The Pickard Family was an early American folk and country music group that helped popularize country and folk music with urban audiences in the first half of the 20th century.[1] The group was originally successful on so-called "barn dance" shows like the Grand Ole Opry, but eventually expanded to recording and independent radio stations.[2]
| The Pickard Family | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | Folk, country |
| Years active | 1925-1950s |
| Past members |
|
Origins
Obediah Pickard, also known as Obed or Dad, began singing in local churches and gatherings in western Middle Tennessee, near Ashland City and Waverly. By 1928, he had been discovered by the producers of the Grand Ole Opry, a country and folk music radio show broadcast on the Nashville-based WSM radio, where he performed as a one-man-band. Soon afterwards he brought in the rest of his family. The Pickard Family first received national prominence soon afterwards, when NBC contracted the family for their own show, "The Cabin Door."[3]
Influence
Musician Ellen Muriel Deason derived her stage name, Kitty Wells, from The Pickard Family's folk ballad "Sweet Kitty Wells."[4]
References
- ^ "Domino 4328 – The Pickard Family – 1929". Old Time Blues. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ Peterson, Richard A. (1997). Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- ^ Havighurst, Craig (2007). Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City. Champagne-Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 30.
- ^ Barlow, Bill (2008). The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 12: Music. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. p. 377.