AL, article dated 3/20/1953, "Platter Platter"