Customer Reviews

Louisiana Hayride Years: Making Musical History in Country's Golden Age

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This volume was originally published under the title, "Elvis, Hank, and Me: Making Musical History on the Louisiana Hayride," and it's a tremendously more accurate title than the abbreviated "Louisiana Hayride Years." Although Logan was the guiding light of the show, serving as its creator and producer during its first ten years, his book focuses more on Elvis and Hank, than on the Hayride itself.

His insights into these two megastars, each at the very beginning of their climb to fame, are interesting, to be sure, but there was so much more to be covered. In addition to the two icons, numerous other country acts began or expanded their stardom on the Hayride, and though Logan provides some interesting anecdotes about Johnny and Jack, Kitty Wells, Faron Young, Slim Whitman, Webb Pierce, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash and George Jones, he never really delves into the Hayride itself.

His dishing on the Grand Ole Opry, while probably close to the bone, is a poor substitute for a deeper discussion of how the Hayride itself worked. There's some interesting analysis of why the Hayride kept giving up its stars to Nashville, but having been written so long after-the-fact, the of-the-moment accounts focus more on the stars than the show. One never really gets a feel for the Hayride's own arc of fame, nor the nuts-and-bolts of how the show (both stage and radio) operated.

That said, and even with the factual errors noted elsewhere, this is a worthwhile first-hand account of a seminal program that fostered one of the great transitional periods in country music's history.

Horace Logan was an important figure in the discovery and fame-building of many country music stars. His story adds to the music's history. I downgraded the book because his facts are sometimes shaky. For instance, he says Faron Young "went through a series of relatively brief marriages and divorces." A series? Relatively brief? Faron's only marriage ended in divorce after 32 years. The statement made me wonder what else in the book I shouldn't believe. In spite of that, this is a good book, and I enjoyed reading it.

What a refreshing book! No pretentious axes to grind, no exposes, just one honest manÕs recollection of his remarkable experiences in the entertainment Òbidness.Ó Horace ÒHossÓ Logan was the producer of KWKH ShreveportÕs legendary Country Music radio program, ÒThe Louisiana HayrideÓ from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. During this time, the HayrideÕs popularity rivaled that of the Grand Ole Opry and it gained a deserved reputation as the ÒCradle of the Stars,Ó a place where young, upcoming talent was discovered and polished. Indeed, the names that Logan parades forth in this book are impressive, more like a ÒwhoÕs whoÓ of country musicÕs ÒGolden AgeÓ: Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Webb Pierce, Faron Young, Slim Whitman, Jim Reeves, Kitty Wells, Floyd Cramer, Sonny James, the Browns.... All got their start on the stage of ShreveportÕs Municipal Auditorium.

But ultimately Logan couldn't convince KWKH officials to entice support services to Shreveport, things like booking agencies, record companies, and publishing. As a result the best talent from the Hayride inevitably jumped to the Opry and Nashville became ÒMusic City.Ó

In all, IÕve not read a better book about Country Music. If youÕre a fan of ÒclassicÓ Country Music--which has almost become a museum piece considering the state of modern Country radio--you owe it to yourself to buy ÒLouisiana Hayride Years.Ó

This is the most entertaining book I've read in a very long time!! I couldn't put it down!! I think everybody who listens to rockabilly, western swing and roots music NEEDS to read this!

I was there. I heard the people around Shreveport talk about the Hayride. Elvis was no big asset to the show. There are to many errors in the book for anyone to take it as truth. If he is going to take credit for anything he should also take credit for causing the show to loose it's place in Country Music.