Radio
The wireless

In 1892, Thomas A. Edison received the patent for the radio.  In the early days of radio
people would build their own radios, "hands" or "tinkers" they were called.  These crystal
and battery operated radios were first an instrument used to connect people with their
friends.  Folks would go on top of a hill and gather around the old crystal radio.  At night
the transmission was good on the top of the hills, Buffalo Benford wonders if this might
have anything to do with the roots of the word "hill-billys."  Some  moonshine's would use
their copper still as an antenna.

As much as the railroad and the automobile have done, the radio did much to change
and urbanized the rural areas of this country.  The radio became a great catalyst of
change.   With radio comes a communications revolution and a great paradigm shift in
the entertainment world.  After the turn of the century, the music industry was led by
vaudeville, sheet music sales and the "talking machine" or phonograph.  Enter the
radio...which not only brought the urban sound and more information to the rural country
side,  but the music and the musicians of rural America began to play and roll in the
evolution of the entertainment business.

1920 KDKA plays one of the first radio broadcast.  100,000 sold in first 2 years and
there were 500 radio stations that started.  During the early 1920's the South and the
rural areas were a little slower than the rest of the country joining this new era of enter-
tainment.  The radio gave entertainers a place to play live and spread the raw country
sounds that had not been heard in the cities.  "Race" and "hillbilly" music as it was called
in the early days is being heard, but not yet made on records.   WSB in Atlanta went on
the air in 1922 with 100,000 watts.  Fiddlin'  John Carson was one of the early "folk
talents" to start the spread of the new music from  the rural areas.

Radio sales through the 20's were historic.  In the early days they did not play records
on radio, individual performers and bands would come into a theater and/or a radio
station to perform live on the radio.  It is said that in the early days the stations would
almost just bring people off the streets and get them to perform.  Many of the big
vaudeville stars began to leave the stage and perform on radio.

The 1930's saw the radio as a major source of entertainment in the U.S.  In 1932 WSM
became a 50,000 watt clear-channel station and began to air the Barn Dance.  Soon
WLS became the first radio station to construct a studio theatre.  In 1933 Alka-Seltzer
became a sponsor the show became a one hour segment on NBC, with this the Opry
and the Barn Dance became a very important place for hillbilly radio shows to grow.
Soon after the Wheeling Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia became another great
show for the hillbilly talent like Jimmy Dickens, Wilma Lee, Hank Snow, Doc Williams,
Hawkshaw Hawkins and others.

Another big era of radio was inaugurated in October of 1931, when XER began oper-
ations with 100,000 watts in Villa Acuna, Mexico.  This was called the border stations
era of radio.  This was a place where the cowboy singers and other unknowns became
popular.  Nolan "Cowboy Slim" Rinehart, J.R. Hall "the Utah Cowboy" and other cowboy
balladeers helped pioneer this new form of music.
 

to be continued

© 1998-09 Benford E. Standley. All Rights Reserved.
This can in no way be copied or distributed.

We would love your help continuing this story...if you have any important dates or
information that helps us tell the story of the evolution of  the music and
entertainment business send them to us and we will add to KICKIN' UP DUST