Louisiana Hayride

The Louisiana Hayride is one of the most famous country music radio shows in the U.S.. It is since 1948 from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana transfer, and was surpassed in the 1950s only by the Grand Ole Opry in popularity. The epithet of Hayrides is Cradle of the Stars since the show was a "stepping stone " to a career for many musicians.

History

On April 3, 1948, the Louisiana Hayride first went on the air. Was initiated by the Saturday evening show of Henry Clay and Dean Upson, who belonged to the management of the radio station KWKH Shreveport. In 1948 was transferred weekly. The reception was initially limited to Louisiana and the surrounding states. As of 1954, 30-minute excerpts were transferred overseas via the AFN network. About the CBS network North America was fully achieved.

The rise and fall

The first stars were Hank Williams and Kitty Wells. Starting in 1954, Elvis Presley was a member for 18 months, after he had failed at the Grand Ole Opry. In his last appearance on 15 December 1956 came to a mass hysteria among the mostly female fans who tried to calm her with the message " Elvis has left the building" the announcer Horace Lee Logan.

The Louisiana Hayride was always in the shadow of the Grand Ole Opry. " The Cradle of the Stars " ( the cradle of the Stars ) served mainly emerging talent as a springboard, but offered also established musicians the opportunity to gigs that the strict regime of the Opry did not want to undergo.

After the departure Presley the show experienced a gradual decline. At times, only tape recordings of old shows were played. The station KWKH withdrew and 1969, the shipments were permanently discontinued. David Kent took over the naming rights in 1975 and revived the Hayride 1973-1987 again. In another building the show was continued with reduced star-studded. From 1984 she was transferred addition on TV. Three years later they moved back to the Municipal Auditorium. At the successes of times from 1948 to 1960 but could not be tied and you put the shows back on. Currently, there are plans to restore the Municipal Auditorium and leave the Louisiana Hayride take place there again.

Guests and members

Warren Smith (singer) Jimmy & Johnny
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