Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Curly Fox & Texas Ruby - Fantastic Fiddlin`, Fun, And Songs By The Stars Of The Grand Ole Opry

There`s some good stuff on this one. Curly Fox was a "show" fiddler (meaning he was as much a visual act as a musical act), but also was a great fiddler. He was also a good harmonica player. His harp specialty was novelty tunes such as train imitations and fox race type tunes.
Curly got started in the 30`s, working for a while with the great Clayton McMichen. I don`t really know much about his early career. He wound up on the Grand Ole Opry, performing show pieces up into at least the early 70`s.
He was even in one episode of the Andy Griffith Show. He fiddled in sort of a cameo in an episode where a "city Slicker" had came to Mayberry to collect folk songs to put out an LP. Salty Holmes was also in this episode playing a Jew`s harp. My good friend Robert Montgomery pointed this Curly Fox fact out to me.
Now I`ll tell you all what little I know about Texas Ruby. Really about all I know is that she started performing in the 30`s as sort of a yodeling cowgirl type act. I don`t know how she and Curly met, on the road likely. The were married, but I don`t know when, early 40`s I`d guess. In contrast to Curly`s music, which trended towards old-time type stuff played in a hot style what might be called pre-bluegrass, Ruby`s music was western swing, pop like.
I will mention that Ruby died in a fire of their home one Saturday night in the 60`s while Curly was at the Opry performing. Here is a paragraph written about this terrible accident on the back of the LP cover----"Note: Less than 72 hours after these notes were written, Texas Ruby perished in a fire at Nashville while Curly Fox was performing on the Opry. Miss Texas Ruby was Mrs. Curly Fox in private life. Starday joins with country music fans everywhere in mourning the loss of this fine artist." So, I`d say her songs on this LP is the very last recordings Texas Ruby made. Hope you like this LP!!

Track list----
The Old Grey Mule
Shanty Street
Fire On The Mountain
Chasin` The Fox
Love Me Now
The Mockingbird Reel
Wink Your Little Eye
The Model T And The Train Race
Big Silver Tears
Whistlewood
Hang Out The Front Door Key
The Twighlight Waltz
I Don`t Love Nobody
Curly`s Talkin` Blues

Click here to download Curly Fox & Texas Ruby - Fantastic Fiddlin`, Fun & Songs by the stars of the Grand Ole Opry

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