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Duo Country
composé de Lloyd Leslie George (aka Ken
Marvin) (né le 27 Juin 1924 à Cordova (Alabama), décédé le
16 Octobre 1991) et Rollin Lillian Sullivan (né le 9 Janvier 1919 à Edmonton
(Kentucky).
Lonzo and
Oscar were an American country music duo originally consisting of Lloyd Leslie
George (1924-1991) and Rollin Lillian Sullivan (b. 1919), best known for being
the first to perform the 1948 song "I'm My Own Grandpa". Lonzo was later
portrayed by Johnny Sullivan from 1950-1967 and by David Hooten from 1967-1980s.
George continued performing under the stage name
Ken Marvin.
Lloyd George was born to parents Austin and Myrtle George in a duplex house in
Cordova, Alabama on June 27, 1924. In 1930, Austin operated a cafeteria and
Myrtle worked in a cotton mill. About 1931, they moved to the mill village in
Haleyville, Alabama, where better jobs were available, and where Lloyd went to
school. He ordered a cheap guitar from Sears and Roebuck and always loved music.
George had a local group called the Rhythm Rascals, and he also played with
Sonny James Loden and his family, as well as gospel singer Jake Hess. The Rhythm
Rascals consisted of Will Harvey Jones, James "Snookem" Turner, a fiddle player,
and a Mr. Howell.
At age 14, George made his first radio appearance on WMSD-AM in Sheffield,
Alabama. He graduated from Haleyville High School in 1942. Turned down by the
military for World War II, he moved to Nashville and got a gig with
Curly Fox and Texas Ruby, but soon he
was playing bass with
Eddy Arnold after Arnold's bassist, Gabe Tucker, left.
Rollin Sullivan was born in Edmonton, Kentucky, one in a family of ten. Rollin
(born January 9, 1919) and brother Johnny Sullivan (born July 7, 1917) toured
together in the 1930s; they were also in a local group known as the Kentucky
Ramblers. They made their professional debut on WTJS-AM in Jackson, Tennessee,
about 1939. In 1942, Rollin joined Paul
Howard’s Arkansas Cotton Pickers playing an electric mandolin, where he
received the nickname Oscar. Johnny was in the military at the time. In the
summer of 1944, Rollin, with WSM-AM’s Grand Ole Opry, played tent shows with
Eddy Arnold.
By 1945, the Sullivan brothers joined George with Arnold's show. They played a
comedy act called Cicero and Oscar, opening shows for Arnold and His Tennessee
Plowboys. George was Cicero and Rollin was Oscar. One evening the troupe stopped
at a hotel. "While we was checking in, this black man, a porter, was coming down
the steps just covered with dirty linen. The desk clerk looked up and said,
‘Lonzo! Don’t you ever come down those front steps with dirty linen anymore,’"
recounted Rollin. Arnold then changed Cicero to Lonzo. According to Rollin, they
would "go out on the stage, and boy, we’d wang-bang them, get them all laughing
and having a good time [Lonzo and Oscar got 20 minutes before Arnold.] Then we
introduced Eddy. Eddy came out on the stage, and he would sing ‘Mommy Please
Stay Home with Me,’ and they’d all start bawling." Rollin continued on the
electric mandolin, recording for Arnold on November 21, 1945. By Arnold’s next
two recording dates on March 20 and September 24, 1946, all three were playing
as session musicians: George played bass and Johnny Sullivan played guitar.
In 1947, Arnold signed George and Sullivan with his label, RCA Victor. They
recorded their first songs on May 18, 1947, which were released in August.
George named the group Lonzo and Oscar with their Winston County Pea Pickers.
Sullivan still recorded for Arnold throughout 1947, but at the end of the year,
Arnold let Lonzo and Oscar go. Besides persuading Steve Sholes of RCA Victor to
get them a contract and landing them a spot on the Grand Ole Opry, he also hired
Johnny Sullivan to manage a record store Arnold owned in Murfreesboro,
Tennessee.
Lonzo and Oscar with their Winston County Pea Pickers recorded 16 songs for RCA.
Their best selling song was released in 1948. Written by Dwight Latham and Moe
Jaffe, "I’m My Own Grandpa" became their signature tune and was recorded by many
others. It sold over four million copies. Originally, RCA Victor approached
Arnold to sing and release this record, but Arnold thought that it would better
suit Lonzo and Oscar.
In 1949, the team switched record companies, finding their home with Capitol
Records. Their first recording date with Capitol was August 21, 1949; however,
George recorded his first songs as Ken
Marvin on Capitol two days before he
recorded with Rollin as Lonzo and Oscar. They recorded ten songs for Capitol. By
the end of January 1950, Lloyd left the group to solo as
Ken Marvin. George asked Rollin if he could quit, and told him "sometime in my life, I am gonna try
to go solo. It's something that I've always wanted to do." Lloyd had to use a
different name because WSM stipulated that Lloyd would have to give up the name
Lonzo.
Johnny Sullivan then took on the role. Rollin produced the duo from this point
on. They went to Decca Records and released 29 singles. In 1963, the group
scored another hit with "Country Music Time". Johnny Sullivan died of a massive
heart attack on June 5, 1967, and Rollin continued with Lonzo and Oscar when he
found David Hooten, the third Lonzo.
George continued recording throughout the 1950s; he released many songs on the
Capitol, Mercury, RCA Victor, Intro, Todd, and Briar labels. In the 1960s, he
changed his stage name from Ken Marvin back to Lloyd George, where he released
songs on Imperial Records. His best known song is "Uh-Huh Honey", which nearly
became a hit. He was also a disc jockey on WSKY-AM in Asheville, North Carolina
in 1956.
After George stopped making records later in his life, he booked shows for
Bill Monroe. He married Clyda Ogletree,
a singer in a trio (January 15, 1924–June 6, 1990). They lived in Cookeville,
Putnam County, Tennessee, and had one daughter, Claudia Faye.
George died October 16, 1991. He and his wife are buried at Netherland Cemetery
in Overton County, Tennessee.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonzo_and_Oscar
Talents : Lloyd Leslie George : Vocals, Guitar, Bass - Rollin Lillian Sullivan : Vocals, Mandolin
Style musical : Traditional Country, Country Comedy
THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1948)
SKUNK SKIN BRITCHES (1953) I'M MY OWN GRANDPA (1959) |
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Years in activity :
1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 |
DISCOGRAPHY
78 t. & Singles
07/1947 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-2309 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - Ol' Buttermilk Sky / Take Them Cold Feet Outa My Back (Before I Kick You Out) |
08/1947 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-2378 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - My Adobe Hacienda / Cornbread, 'Lasses And Sassfrass Tea |
10/1947 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-2502 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - Near You / When You Were Sweet Sixteen |
11/1947 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-2563 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - I'm My Own Granpa / You Blacked My Blue Eyes Once Too Often |
03/1948 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-2765 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - Poppin' Bubble Gum / Ole Mother Nature |
06/1948 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-2908 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - There's A Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea / Girls, Don't Nag Your Husbands |
09/1948 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-3083 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - Watching The Girls Go By / You Won't Do It No More |
12/1948 | 78 t. RCA VICTOR 20-3211 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR with their WINSTON COUNTY PEA PICKERS - She's The Best I Ever Saw / Last Ole Dollar |
09/1949 | 78 t. CAPITOL 57-40236 (US) | I Wonder Why She Almost Drives Me Wild / Who Pulled The Plug From The Jug |
10/1949 | 78 t. CAPITOL 57-40255 (US) | Love Is Sweet But Oh How Bitter / Sheepskin Corn |
12/1949 | 78 t. CAPITOL 57-40269 (US) | I’ll Go Chasin’ Women / My Dreams Turned Into A Nightmare |
03/1950 | SP CAPITOL F939 (US) | Onions, Onions / If Texas Told What Arkan-Saw Then What Did Tennessee |
02/1951 | 78 t. DECCA 46299 (US) | I Lithp (Ekthept When I Thay "Ithaca") / Metro Polka |
02/1951 | SP DECCA 9-46299 (US) | I Lithp (Ekthept When I Thay "Ithaca") / Metro Polka |
03/1951 | SP CAPITOL F1446 (US) | Pretty Little Indian Maid / Tickle The Tom Cat's Tail |
04/1951 | 78 t. DECCA 46312 (US) | I'm Moving On #2 / Give Me And R.C Cola And Moon Pie |
04/1951 | SP DECCA 9-46312 (US) | I'm Moving On #2 / Give Me And R.C Cola And Moon Pie |
08/1951 | 78 t. DECCA 46340 (US) | Jezebel / It Musta Been Something I Et |
08/1951 | SP DECCA 9-46340 (US) | Jezebel / It Musta Been Something I Et |
09/1951 | 78 t. DECCA 46359 (US) | I Courted The Sunshine And Married The Rain / Extravagant Baby |
09/1951 | SP DECCA 9-46359 (US) | I Courted The Sunshine And Married The Rain / Extravagant Baby |
11/1951 | 78 t. DECCA 46378 (US) | The Strange Little Girl No. 2 / Let’s Live A Little No. 2 |
11/1951 | SP DECCA 9-46378 (US) | The Strange Little Girl No. 2 / Let’s Live A Little No. 2 |
01/1952 | 78 t. DECCA 46393 (US) | Charming Betsy / Mona Lisa No. 2 |
01/1952 | SP DECCA 9-46393 (US) | Charming Betsy / Mona Lisa No. 2 |
01/1952 | 78 t. DECCA 46399 (US) | Charming Betsy / High Heels |
01/1952 | SP DECCA 9-46399 (US) | Charming Betsy / High Heels |
04/1952 | 78 t. DECCA 28060 (US) | Music Makin' Mama No.2 / Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way No.2 |
04/1952 | SP DECCA 9-28060 (US) | Music Makin' Mama No.2 / Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way No.2 |
08/1952 | 78 t. DECCA 28363 (US) | Honky Tonk Sweetheart / Goodbye Little Darlin’ No. 2 (Just Met No. 3) |
08/1952 | SP DECCA 9-28363 (US) | Honky Tonk Sweetheart / Goodbye Little Darlin’ No. 2 (Just Met No. 3) |
12/1952 | 78 t. DECCA 28510 (US) | Knock Kneed Suzy / Tell Me Was It Worth It In The End |
12/1952 | SP DECCA 9-28510 (US) | Knock Kneed Suzy / Tell Me Was It Worth It In The End |
03/1953 | 78 t. DECCA 28624 (US) | Skunk Skin Britches / Baby Me, Baby |
03/1953 | SP DECCA 9-28624 (US) | Skunk Skin Britches / Baby Me, Baby |
11/1953 | 78 t. DECCA 28961 (US) | Frosty The De-Frosted Snowman / Jangle Bells |
11/1953 | SP DECCA 9-28961 (US) | Frosty The De-Frosted Snowman / Jangle Bells |
11/1953 | 78 t. DECCA 28972 (US) | It Can't Be Done / Hey Joe No.2 |
11/1953 | SP DECCA 9-28972 (US) | It Can't Be Done / Hey Joe No.2 |
02/1954 | SP DOT 45-1196 (US) | Let Me Be The One / Wild Oats |
07/1954 | SP DOT 1216 (US) | Crazy 'bout You Baby / Got It On My Mind |
02/1955 | SP DECCA 9-29425 (US) | One Love For Me / See Saw Baby |
07/1957 | SP DECCA 9-30374 (US) | A Fallen Star / Gone No. 2 |
10/1958 | SP STARDAY 45-404 (US) | Deep Thinking / Have A Little Faith In Me |
05/1959 | SP STARDAY 45-436 (US) | Gotta Find Julie / Hills Of East Tennessee |
11/1959 | SP STARDAY 45-463 (US) | Bare Faced Bird Brain / I'm My Own Grandpa |
05/1960 | SP STARDAY 45-491 (US) | I Lost An Angel / Blue Love |
11/1960 | SP STARDAY 45-523 (US) | Takin' A Chance With You / Punkin Raiser |
04/1961 | SP STARDAY 45-543 (US) | Country Music Time / Can't Pitch Woo (In An Igloo) |
10/1961 | SP STARDAY 45-563 (US) | Honey Babe / The Touch Of You |
02/1962 | SP NUGGET 45-1017 (US) | Waltz Me Around Again Willie / Peelin' Taters In The Army |
1962 | SP NUGGET 2022 (US) | Catfish Dinner / Don't Want To Change It Now |
03/1963 | SP NUGGET NR-201 (US) | Hand Holdin' / Uh, What's Her Name |
1963 | SP NUGGET NR-208 (US) | Going Up Town / Grandpa's Mountain Dew |
02/1964 | SP NUGGET NR-210 (US) | The Sound of Nashville / I Worship The Ground You Walk On |
06/1964 | SP NUGGET NR-223 (US) | Old Leather Saddle / All Day Singing |
12/1964 | SP NUGGET NR-235 (US) | From No One My Thumbs Are / Rip And Snort |
06/1965 | SP NUGGET NR-250 (US) | Dormant Volcano / New River Train, Number Two |
12/1965 | SP NUGGET NR-256 (US) | Funny Way Of Living / Getting The Hang Of It Now |
12/1967 | SP COLUMBIA 4-44400 (US) | Did You Have To Bring That Up / Give Me A King-Sized Cola And Moon Pie |
1969 | SP CHALET CHR-1052 (US) | Hertz Rent A Chick / Dolly |
1969 | SP CHALET CHR-1058 (US) |
Heartaches For Fun And Profit / Wood |
1970 | SP CHALET CHR-1067 (US) | My Business Ain't Doin' So Good / Ant's A-Go-Go |
11/1973 | SP GRC 1006 (US) | Traces Of Life / Lubbock |
1974 | SP GRC 2013 (US) | Any Old Wind That Blows / Railroad Take Your Whistle Home |
1974 | SP GRC 2022 (US) | Catfish Dinner / Don't Want To Change It Now |
1974 | SP GRC 2029 (US) | From Your Shoulder's To Mine / Good Is The Color Of Love |
1974 | SP GRC 2035 (US) | He Came Back / God Is The Color Of Love |
03/1975 | SP GRC 2054 (US) | Bitter Grapes / When I Stop Dreaming |
1975 | SP GRC 2063 (US) | When The Fields In The Valley Turn Green / He Came Back |
1976 ? | SP WORLD INT. 1007 (US) | Fan Of Country Music / Together |
1976 ? | SP WORLD INT. WI 1014 (US) | When The Fields In The Valley Turn Green / ? |
1976 ? | SP WORLD INT. WI 1016 (US) | Musically Inclined |
06/1977 | SP WORLD INT. IRDA-399 (US) | Mama's Sugar / Together |
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Albums
1960 | LP 12" STARDAY SLP-119 (US) | AMERICA'S GREATEST COUNTRY COMEDIANS - I'm My Own Grandpa / I've Had It / Have A Little Faith In Me / Bare Faced Bird Brain / Blue Love / Hills Of East Tennessee / I Lost An Angel / Trouble Along The Cable / Get Along Mulie / Deep Thinking / Thing Look Silly / Little Talk With Jesus | |
07/1963 | LP 12" STARDAY SLP-244 (US) | COUNTRY MUSIC TIME - Country Music Time / (Can't Pitch) Woo In An Igloo / The Touch Of You / Honey Babe / Punkin' Center Tennessee / Taking A Chance On You / Take Them Cold Feet Out Of My Back / I Don't Wanna Change It Now / Corn Bread And Lasses / Peelin' Taters In The Army / Catfish Dinner / Waltz Me Around Again, Willie | |
1963 | LP 12" DECCA DL-4363 (mono) / 74363 (stereo) (US) | COUNTRY COMEDY TIME - Hey Joe No. 2 / I Courted The Sunshine And Married The Rain / See Saw Baby / Gone No.2 / Give Me An RC Cola And A Moon Pie / It Can't Be Done / Goodbye Little Darlin' / Goodbye No.2 / Lithp Etkhept When I Thay Ithaca / I'm Movin' On No.2 / Music Makin' Mama Second Hand / A Fallen Star / Charming Betsy | |
1965 | LP 12" NUGGET NR-001 (US) | HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA | |
1965 | LP 12" HILLTOP JM 6021 (mono) / JS 6021 (stereo) (US) | LONZO AND OSCAR! - Hand Holding / What's Her Name/ Goin' Uptown / Grandpa's Mountain Dew/ Ole Mountain Dew / Charmin' Betsy / Sounds Of Nashville / I Worship The Ground You Walk On / Ole Leather Saddle / All Day Singing | |
1967 | LP 12" SON 74161/2 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR | |
03/1968 | LP 12" COLUMBIA CL-2787 (mono) / CS-9587 (US) | MOUNTAIN DEW - I'm My Own Grandpa / Dormant Volcano / New River Train / The Sound Of Nashville / Old Leather Saddle / I Worship The Ground You Walk On / There's A Hole At The Bottom Of The Sea / Uh, What's Her Name / Going Up Town / A Funny Way Of Living / Grandpa's Mountain Dew | |
1972 | LP 12" SON 104851/2 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR SPECIAL - VOL. 1 - THE BEST OF LONZO & OSCAR THRU THE YEARS - Country Music Time / Honey Babe / The Touch Of You / You Can't Pitch Woo In An Iglo [I.E. Ingloo] / Blue Blue Blue / Trouble Along The Cable / Catfish Dinner / I Don't Want To Change It Now / Hand Holdin / Oh What's Her Name / Going Up Town / Grandpa's Mountain Dew | |
1972 | LP 12" SON 104861/2 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR SPECIAL - VOL. 2 | |
1972 | LP 12" SON 104871/2 (US) | LONZO & OSCAR SPECIAL - VOL. 3 - THE BEST OF LONZO & OSCAR THRU THE YEARS - Moving On No. 2 / Charming Betsy / Peeling Taters In The Army / Ole Leather Saddle / Rip And Snort / All My Thumbs Are Gonna Be Fingers / Country Joined The Country Club / My Last Ole Dollars' Done Gone / Mona Lesa [I.E. Lisa] No. 2 / The All Day Singing And Dinner On The Ground / Crodad [I.E. Crawdad] / That Ain't Too Exciting Is It | |
1972 | LP 12" CHALET JPS-1510 (US) | TAKE YOUR PICK (THE HUMOROUS OR SERIOUS MOODS OF GRAND OLE OPRY STARS) - Ants A Go Go / Since Hillbilly Music Went Country / Gringo / Lubbock / Hertz Rent A Chick / Dolly / Then They Can Come And Get Me / Mississippi Fever / My Business Ain't Doing So Good / Out Of Hand / Heartaches For Fun And Profit / Wood Would | |
08/1975 | LP 12" GRC GA 10014 (US) | TRACES OF LIFE - Traces Of Life / Lubbock / I Hear Your Railroad Whistle / Then They Can Come And Get Me / God Is The Color Of Love / Any Old Wind That Blows / Mississippi Fever / When The Fields In The Valley Turn Green / Out Of Hand / From Your Shoulder To Mine | |
1977 | LP 12" CMI 1013 (US) | THE BEST OF LONZO & OSCAR - Green Horned Farmer / Got It On My Mind / Courtin' In The Rain / I'm Movin' On / Why Should I Cry Over You / No Help Wanted / Dear John Letter / Hole In The Botom Of The Sea / I'm My Own Grandpa / Charmin' Betsy | |
06/1979 | LP 12" SINGING HILLS 61579 (US) | YOU ASKED FOR IT - Hot Time From Nashville / Bluegrass Melody / Hicker Nut Ridge / Dueling Banjos / When I Stop Dreaming / How Great Thou Art / Mandolin Medley / Windy City / Pickaway / Family Bible / Momma's Sugar | |
1981 | LP 12" FIRST GENERATION FGLP-GOOS-10 (CAN) | LONZO & OSCAR - STARS OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY - Dixie Road / The Winner Takes It All / The Rock I'm Leaning On / (Whatever Happened to) Saturday Night / I'm My Own Grandpaw / Old Flame / Seven Bridges Road / No Relief In Sight / Old Songs / Halfway Home | |
1982 | LP 12" BRYLEN BN-4439 (US) | OLD AND NEW SONGS - Dixie Road / The Winner Takes It All / The Rock I'm Leaning On / (Whatever Happened to) Saturday Night / I'm My Own Grandpaw / Old Flame / Seven Bridges Road / No Relief In Sight / Old Songs / Halfway Home | |
08/1984 | LP 12" LOS 8784 (US) | LIVE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY - Midnight Flyer / Flint Hill Special / Don't Cheat In Our Home Town / I'm My Own Grandpa / Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On / That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine / Mountain Music / Poet With Wings / So Good In Love / All The Gold In California / Holt In The Bottom Of The Sea / Rocky Top | |
1987 | LP 12" COWGIRLBOY LP-5041 (GER) | HONKY TONK SWEETHEART - Extravagant Baby / High Heels / Honky Tonk Sweetheart / I Wonder Why She Almost Drives Me Wild / I'll Go Chasin' Women / Last Ole Dollar / My Dreams Turned Into A Nightmare / Ole Buttermilk Sky / Ole Mother Nature / Poppin' Bubble Gum / Pretty Little Indian Maid / She's The Best I Ever Saw / Tickle The Tom Cat's Tail / When You Were Sweet Sixteen / Who Pulled The Plug From The Jug | |
2005 | CD DIGITAL MUSICWORKS ? (US) | COUNTRY MASTERS - Dixie Road / The Winner Takes All / The Rock I'm Leaning On / Whatever Happened To Saturday Night / I'm My Own Grandpa / Old Flame / Seven Bridges Road / No Relief In Sight / Old Songs / Halfway Home | |
2008 | CD BACM CD D 198 (UK) | THERE’S A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - Charming Betsy / Ole Buttermilk Sky / There's A Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea / Take Them Cold Feet Out Of My Back / Cornbread And Lasses And Sassafras Tea / I'm My Own Grandpa / My Adobe Hacienda / Near You / You Blacked My Blue Eyes Once Too Often / Girls Don't Nag Your Husbands / You Won't Do It No More / Watching The Girls Go By / Sheepskin Corn / Got It On My Mind / I'm Movin' On No. 2 / Crazy 'bout You Baby / Let Me Be The One / Knock Kneed Suzy / Tell Me Was It Worth It / Jangle Bells / One Love For Me / Jezabel / Let's Live A Little / Strange Little Girl / Mona Lisa / Frosty The De-Frosted Snowman |
© Rocky Productions 2/08/2015