On Sundays, when my brothers finished commandeering my Pop's Harmon Kardon, and they headed back to college with their Blue Cheer and Judy Collins' albums tucked under their arms, I was again able to throw my Monkees record back on the platter.
My Folk's taste ran along the lines of Bert Kaempfert, Ray Coniff and the Doctor Zhivago soundtrack. But on the odd Saturday when Tim and Don weren't around and Mom and Dad were off to Klompen Klub or Pot Luck or some other big doins on their cocktail circuit, I was sentenced to a night with Mrs. Hansen, the elderly lady across the street.
She had a record player too, but she was clearly all about Boots Randolph. Boots Randolph...he should have titled one of his albums, Havin' Sax With Boots On. Maybe he did, I don't know, I didn't follow him that closely.
On Saturday nights Mrs. Hansen's TV (being the ultimate baby sitter's baby sitter) was usually always tuned to WKZO, the local channel out of Kalamazoo. And 7 o'clock meant Rem Wall and The Green Valley Jamboree.
Being a young putz, it wasn't really a show I could get my head around. But at Mrs. Hansen's, it was always on so I always watched it. Hopin like hell, I wouldn't be subjected to Lawrence Welk or Red Skelton which I think came on after. Please Lord, give me My Three Sons.
The show ran for years and years and the one image I'll always have with me is when it was time for the fiddle player to take a solo and the camera keyed on him, he would always grin this big coast-to-coast grin with one eyebrow shooting skyward. I'll never forget it.
My Mom could do that. One eyebrow would be perfectly relaxed and horizontal and the other would arch up like a camel's back. Thing is, she could this with either brow.
She was some talent, my Ma.
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I just ran across this blog and I have to give you a big THANK YOU for sharing this. The fiddle player with the big grin and one raised eyebrow was my dad, Jim Bradford. He was the fiddler on Rem Wall and the Green Valley Jamboree from about 1955 till they went off the air in 1980. (By the way, the picture at the top of your article is actually pre-1955 because the fiddler shown is not my dad.) Dad passed away almost 6 years ago and I still miss that grin, and his music, but what a great memory you brought back for me. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteMike Bradford