1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 March Voice | Page 15

Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse
13
Opry Stars To Record
orse
A spirited horse show theme song,
“Walking Horse Fever Is Going
Around," will be recorded immediate­
ly lor nationwide debut on television
early in August prior to the National
Celebration—according to Executive
Secretary Ben A. Green of the Ten-
nesse Walking Horse Lovers League
of America. He said all net proceeds
from this song will go to this public
welfare corporation formed last year
by Green to receive funds with which
to promote the Tennessee Walking
Horse.
Present Officers are: William S.
Russell, attorney and former Shelby-
ville Mayor, president; Edward C.
Huffman, president of the Shelbyville
First National Bank, vice-president;
William L. Parker, president of the
Peoples National Bank and vice-presi­
dent of the National Celebration,
corporation treasurer; L. C. Fritzche,
Purina dealer, secretary; and Green,
Editor of the Voice of the Tennessee
Walking Horse, executive secretary.
Tax Deductible Gifts
“Our welfare outfit can accept tax
deductible gifts, now has 5503 in the
treasury, and has SI00 promised—and
should reap thousands from this great
ballad, "declared Green. “All parti­
cipating will donate their talents and
labor.”
Green said the song will be recorded
by the Willis Brothers—one of the
most popular trios in the history of
Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry where
they are regular performers. The
words are being written by the famous
Arkansas school teacher—Jimmy Drift­
wood—who penned “Tennessee Stud”
that became a big hit with Eddie
Arnold singing. Celebration Organist
Jimmie Richardson, now in Flordia,
is expected to accompany at the organ.
Don Worden volunteered to publish
the song through his Worden Music
Co. which published the “Tennessee
Stud” and plans are to use the same
melody. President Don Pierce of Star-
day records—a longtime close friend of
Green—said his company would pro­
duce the records and make them avai­
lable to the welfare foundation for
sale at the National Celebration and
elsewhere.
Plans were discussed first at the
Grand Ole Opry Saturday night, May
2, by Green—onetime editor of the
Country & Western Jamboree maga­
zine published by Maher Publications
of Chicago, 111. At that time Green
%
ever
was a Nashville Banner copy editor
who became a Country Music column­
ist and wrote Opry personality articles
featured in The Banner Sports Extra
that was mailed to 3,000 Country
Music disc jockies throughout the
U.S.A., Canada and some foreign
countries. Green was deluged with
mail for months—and carried on the
magazine until the publication firm
suspended its operations and the
magazine was converted into an
annual.
Owns A Walking Horse
Vic Willis, oldest of the Oklahoma-
born Willis Brothers, has a 13-year-old
daughter, Vicky Lynn, who owns a
Tennessee Walking Horse named
Dream Boy. The other brother are
Guy and Skeeter. This group was
originally known as the “Oklahoma
Wranglers."
They began their singing career on
KGFF in Shawnee, Oklahoma in the
early 30's when very young. Then
came the “Brush Creek Folly” show
on KMBS in Kansas City, Mo. All
three served in the armed forces for
World War II for four years—then be­
came regular on WSM's famous Grand _
Ole Opry—the pillar of Country Music
in the world. They spent six years on
the Eddie Arnold Show then returned
to the Opry.
The Willis Brothers were the first
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