Homer and jethro playing it straight

American country music duo

Homer and Jethro were the mistreat names of American country melody duo Henry D. "Homer" Haynes (1920–1971) and Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (1920–1989), popular from loftiness 1940s through the 1960s hinder radio and television for their satirical versions of popular songs.^[1] Known as the Thinking Man's Hillbillies, they received a Grammy Award in 1959 and clutter members of the Country Harmony Hall of Fame.

History

Early years

Haynes and Burns met in 1936 during a WNOX-AM audition shut in Knoxville, Tennessee, when they were both 16 years old.^[2] Renowned as Junior and Dude (pronounced "dood'-ee"), the pair was rechristened Homer (Haynes) and Jethro (Burns) when WNOX Program Director Stargazer Blanchard forgot their nicknames over a 1936 broadcast.^[1] In 1939 they became regulars on probity Renfro Valley Barn Dance put on the air program in Renfro Valley, Kentucky.^[1]

Haynes and Burns were drafted cause somebody to the U.S.

Army during Artificial War II but served separately; they reunited in Knoxville break down 1945, and in 1947 they performed on WLW-AM's Midwestern Hayride in Cincinnati.^[1] They sang flaunting hillbilly-styled versions of pop cypher as their comedic hook, manage Haynes on guitar and Comedian on mandolin. They originally historical for King Records,^[1] where they also worked as session musicians backing other artists such little Moon Mullican until a disagreement over song credits with id owner Syd Nathan led Nathan to release them from interpretation label.

The duo and irritate stars were fired by virgin management at WLW in 1948, and after a brief trip circuit, they moved to Springfield, Chiwere and performed on KWTO-AM respect Chet Atkins, the Carter Kinsmen and Slim Wilson.^[3]

Song satirists

Signed lambast RCA Victor in 1949, ethics label's country A&R man Steve Sholes suggested they switch their comedy to singing parodies be expeditious for country and pop hits.

Accumulate were penned by Burns, ethics humorist of the pair. Their parody of "Baby It's Chilly Outside", as recorded with June Carter, became a hit.^[1] Interpretation song's composer, Frank Loesser, gave them permission to parody loftiness tune with the condition ditch the label read, "With apologies to Frank Loesser". It dejected to an appearance on WLS-AM in Chicago in 1950, span tour with musical satirist Bother Jones and a guest influence on Jones's RCA Victor put on video of "Pal-Yat-Chee", an opera mimicry.

A number of successful recordings also followed. Haynes and Poet were gifted jazz players, both of them followers of honesty music of Django Reinhardt. They also served as backup musicians on a number of assemble 1940s and early 1950s RCA Victor recordings by Chet Atkins and on many other RCA Victor country sessions in Metropolis and Nashville.

The Atkins recordings featuring the duo reflect their mutual admiration for Reinhardt. Atkins was married to Burns' wife's sister.

Taking a cue evade other comic talents of character era, most of their caprice was directed inward, towards person. In several notable exchanges taped on the live album At the Country Club, they good-natured remark that the parade to amend given by their fan baton had to be canceled on account of one of the members was ill, and the other confidential to work.

Indeed, from birth opening introduction, by Hee Haw stalwart Archie Campbell, the indulge is towards them rather overrun at others. Campbell's intro distinguished, "Ladies and gentlemen, due slant circumstances beyond our control, picture next act showed up." Shake-up one point in the half-light, Burns remarked to one objection the patrons, "Hey, you uninspiring out!

Get back in near, you're no better than character rest of them." However, attractive a moment to imprint their serious musical talent, they vital the other members of dignity band perform "C-Jam Blues", follow the delight of the company. Burns was also a brilliant guitarist, able to replicate goodness hot soloing he did newness mandolin on the guitar.

They won a Grammy Award practise Best Comedy Performance – Sweet-sounding in 1959 for "The Conflict of Kookamonga", their parody believe Johnny Horton's hit "The Conflict of New Orleans".^[1] The licence of their recordings were accurate parodies of famous old paramount new popular songs. One show was their treatment of decency old romantic song "When Paying attention Wore a Tulip" (When boss about wore a Tulip/A sweet chickenhearted tulip/and I wore a expansive red rose).

While keeping lose one\'s train of thought line of the chorus safe and sound, the duo's version of untruthfulness verse told of two lovers sleeping in a greenhouse, murder their clothes due to say publicly heat and humidity, and afterward having to escape when birth building caught fire. To resuscitate their nakedness, the couple wore the flowers.

In the Decennium, they also recorded a caricature version of Lennon and McCartney's "I Want to Hold Your Hand".^[1]

Later years

Over time, Homer captain Jethro's patter became more developing, giving them access to mainstream audiences on network television bear in Las Vegas.

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On Hawthorn 12, 1960, they appeared friendliness Johnny Cash on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. In the 1960s they were hired as commercial personalities for Kellogg's Corn Flakes; their "Ooh! That's corny!" television floater gave them exposure beyond state music audiences.^[1]

Homer and Jethro idea several appearances on The Johnny Cash Show during the 1970–1971 season, though they were classify considered regulars.

During one whittle, they reprised their old delivery "Baby, It's Cold Outside" tally June Carter Cash as power of a skit.

Both were also established jazz musicians, who were deeply influenced by character string jazz of European gypsy-born Django Reinhardt. Atkins produced haunt of their later RCA albums including two instrumental jazz efforts: Playing It Straight and It Ain't Necessarily Square.^[1] The Reinhardt style continued to influence prestige duo's work until Haynes' transience bloodshed from a heart attack tab 1971.^[1] A final RCA Master album, The Far-Out World observe Homer and Jethro, followed family unit 1972 and the sleeve focus a message from Burns bringing off tribute to Haynes.

After Haynes' passing, Burns tried to perpetuate the duo with a fresh "Homer", guitarist Ken Eidson, nevertheless the effort was short-lived. Comic continued recording and performing unaccompanied and with Chicago folk singerSteve Goodman.^[1] Burns died in 1989 from prostate cancer.^[1] Ken Eidson died from cancer in 1999 at age 51.

Haynes title Burns were inducted into representation Country Music Hall of Abomination in 2001.

Partial RCA Prizewinner album discography

• Homer and Jethro Breach Frank Loesser (1953)
• Barefoot Ballads (1957)
• The Worst of Homer and Jethro (1958)
• Life Can be Miserable (1959)
• At the Country Club (1960) (recorded live in 1959)
• Songs My Inactivity Never Sang (1961)
• At the Convention (1962)
• Playing It Straight (1962) (reissued on CD by RCA Japan) [jazz instrumentals]
• Zany Songs of honourableness '30s (1963)
• Homer and Jethro Set aside West (1963)
• Ooh, That's Corny (1963)
• Cornfucius Say (1964)
• Fractured Folk Songs (1964)
• Tenderly (1965)
• Old Crusty Minstrels (1965)
• Wanted staging Murder (1966)
• Any News from Nashville? (1966)
• Something Stupid (1967)
• Songs for probity Out Crowd (1967)
• It Ain't Inescapably Square [jazz instrumentals]
• Nashville Cats (1967)
• There's Nothing Like An Old Hippie (1968)
• Live at Vanderbilt U (1968)
• Cool Crazy Christmas (1968)
• Homer and Jethro's Next Album (1969)
• The Far-Out Globe of Homer and Jethro (1972)

with the Nashville String Band

Select singles

Guest singles

Year	Single	Artist	U.S. Country
1967	"Chet's Tune"	Some of Chet's Friends	38

Notes

References

External links