DIXIE RECORDS 1102

The Country Ramblers

(Vcls = Susie & Otis Glover Jr. and Donnie New)

Dec 64

45-1102-A - A Little Bitty Tear

(Hank Cochran) (Pamper Music)

45-1102-B - Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin', Broken Heart

(Justin Tubb/Roger Miller) (Tree Publ.)

DIXIE RECORDS 1102

Box 264, Aiken, SC

Source: Al Turner

TESTIFIER RECORDS 970

Rev. Bob Persson

Apr 62

45-970-A - The Great Judgement Morning

                  Precious Lord, Take My Hand

(None)   (None)

45-970-B - How Great Thou Art

                  Just A Closer Walk With Thee

(None)   (None)

TESTIFIER RECORDS 970

Route 2 - Oak Forest Drive, Greenville, SC

Source: Doug Brown

DIXIE RECORDS 954

LITTLE MISS KATIE Piano acc by Hazel Haile

Dec 61   (BB = 13 Jan 1962)

634-45-954-A – Many Tears Ago

(None)   (None)

             I Cannot Find My Way

(None)   (None)

             Evening Prayer

(None)   (None)

634-45-954-B – Just For Old Times Sake

(None)   (None)

             A Good Man Is Hard To Find

(None)   (None)

              I’m Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away The Key)

(None)   (None)

DIXIE RECORDS 954

Box 114, Chopin, SC

Source: Phillip J Tricker

FAITH RECORDS 953

REECE SISTERS

Dec 61

634-45-953-A - Wings Of A Dove

(Bob Ferguson)   (Bee-Gee BMI)

            Known Only To Him

(Stuart Hamblen)   (Hill and Range)

634-45-953-B – Let Your Light Shine

(Marjorie Reece)   (Starday BMI)

            Stand By Me

(Tindley)   (Tubb BMI)

FAITH RECORDS 953

404 West Main St, Lexington, SC

Source:  Phillip J Tricker

DIXIE RECORDS 825

BILL WILLIS

Jan 60   (Billboard review on 21st March 1960)

45-825-A - Boogie Woogie All Night

(B Willis / H Roger)   (Golden State)

45-825-B - Where Is My Baby

(B Willis / J Campbell)   (Golden State)

DIXIE RECORDS 825

SC

Source: Terry Gordon

DIXIE RECORDS 803

BILL WILLIS with Goldie Norris
Sept 59  (BMI Clearance on 2nd Oct 59)
45-803-A - Goin' Down To Sal's House
(B Willis / G Norris)   (Golden State Songs)
45-803-B - Poor Man
(B Willis / J Campbell)   (Golden State Songs)
DIXIE 803
Greenwood, SC

NO NAME LABEL 615

HOYT SULLIVAN

Feb 57

45-615-A - Hoyt Sullivan's Drug Products 1 and 2

(No info)   (No info)

45-615-B - Hoyt Sullivan's Drug Products 3 and 4

(No info)   (No info)

NO NAME LABEL 615

Phoenix Street, Greenwood, SC

Cut in records with R and B hits of the day. Hoyt ran a reasonably successful beauty products company. (See advert below). He later owned HSE Records (Amongst others) where he recorded Gospel Music. I'm figured Hoyt was (is) black, but according to Alistair Blazaar, he was white. (MC)

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STARDAY RECORDS 578

STARDAY RECORDS 578

COUSIN ARNOLD and his Country Cousins

Jul 56 (Billboard Review on 13th Oct 56)

45-578-A - Heart Of A Fantasy

(B McCraven / A E Baynard) (Starrite BMI)

45-578-B - Sweet Talking Daddy

(A E Baynard) (Starrite BMI)

Second (and at this point in time) final offering from Cousin Arnold, or Arnold Eugene Baynard as he was called.. A side is a pleasant enough hillbilly disc, whilst the flip is again bordering on Rock-A-Billy, although this was possibly unintentional. With "Cat Music" hogging more and more of the radio airwaves, these country artists were forced to at least try to be sounding like they were keeping up with the times. Baynard was based around South Carolina for most of his life, yet born in Avondale, NC on June 8th 1930. Arnold died on 31st May 2005.(MC)

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Label Shots courtesy of Terry Gordon

STARDAY RECORDS 569

STARDAY RECORDS 569

(Artist located in Rock Hill, SC at time of release.)

COUSIN ARNOLD and his Country Cousins

Jun 56 (BMI clearance on 20th Jul 56)

45-569-A - Be My Baby, Baby Doll

(A E Baynard) (Starrite BMI)

45-569-B - What is Life To You

(A E Baynard - Glenn Martin) (Starrite BMI)

Billboard reveals that Cousin Arnold is one Arnold E Baynard who was the commercial manager of WTYC, Rock Hills, SC (Summer 56). BB mentions that Arnold and his band are " ... new to the South Carolina area and are doing a weekly half-hour sponsored show over WTYC. They were also doing a weekly bard dance at a lodge in Rock Hill. (I have no idea where they were before this, dated 13 Aug 55. I should also mention that the snippet of info was fed to Billboard by Baynard, who seems to have neglected to mention at the time that he was in fact the artist in question.) By Nov 55 he was also doing "Day Break In Dixie" which was a 6:00 - 6:30 am segment in addition to his 1:00 - 2:00 over the same radio station. It also mentions he has penned two songs "Be My Love" & "If I Were A Millionaire" which he 's trying to get recorded. Did he ever record these? Anyhow, by the summer of 56, he'd recorded the two tracks above and had them shipped to Starday for a pressing run of 300 copies.

The A side is a jolly old hillbilly song with a banjo as the main instrumental. It's a bit of a "sermon" rather than an actual song, but pleasant enough I guess. Flip side is a torrid Country / Rock-A-Billy cross over which flies along at a fast pace. Good guitar and steel throughout with that rather annoying banjo threatening to take over at the slightest provocation. (Sorry, I'm not a huge banjo fan.) Marvelous stuff indeed! (MC)
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Label Shots courtesy of Terry Gordon.

SULLIVAN RECORDS 558

THE LEWIS FAMILY

Apr 56

558-A - Did You Do What The Lord Said To Do

(No credits) (No publication info)

558-B - Wait a little long please Jesus

(No credits) (No publication info)
SULLIVAN RECORDS 558

Greensboro, SC 

See previous Entry.

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SULLIVAN RECORDS 557

THE LEWIS FAMILY

Apr 56

557-A - Lights In The Valley

(No credits) (No publication info)

557-B - My Jesus is the one

(No credits) (No publication info)
SULLIVAN RECORDS 557
Greensboro, SC

The Lewis Family were from Lincolnton, GA originally. According to the Starday LP (All Night Singing Convention - Starday LP 252), the family consisted of Polly, Janice, Maggy (or Meggy / Miggy - depending on where you read it), Pop Lewis (String Bass), Little Roy (Banjo), Wallace (Guitar). They made at least 12 LP’s for Starday as well as Nashville records and Canaan records (Waco, TX.)

This (and the next release) were possibly their first recordings. At this time the band consisted of Talmadge (Mandolin), Esley (Bass), Wallace (Guitar), Roy (“Pop”) and Little Roy (Banjo). The sessions were held at WJAT in Swainsboro, GA and was originally intended for the Bibletone label. When that went bust before being able to release any of their recordings, they had them issued on Sullivan Records from Greenwood, SC. Hoyt (Label owner sponsored thet family on the TV station WJBF in Augusta, GA where it continued for an astonishing 38 years!

Hoyt then leased a few sides to Hollywood Records before they recorded for Starday Records proper.

Source: Dean Craige Morris / Doug Brown / Ron Lees

HOYTS RECORDS 521

REV. CAMPBELL with the Wonder Boy

Jun 55 (BMI clearance on 1st July 55)

521-A - Old Ship Of Zion

(R Campbell / J Smith Jr.)   (Golden State Songs)

521-B - You Can't Hurry God

(R Campbell / J Smith Jr.)   (Starrite BMI)
HOYTS RECORDS 521
Po Box 2069, South Greenwood, SC

HOYTS 521 was also issued on HOLLYWOOD 1036. I believe Rev Campbell is a black artist - a rarity amongst Starday Customs. Wonder Boy is apparently a J Smith Jnr. Two other recordings on Hollywood (“No Room For Liars” / “Stop That” - Hollywood 1037), (“This Is A Mean Old World” / “You Can’t Fool God” - Hollywood 1064) and at least three releases on HSE in the late 60’s pretty much exhaust the info I could find on Campbell. As an aside, Billboard stated (Feb 6th 1954) that Don Pierce had gained complete control of the Hollywood and Rec In Hollywood labels from John Dolphin. (MC / PJT / Gospel Records Vol 1 - C Hayes / R Laughton / Nate Gibson / M Proost)

Any info? Email me!

Label Shot (Hoyts): Michel Proost / Doug Brown

Label Shots (Hollywood): Nate Gibson

label Shot (Hollywood)78: Malcolm Chapman

RANGELAND RECORDS 506

BILLIE AND GORDON HAMRICK - "The Honey Hill Sweethearts"

Jul 54

PD-506-A - He Is My Guide

(Bernice Jennette)    (Golden State Songs)

PD-506-B - He's Gonna Take His Children Out

(Bernice Jennette)   (Golden State Songs)
RANGELAND RECORDS 506
601 Park Ave, North Charleston, SC

B and G Hamrick present themselves here with a pleasant mandolin led gospel coupling, with the B side being the faster of the two. Both sides were written by Bernice Jennette. The only info I have on the Honeyhill Sweethearts is they had at least two previous releases on Rangeland (which may have been their own label), both pressed by RCA in 1953 (“My Dream Of The Old Rugged Cross” / “My Savior’s Train Of Life” - RANGELAND No.# // “Married People Out Of Place” / “Pocotaligo Waltz” - RANGELAND No.#). At present I have no other info of any other subsequent recordings, apart from the three other Starday customs listed on this site (Starday 522, 626, 673). The B side was reissued on a 6 track Dixie 78rpm with a fade out roughly halfway. Honeyhill is located approx 30 miles outside Charleston. Billboard magazine (14th March 1953) mentions that their steel guitarist who played on on the RCA pressed Rangeland discs was Bob Bratcher, who died in Jacksonville, FL in early 53. (MC / Phil Tricker / Flyright CD 64 - Hillbilly Gospel - notes by Bruce Bastin)

Additional Info (2 Feb 2011)

"Billie and Gordon formed a gospel bluegrass duet. Together,they wrote and recorded songs in the 1950's for both the Rangeland label and the Starday label. They hosted a gospel variety show , The Old Country Church. The gospel bluegrass variety show ran for over 12 years on WUSN-TV channel two in Charleston, SC. Billie played this Martin guitar and Gordon played mandolin on the show and numerous personal appearances throughout the Southeast. Their career spanned over 30 years. Ms. Hamrick passed away in 2002,"  

HAMRICK - Gordon B. Hamrick born November 18, 1917 in Douglasville, GA, died December 30, 2001. He served in the U.S. Army in the Panama Canal Zone in the 1930s and continued military service in the Coast Guard through WWII on the USS Savage as a Chief. He also managed grocery stores in Jacksonville and performed gospel music with wife Billie in Charleston, SC on a television show called The Old Country Church in the 1950s and 60s. Billie and Gordon continued performing gospel music up until his retirement in 1998. He was a member of Biltmore Baptist Church and is survived by daughter, Sharon; son Marty; and grandchildren, Jade, Siminitus, Amanda, and Lauren Hamrick, all residents of Jacksonville.  (Michel Proost)

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com

Source: Phil Tricker

Photos from Marty Hamrick

45 rpm from Doug Brown ("SCP 506 Bllie & Gordon Hamrick but, pressed as a 45, the dead wax ties with COAST pressing matrix suggesting it was stamped around the same period of time.")

GOSPEL RECORDS 502

CONWAY GOSPEL CHORUS

Feb 54 (BMI clearance 19th March 1954)

PD-502-A - Going Down The Hill   (Starrite BMI)

(No info)

PD-502-B - King Jesus Is My Captain   (Starrite BMI)

(Conway Gospel Chorus)

GOSPEL RECORDS 502

Po Box 641, Conway, SC

I drew a blank on this group and the label. Not seen or heard the disc. A copy was sold on ebay in 2007 in a job lot but there was no label shot. (Plus, I missed the auction so I didn't even get to bid).

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com