I promised myself I wouldn't write any stories for my own Web
Site...but...as one would guess...especially those who are in contact with
him....Dalton Robert's changed my mind this morning..The guy is very a very
sleezie persuader....
I don't know whether to thank him or go looking for him...{Smile}
As a youngster...I mean knee high to a Grasshopper...every Sunday... my Mom
and Dad would gather my Sister and I up... and we'd head out...on foot to
"Jim & Jane's" Radio Park...located in Woody Crest about 2 miles outside
State College , Pa......about a 5 mile walk...from home.
The Park was located in the woods...had those benches and a stage built out
of Pennsylvania hardword slabs....cut right on the site....and this was
before chain saws.....two man cross cut & Hand axe were the rage of the
woodsmens day....a "Husky" was a dog.
I'm sure Wilma Lee Cooper can remember...that park...
I'll have to ask her one day.
What beautiful sounds came out of those woods...!!!!!
Mom would pack us a brown bag lunch...and we'd eat it between shows...this
was back before they invented concessions...
In those days you made and took your own....{Smile}
Nomally left over from Saturday night's supper...
Jim & Jane always had a afternoon show and evening show with such great
Hillbilly Artist's a Lulabelle & Scotty...Doc & Chickie Williams..Wilma Lee
& StoneyCooper....Big Slim.....
Hawkshaw Hawkins and on and on...
They booked all the big Wheeling Jamboree Stars back in those days....
I can still remember the long walk back home by moonlight and us all filling
the night time air singing "The Wild Wood Flower"...or "Detour" ...the echo
sounded great ramblin' through those hill's...and you thought Rock n' Roll
invented "Echo" didn't you...??? {Smile} Sorry to disappoint you...
This was way back in 19??...and that's along time ago...
yet it seem's like only yesterday.
Jim & Jane & The Western Vagabonds were the local Central Pennsylvania Super
Hillbilly Star's of their time.
Everybody loved them...
We would crowd around the Radio everymorning at 6 O'clock Radio sign on
time and listen to their
Pick n' Grinnin' on the Old Philco...
"Detour There's A Muddy Road Ahead"....."Back In The Saddle Again"......"The
Last Letter"..What great music...!!!
It was one of those Phlico's that you had to reach in the back and set the
built in antenna...
WMAJ Radio came in loud n' clear...wonderful....!!!!
They had a comedian Smokey Pleacher who also play Dog
House Bass....
I guess every comedian back in those day's played the Dog House...at least
it seemed that way....
Smokey became a Big Star on the Wheeling Jamboree years later...working with
Doc & Chickie Williams...
Died a very young man....legend has it that he drank himself to death...he
wasn't the first... as I recall...
He was a very funny...funny man...!!!
What a great influnce the Jim & Jane Radio Show had on me...
I knew that one day I wanted to sing and play on the Radio...
Many years later that came to be...lucky me...
Jim & Jane are gone now...but surely this ole' country boy owes them a great
debt..and much gratitude.
For me...they started it all...yes sir....they sure did.
They set the dream...and I chased it..!!!!

Written By: Dick Shuey
05 March 2000
dick@dickshuey.com