Shay, Dorothy
Singer/comedienne/character actress, Dorothy Shay was born Dorothy Sims, 1923, Jacksonville. Moved to NYC, where she launched a career as the “Park Avenue Hillbilly.” A regular on Spike Jones’ radio show in 1947; also had a No. 4 hit on Columbia with “Feudin’, Fussin’ and Fightin,’” from the 1947 musical, Laffing Room Only. Sold over three [...]
Taylor, Bob
Drummer, born 1928 in Calif., Bob Taylor became a key figure in the Western-swing scene with Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell, and Merle Haggard. Worked with guitarist Duane Eddy (“Rebel Rouser”) in 1960s; later led own band, The Rogues, for many years. Taylor came to Jacksonville in 1994, worked locally with Larry Mangum’s Cowboy Orchestra. Died [...]
Waterford, Charles “Crown Prince”
Born 1917 in Jonesboro, Ark., Waterford started a career as a blues singer in Oklahoma City in 1936. He soon lit for Chicago, where he became a fixture on the Windy City blues scene. Moved to Los Angeles in 1945, where he briefly worked alongside singer Jimmy Witherspoon in Jay McShann’s band, then returned to [...]
Whitman, Slim
Born Otis Dewey Whitman in Tampa, yodeling Slim Whitman was already a top-rated country performer with 30 top-50 country singles and 19 gold albums when he bought a spread near Middleburg (southwest of Jacksonville, in Clay County) in 1957. Unbelievably huge in England, at one point he even surpassed the Beatles on the British charts. [...]
Wise, Chubby
Born Robert White, in 1915, in Lake City; Chubby Wise moved to Jacksonville at 15 to pursue a career as a fiddler. Landed a touring gig with the Jubilee Hillbillies, went on to tour with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys; later worked with The York Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, Hank Snow, Red Allen, and the Stanley [...]
