The winners are Andy Bing and Vinny Nugent
DECEMBER 3, 2021 TRIVIA QUESTION
Most of the machines in old time, country and bluegrass music seem to have been trains, early on. Well, there was also Jim & Jesse’s “Air Mail Special”, but planes didn’t catch on much.
In the 1950s and 1960s there was a whole genre of country music known as “truck driving songs”. Perhaps the most famous was “I’m a Truck Driving Man” (Pour me another cup of coffee…for it is the best in the land…). A few bluegrass acts played a role in the truck driving song experience. Jim & Jesse did “Diesel on My Tail” (about a VW bug going down a mountain with a tractor-trailer hot on its rear bumper) and “Diesel Smoke Dangerous Curves”. Moore & Napier did “Truck Driver’s Queen” and a full LP for truckers. Reno & Smiley also did a full LP of truck driving songs.
This trivia question concerns Carter Stanley of the Stanley Brothers. Carter participated in 4 different commercial recordings about “truck driving”. Here are 3 — you determine the 4th for the correct answer.
God’s Highway, Rollin’ on Rubber Wheels, Prayer of a Truck Driver’s Son, and ____________________.
A. Lonesome Truck Driver’s Blues
B. Truck Driving Son of a Gun
C. Giddy Up Go
D. Highway of Regret
E. Widowmaker
F. Truck Driving Booger (instrumental)
G. End of the Road
Additional Bowden Comments
Well done Andy and Vinny picking A: “Lonesome Truck Drivers Blues” by Bill Monroe. Carter Stanley was Bill’s guitar-man of the Blue Grass Boys at this time, summer 1951. Carter sang with Bill on 4 records, but not this one — he just played guitar.
B: Truck Driving Son of a Gun, was a Dave Dudley record as he really cashed in on truck driving songs. Not bluegrass.
C: Giddy Up Go was a hit truck driving “weeper” by Red Sovine in the country western field.
D: Highway of Regret is a Stanley Brothers record, but has nothing to do with truck driving.
E: Widowmaker was THE big hit bluegrass truck driving song but it was by Jimmy Martin.
Jimmy was so proud of his success with Widowmaker that he had the word painted on his bus! Just like on the LP cover. Seems like it might be a jinx!
F: Truck Driving Booger (instrumental) is a title I made up based on a Ralph Stanley banjo instrumental called Big Booger.
G: End of the Road is a Stanley Brothers gospel record — not about truck driving.
A. Lonesome Truck Driver’s Blues. Carter was a member of the Blue Grass Boys when he played guitar on this Bill Monroe recording. This July 1, 1951 recording helped get trucking songs rolling in country music.
A