Today’s post was written by Paul.
For this story song, I was a little too lazy to type a long description, so I just spoke most of the background info for the song in the video just before singing it. However, it seems like I still wound up typing a lot!
Jamie Shook and I do have plans to get together and work out a set of songs to perform for the Cherokee County Arts Council (for a show on the last weekend in June), but I bet he’s glad that I didn’t ask him to learn/sing this one!
I had no luck hearing any serious songs by Lonzo and Oscar online, but according to at least a couple of historians, there was a period in which they sang serious songs, and I found an album for sale on Ebay called “Lonzo & Oscar Sings ’em Straight.” The song list features non-comedic songs, like “Columbus Stockade Blues”, a song Pap and I used to sing when I was learning to sing/play.
I would order that album, but its rarity makes the price very high! While looking to see if they sang any serious songs, I learned that there were several Lonzo’s over the years but only one Oscar.
The original Lonzo was Lloyd George from Winston County, Alabama, and he played the “part” of Lonzo until 1950. Lloyd George, who had striking good looks, changed his name to Ken Marvin and undertook a solo country career in 1950.
Oscar was Rollin Sullivan, an accomplished drummer and saxophone player, also adept with other instruments, such as the mandolin that he played with the Winston County Pea Pickers. Rollin started making music in Kentucky with his brother, John. After having their own radio show for a while, John, Rollin, and Lloyd all got jobs with Eddie Arnold in the late ’40’s.
They backed Arnold musically and provided comic relief for his shows. It was Arnold who nicknamed Lloyd “Lonzo” and effectively changed the group’s name to Lonzo & Oscar, though Sullivan had picked up the nickname Oscar with an earlier group. Arnold also helped convince RCA to sign L & O.
“I’m My Own Grandpa” was their second release for the label and reached as high as #5 on the Billboard Charts. John Sullivan went to WWII in 1945 but took over the part of Lonzo in 1950 when Lloyd George became Ken Marvin.
The last Lonzo was David Hooten, and by that time, the group may have performed mostly serious bluegrass songs.
In this video, I mentioned L & O helping the Louvins with instrument loans for their Opry auditions. It’s also possible that they were early musical influences on the Louvins. The Louvins got their first “break” in music by performing “There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea” to win a talent contest. L & O sang that song too. I couldn’t find a release date for L & O’s recording of that song, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Louvins learned it from L & O.
L & O mention or list Ira and Charlie in their song “Country Music Time,” which praised the talent and tradition of country music.
To jump straight to the song, go to 11:45 in the video.
Oscar Sullivan died in 2012 at the age of 93. There are tons of videos on YouTube where you can see L & O perform, including a recent video of Rollin “Oscar” Sullivan singing/reciting I’m My Own Grandpa at a festival when he was ’91. At that time, he could still do Oscar’s high-pitched laugh, which I’ve wondered might have been borrowed or copied for the 60’s surf instrumental, Wipeout.
Most of the videos also feature Cousin Jody, who always removed his dentures for comic effect. After Cousin Jody, came Cousin Luther, whose steel playing was similar but whose comic persona was quite different. Luther and the bass player sang nice 4-part harmony with L & O on a great spoof of “A Falling Star” (see song here). There are also lots of good articles online about L & O. They had interesting lives and careers. They even owned a popular restaurant in Nashville. Anyway, I could go on and on.
Thank you for watching! One more story song left for 2024! 🙂
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
I forgot to attach this link with a lot of information about Lonzo.
http://www.freestateofwinston.org/lonzoandoscar.htm
Lloyd “Lonzo” George was from the same county as I. He graduated from Haleyville High School in 1942.
Papaw, I missed your reply yesterday, I have all of my grandaddy’s plows he used with his mule. Among them are a one horse and two horse turnplow or moldboard plows that would plow exactly like the plow Matt is using with his tractor. The only difference between the plows were their size, the smaller one could be pulled by one mule and the larger by two mules. There was also one horse and two horse middle busters that would leave a V shaped furrow. All of these were iron beam heavier plows than the other plows with a wooden beam. Even with these mule drawn turnplows, the farmer would occasionally plow from the middle of the plot of land they were plowing out to the edge, it made no difference if the plot was small. As for terraces, they are not needed on flat level land, only on hilly, steep or sloping land and could be made with these mule drawn turnplows. The terraces were made using these turnplows before they had tractors. I have made many steps when I was a young boy followering the footsteps of my Grandaddy when he was plowing with his mule. I tried to spend every minute I could with him.
I first heard this song in the late seventies and spent hours with a cassette tape going over it forwards and backwards until I learned it. I did the same thing with Leroy VanDyke on the auctioneer song. Thanks for the history lesson but especially the song.
Had to leave for church so I didn’t get to the song till I returned home. I had never heard that song but my goodness, lol, Paul, you did a great job!! Funny song and great job of remembering all those connections:) Some of my cousins were double 1st cousins and they were always having to explain that to their friends. Brother and sister of one family married a Sister and brother of another family so their children were not just 1st cousins but were double 1st cousins:)
Very well done. As a point of history, Ray Stevens recorded this song.
I vaguely remember L&O singing gospel songs (I’m 82 yo) thei comedy routine was always a highlight of the show.
Paul, I know you enjoyed singing and playing such a fun song. I loved the history about it. I actually listened to this last night and then asked my husband to listen to it. Well, when he heard it, he said, ” That’s what Daddy use to go around the house singing sometimes, not the whole song, just I’m My Own Grandpa.” Pa Hayes was always humming or singing little bits and pieces of a song. My husband always wondered where in the world that came from and now, he knows. He said to thank you because you have solved a mystery from many, many years ago. Have a blessed Sunday!
family dynamics!!! that’s a crazy song!! love it
This song reminds me of my relatives on my mother’s side in Ky. Her half-sister (my aunt) married her half-brother (my uncle) but they were not related. That confused me for years. My aunt was the daughter of my grandma by her first marriage and my uncle was the son of my grandpa by his first marriage. They married after their spouses died and had my mother. Are you confused yet? Paul, I really enjoy hearing you sing and I never heard this song before that I remember.
I’ve heard t about L&O, the Louvin brothers and their songs all my life from my daddy. Seems like Bonnie Lou and Buster sang some of these
songs on the 6 am Cas Walker show in Knoxville back in the early 60’s.
Paul thank you for all the history you provide on music and sharing your amazing talent!
Everyone have a great Sunday..go worship and help someone today!! Continued prayers always for your Mother.
first time i ever heard this song it was on a grandpa jones 8 track…thanks for the smiles this morning
Paul, what fun! My Dad used to sing that one! He also sang The Barefoot Boy With Boots On. You did a great job! Made me think of when I learned that my ex-husband married his half brother’s ex-wife, which provided my daughter with an aunt mama and an uncle daddy! You just can’t make this stuff up! LOL!
Funny this song comes up today after I had an epiphany about one of my relatives. On my grandmother’s side, this lady married my great grandmother’s brother first, and after he was killed in a mining accident, she married again, this time to my grandfather’s brother. So she was my great aunt on one side and my great-great aunt on the other!
We got a big frost here this morning and promises of a freeze tonight. I don’t have anything planted but I know a lot of people have jumped the gun and will be scurrying to find something to cover their tender young plants.
What a fun song Paul I remember hearing it, must of been in the 50s. I was always going to try & write it down so I could puzzle it out. Of course there was no way to ‘pause’ a radio whilst I commenced writing. Yes, Lotta words!
Thanx for the memory!
Seems to me, Paul, that you could do your own blog about music. I (who am as ignorant as a stump about it) can tell that you could do topics about artists, songs, record labels, venues, instruments, playing styles and undoubtedly other things I can’t even think of. Surely I’m not the first to suggest that? As to the fella being his own Grandpa, I’d have to listen to it many times to unravel that tangled skein. Wouldn’t a genealogist tear their hair out if they ran across such a case?
Paul, I grew up hearing that silly song and must admit when people try to explain their kin- for example: “my cousin twice removed,” “ her second cousin on her mother’s side married her and their kids will be deformed,” “he was the son of so and so who married so and so and now his kids are his nephews too.” I mean it’s just too much to listen to (acting interested) much less attempt to fathom. I find myself often saying “ ummmm that’s great” mainly cause I could care less and can’t hardly remember my own kin as I try to forget the most of ‘em much less somebody else’s. I mean you can pick your nose or your friend’s nose if they allow it, but YOU CANNOT PICK YOUR KIN. Lol Anyway, don’t be surprised to find yourself kin to yourself… btw, thanks for the laugh, Paul! You can sing like a good old country star (not this new awful bone chilling wannabe country musical) and I swear it! A voice like an angel you have sir!!! You’re quite talented I must say! It’s brrrr this 28 F morning in southernmost WV…. God bless y’all and especially Granny and the new moms to be!!! How wonderful life really is and praise God and Jesus!!!
I remember Lonzo and Oscar singing this song on the Opry. Later on I knew Oscar in Nashville.
Did you happen to know Fred “Clinton” Moore? His wife Edith Mae Smiley was my 2nd cousin 1x removed.
Fred Clinton Moore was my cousin. I saw both Patsy and Janice today. And I know several of the Smiley family members at Bryson City.
I loved the history and the song! I’m gonna check out those old videos. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome. I do remember hearing that song and trying to think, let’s see who is who and how does that make him his own Grandpa. Thanks Paul an amazing talent. Prayers for Granny and God’s Blessings on all of you guys.
I really enjoy your playing and singing. I also love the
history you put with the music, thank you! God bless you and yours.
Now that brings back a memory! I was maybe 4 in the late 1940s when we saw L & O. I remember sitting on a hillside and this strange looking being wearing big ole orange plaid pants and huge floppy shoes coming right to me and patting me on the head. My mama and daddy sang a lot and somewhere I have a tape of them singing this. She already had Alzheimer’s but she remembered the old songs. I didn’t remember who did this one. Thanks so much for such a good memory. All of you are always bringing me back to my childhood home that I loved so much.
Paul is so talented, so very talented. I could listen to him sing and pick all day long. Great song! I’ve never heard it!
Wow! That really was a lot of words to remember and sing…and so funny…Great job! Thank you and have a wonderful and blessed Sunday!
Back a few years ago before I lost the RFDTV channel, I would watch a very old Grand Old Opry show on Saturday nights. Lonzo, Oscar and Uncle Jody would often be on the show. I always enjoyed watching them cutting up. I think it was Uncle Jody who would sometimes ride or lead a mule out on the stage. All of them were very talented musicians. They would often sing I Am My Own Grandpa. 36 degrees at my country home in Greenville County, SC this morning, probably drop another degree or two around sunup but I don’t think there is a frost. I have heard the wind blowing during the night.