Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers
Encyclopedia
Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers was a country-comedy band that performed largely in the Midwest United States from the late 1930s into the 1960s.
WDAN radio in Danville, Illinois
signed them to a contract, and in 1940 held a contest to rename the Six Hoosiers. The $100 prizewinner suggested Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers. (During performances, Fouts would sometimes refer to them as "Captain Stubby and the bucket of tears.")
Appropriately, the band joined the U.S. Navy in 1944, Entertainment Division, going overseas to entertain sailors. After World War II
they signed with WLS
Radio in Chicago and performed on the popular National Barn Dance
, heard throughout the Midwest.
Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers eventually became regulars on the ABC
-TV program Polka Go-Round. They also recorded with five labels, performing many of Fouts' songs. Fouts was host of a syndicated
talk show called Captain Stubby's Special Delivery. He also wrote for and performed on the national Don McNeill's Breakfast Club from 1968 until 1971.
jingle on WLS in the early 1950s, and the recorded version became one of the longest-running tunes in the history of advertising
, featuring Tom Fouts' bass voice in "Away go Troubles Down the Drain." Shortly before his death at 85 in 2004, he contributed to nostalgic radio spots for Roto-Rooter
.
Captain Stubby also sang the 1959 Chicago White Sox
fight song, "Let's Go, Go-Go White Sox
", and was the voice of Green Giant
's Little Sprout.
(Photos courtesy Roto-Rooter.)
Members
- Tom C. FoutsTom FoutsTom C. Fouts was a midwestern farmer, author, and comedian. He was more popularly known as Captain Stubby. He was born in Carroll County, Indiana and grew up there as well. He is perhaps most well known for his Roto-Rooter ad...
(Captain Stubby) November 24, 1918 - May 26, 2004. Comedy, played novelty instruments, including musical hat rack, tuned toilet seatToilet seatA toilet seat is a hinged unit consisting of seat and lid which is bolted onto a toilet bowl for a flush toilet. A toilet seat consists of the seat itself, which may be contoured for the user to sit on, and the lid, which covers the toilet when it is not in use.If the toilet is located in a home...
(gitarlet). Vocalist. Born in Carroll County, Indiana. - Dwight E. (Tiny) Stokes November 11, 1920 - January 12, 1999. Lead tenor vocals, played bass. Born in Springfield, Missouri.
- Jerald R. Richards - Clarinet, flute, bass clarinet, ocarina, tin whistle. Vocals.
- Sonny Fleming - Played guitar, banjo. Vocalist.
- Peter Kunatz - Accordion, piano.
- Curly Myers - Guitar, banjo, vocals.
- Chuck Kagy - Fiddle, guitar, mandolin.
- Buddy Ross - Accordion.
- Tony Walberg - Accordion.
History
Tom C. Fouts, nicknamed Stubby for his stature, left Indiana Central University after a year, and in 1938 formed a band with five friends. The Six Hoosiers specialized in comedy, Fouts playing novelty instruments like a "tuned toilet seat" he called the "gitarlet."WDAN radio in Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
signed them to a contract, and in 1940 held a contest to rename the Six Hoosiers. The $100 prizewinner suggested Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers. (During performances, Fouts would sometimes refer to them as "Captain Stubby and the bucket of tears.")
Appropriately, the band joined the U.S. Navy in 1944, Entertainment Division, going overseas to entertain sailors. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
they signed with WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
Radio in Chicago and performed on the popular National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance, broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the Grand Ole Opry...
, heard throughout the Midwest.
Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers eventually became regulars on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
-TV program Polka Go-Round. They also recorded with five labels, performing many of Fouts' songs. Fouts was host of a syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
talk show called Captain Stubby's Special Delivery. He also wrote for and performed on the national Don McNeill's Breakfast Club from 1968 until 1971.
Advertising
Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers first performed the original Roto-RooterRoto-Rooter
Roto-Rooter is a United States company which originally specialized in clearing tree roots and other obstructions from sewer lines.- History :...
jingle on WLS in the early 1950s, and the recorded version became one of the longest-running tunes in the history of advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, featuring Tom Fouts' bass voice in "Away go Troubles Down the Drain." Shortly before his death at 85 in 2004, he contributed to nostalgic radio spots for Roto-Rooter
Roto-Rooter
Roto-Rooter is a United States company which originally specialized in clearing tree roots and other obstructions from sewer lines.- History :...
.
Captain Stubby also sang the 1959 Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
fight song, "Let's Go, Go-Go White Sox
Let's Go, Go-Go White Sox
"Let's Go, Go-Go White Sox" is the fight song of the Chicago White Sox of the American League.The song first appeared in 1959 during the White Sox' run for the AL pennant--the team's first league championship since the infamous Black Sox Scandal of 1919. It was written by former White Sox minor...
", and was the voice of Green Giant
Green Giant
Green Giant and Le Sueur are brands of frozen and canned vegetables owned by General Mills. The mascot of Green Giant is the Jolly Green Giant....
's Little Sprout.
(Photos courtesy Roto-Rooter.)