Lefty Frizzell Saginaw Michigan

[danrclem]

This is one of my top five songs by country music singers. El Paso by Marty Robbins is right up there too.

I'd love to hear John Anderson sing this song because his voice sounds a lot like Lefty, to me anyway.

https://youtu.be/9GcNf8VWhe4?si=nMhzkrgZ-kn6QAPP

[TC Chris]

Saginaw is about 15 miles from where I am sitting right now on the shore of Saginaw Bay. Sailed my boat down the Saginaw River and into the Bay today, a lovely summer day with just enough wind to move the boat at a decent speed. Stevie Wonder and Theodore Roethke are from Saginaw.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I always liked Lefty Frizell. I also like John Anderson. To a Buick guy, Saginaw is or was home to Saginaw Gear where GM made steering gearboxes for G M and other vehicles. Mack used Ross steering. I put a Saginaw power steering setup on an R model I had. It was almost identical to the gearbox on a Buick, only larger. There were so many good country songs recorded, its hard to name a favorite....

[TC Chris]

Between Saginaw and Flint, that's where my Chevy came from. People who visit mid-Michigan are always surprised to see all the Chevrolets on the road. I have driven it past the places where the block was cast and the steering gear was made. I'm not sure where Buick was casting engine blocks and transmission cases in 1938, but my Buick is probably almost entirely from Flint.

[electra225]

With sincere apologies to Danny for highjacking his topic.

Lefty Frizell recorded a song about Herman Schwartz. The gist of the story is that Herman Schwartz is alleged to be running around with the writer's woman. To wit:

"I don't believe you, Herman Schwartz
when you say my baby's stepping high.

The truth ain't in you, Herman Schwartz.
Everybody knows you lie"

[danrclem]

With sincere apologies to Danny for highjacking his topic.

Lefty Frizell recorded a song about Herman Schwartz. The gist of the story is that Herman Schwartz is alleged to be running around with the writer's woman. To wit:

"I don't believe you, Herman Schwartz
when you say my baby's stepping high.

The truth ain't in you, Herman Schwartz.
Everybody knows you lie"

No apologies needed because it doesn't bother me one bit and I'm sure I've done the same thing many times. Threads are going to drift and to me that's to be expected.

I saw John Anderson once when he performed at a small venue called Renfro Valley. It was a long time ago but quite some time after he was in the spotlight. He put on a good show but the sound system there isn't the best in the world but it is very family friendly. I also saw Merle Haggard, Don Williams and the Oak Ridge Boys at the same place.

There were a lot of great country music singers and would be hard to choose which ones were the best. There are lots of them that I would have liked to see but it's too late now. The first ones that come to mind are Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson and Randy Travis.

I looked for Lefty Frizzell singing Herman Schwartz but all I could find was it being sang by Stonewall Jackson.

Saginaw also made transmissions, didn't they? Somewhere in the back of my mind I think I remember Saginaw transmissions. I'll have to look it up.

[TC Chris]

To divert even farther, some of us are old enough to remember when the Renfro Valley Barn Dance was broadcast on the radio. When I was a kid, the family would head south at spring vacation, aiming for Birmingham. We'd either stay there at Granny's big old house and hang out with the uncles, aunts, and cousins, or pick up Granny and head farther afield. Those were pre-freeway days so we explored lots of OH, KY, and TN on the way to AL. When we passed Renfro Valley there would be a discussion of its significance. "That's where the radio program is from."

On the long road trips my Mom was the navigator and child wrangler for 4 kids. She would go to AAA and work with them to create an interesting route and get it all lined on on the Trip-Tik strip maps. My sister was laughing last night about Mom's big bag. She had a large bag with handles that sat in the footwell at her feet. When necessary to get the kids under control, she could strategically reach in and pull out candy, snacks, games, or small toys. We would stay in mom-and-pop motels. Sometimes they would feature in-room TV (!!) or more rarely a swimming pool (!!!). Breakfast was often in the motel room, with milk over dry cereal in those box-as-your-bowl individual serving boxes. Mom would also buy bread and baloney for lunch sandwiches at a picnic table at roadside. We kids always longed to stay at a Howard Johnson's--TV, pool, AND restaurant. But that was a budget buster, and in retrospect, we had a far more interesting experience traveling light & cheap.

Chris Campbell

[William]

I remember those days, Chris. Definitely simpler times, and without smartphones to keep us kiddies busy.

Bill

[electra225]

Danny, I had a senior moment.....

The reason you could only find Herman Schwartz by Stonewall Jackson is that he was the one who recorded it, not Lefty Frizell. I get the two mixed up, they sound a lot alike. My apologies...

[electra225]

I think it's fair to say that it's hard to pick the best country song ever recorded. I think it is also fair to point out some of the ones that stick in our minds. I offer this Patsy Cline recording. "Why Can't He Be You" was written by Hank Cochran and recorded in 1962. In the fifth or sixth picture in the video, you can see Patsy kneeling by a radio or record player. My guess is Firestone. I had one very similar. A Wells-Gardner product possibly also branded Truetone, Airline and Coronado. I think Pig Robbins is playing piano on this recording. Nary a bad note in the whole thing.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCrSmJ_ ... rt_radio=1

[danrclem]

To divert even farther, some of us are old enough to remember when the Renfro Valley Barn Dance was broadcast on the radio. When I was a kid, the family would head south at spring vacation, aiming for Birmingham. We'd either stay there at Granny's big old house and hang out with the uncles, aunts, and cousins, or pick up Granny and head farther afield. Those were pre-freeway days so we explored lots of OH, KY, and TN on the way to AL. When we passed Renfro Valley there would be a discussion of its significance. "That's where the radio program is from."

I didn't know Renfro Valley had been around that long. It's a super nice place and is very clean with a motel just across the street. They also have a nice campground out back. It's been several years since I've been down there because most of the artists that perform there now usually aren't somebody I'd pay to see.

There's another country music show in Ky. that's been around for a long time called The Lincoln Jamboree. It's located in Hodgenville, Ky. I was told the Bellamy Brothers are going to be there in December so that may be one that I'd think about going to because I really like those two guys. It's been a long time since I've gone to a concert but it's probably less than 50 miles away so I'll have to think about that one.

[danrclem]

Danny, I had a senior moment.....

The reason you could only find Herman Schwartz by Stonewall Jackson is that he was the one who recorded it, not Lefty Frizell. I get the two mixed up, they sound a lot alike. My apologies...

I for one don't have those senior moments.....................well, at least not over four or five times a day.

[TC Chris]

There's another country music show in Ky. that's been around for a long time called The Lincoln Jamboree. It's located in Hodgenville, Ky.

Been to Hodgenville. Yay for traveling off the freeways.

Heck, I lived in Kingsport, TN for a year, one of the 3 that make up the tri-cities there. Bristol TN/VA (state line goes down the middle) is just down the road. I had only the faintest notion of the musical history there. Too soon old, too late smart.

Chris Campbell

[danrclem]

I've been to the tri-cities area, but it's been a long, long time ago. I'm guessing they probably have a museum there featuring the Carter Family there but if they do I didn't see it. I did go to the Bristol Motor Speedway not to see a race but just to look at it. A security person there let us walk inside and those steep banks are unreal.

We used to love taking driving trips on the back roads. There are just so many interesting things to see that you would miss if you're on the expressway.

[TC Chris]

I drove all over the E. TN area in my faithful '62 Corvair. There may be roads with an oil track from it still.

Chris Campbell