Slim Wilson
Encyclopedia
Clyde Carol Wilson better known as Slim Wilson, was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and radio and TV personality who was a cornerstone of country music
in the Ozarks for more than 50 years beginning in the 1930s; both in his own right, and as a member of The Goodwill Family and The Tall Timber Trio. Wilson was a mainstay of ABC-TV
’s Ozark Jubilee
; and hosted ABC's Talent Varieties
in 1955 and his own local television show in Springfield, Missouri
from 1964–1975.
just south of Nixa
to John C. Wilson and Arlena J. Wilson (née Goddard), who had come to Missouri
in a covered wagon from the hills of Tennessee
. He was the family's first son after six daughters: Cassie, Carrie, Edna, Bertha, Myrtle, and Vancie Martha. The entire family was known for being musical. Wilson attended schools in Harmony, Rosedale and Line, then rode horseback to high school in Nixa.
About 1930, his father rented a house on the family's ranch to the Hancock family from South Dakota. A year later, Wilson married Ada Hancock. By 1934, he was raising dairy
and beef cattle
on 150 acres (60.7 hectares) north of Bolivar, Missouri
on the Pomme de Terre River
. His father bought the adjoining parcel.
The Wilson family’s musicians would sometimes perform “together" using a telephone party line
. Ten to 15 families could listen in, and neighbors would eavesdrop on the sessions for entertainment, often placing the earpiece in a bucket for amplification. Wilson soon won second place in a local fiddle competition.
. The trio first appeared on KGBX
in Springfield in 1932; but moved to co-owned KWTO
, the more powerful station, soon after it signed on in 1933. The group made its first public appearance in 1936 at the county courthouse in Galena
as a fundraiser to treat their father's broken leg. The trio later became The Goodwill Family when Guy Smith joined them as "Uncle George."
Unable to afford a car, Wilson hitchhiked to KWTO to appear with Zed Tennis; and later, with Si Perkins and Smokey Lohman. He was a part of many artist combinations on the station, including Slim and Shorty (a Nixa neighbor); and The Tall Timber Trio, with Haworth on guitar and Bob White on bass fiddle. He was also "Whistler" of Flash and Whistler (with Floyd "Goo Goo" Rutledge), a music-comedy duo. The station, heard across the Ozarks, was a stepping-stone during Wilson's years for such musicians as Porter Wagoner
, Les Paul
, Chet Atkins
and The Browns
.
Wilson was responsible for giving Wesley West
his nickname: he introduced West to the audience as "Speedy" West at a pie social and jam session sponsored by KWTO. He worked briefly at radio stations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Denver, Colorado before returning to the Ozarks. By the early 1950s, Wilson was among the top performers on KWTO, hosting the morning show sponsored by Martha White Flour (one advertiser created a Goodwill Family Flour brand). By 1954, he had done his 25,000th broadcast on the station. He also appeared on Red Foley
’s network radio programs.
" is part of the Traditional Music and Spoken Word Catalog of the American Folklife Center
at the Library of Congress
. He recorded numerous transcriptions in the 1940s and 1950s but few commercial cuts. He recorded songs on Universal
in 1948; and Cattle Records released an LP, Slim Pickens Wilson–The Idol Of The Ozarks (Cattle 121), featuring Rutledge. The Goodwill Family recorded 250 transcriptions for airing on KWTO when they toured.
Wilson appeared on such RadiOzark
Transcriptions as The Red Foley Show. Rocket Records released a Wilson 45 single, "The Shepherd Of The Hills" b/w "God Walk These Ozark Hills" (Rocket 103). He also appeared on the albums Christmas RFD (Sony 1991) and Christmas in the Country (United Multimedia, 1994).
). He and Rutledge also teamed up again as Flash and Whistler. On the November 7, 1959 show, Wilson sang "Let's Go to Church" as a duet with Patsy Cline
. In the summer of 1955, he hosted his own ABC program, Talent Varieties. Wilson also appeared on NBC-TV’s Five Star Jubilee
in 1961, and performed with the Tall Timber Trio on NBC-TV's
Today on the Farm from 1960–61.
He hosted The Slim Wilson Show from the studios of Springfield’s KYTV-TV
from 1964–1975. The hour-long country music variety series aired on Saturdays from 6–7 p.m. CT and featured The Tall Timber Trio, joined by Roger Blevins (steel guitar) and Buster Fellows (fiddle) to comprise the Tall Timber Band; The Goodwill Family; and the Promenaders square dancing group with their caller, L.D. Keller. Haworth’s daughter, Shirley Jean, also appeared, along with other local entertainers. By 1966 it was telecast in color
.
In July 1967, Country Music Carousel featuring Wilson was videotaped at KYTV, produced by Hal Smith Television Programs of Nashville, Tennessee
. Sixteen 30-minute shows were taped in two nights; the program was unsuccessful.
Wilson had a small role as Man #1 in the "Silver Dollar City
Fair" episode of The Beverly Hillbillies
on CBS-TV
, first aired on October 8, 1969.
hunting and traveled to South Dakota annually in the 1960s to hunt pheasant
. He owned a cabin on Table Rock Lake
.
Wilson died July 15, 1990 in Springfield and is buried in Eastlawn Cemetery there.
, the character first appeared in episode 208 of The Muppet Show
and was the lead singer and sang duets with Lou. Wilson received his name in episode 322 in a rodeo sketch.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
in the Ozarks for more than 50 years beginning in the 1930s; both in his own right, and as a member of The Goodwill Family and The Tall Timber Trio. Wilson was a mainstay of ABC-TV
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...
’s Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
; and hosted ABC's Talent Varieties
Talent Varieties
Talent Varieties is a country music talent show on American network television and radio in 1955 that featured performers hoping to achieve fame in the entertainment business....
in 1955 and his own local television show in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
from 1964–1975.
Early years
Wilson was born in Christian County, MissouriChristian County, Missouri
Christian County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. The county had a population of 54,285 in 2000 census. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 77,422 , making it the fastest growing county in Missouri and one of the fastest growing in the nation as the county becomes...
just south of Nixa
Nixa, Missouri
Nixa is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,124 at the 2000 census, though a 2009 estimate places it at 19,458. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to John C. Wilson and Arlena J. Wilson (née Goddard), who had come to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in a covered wagon from the hills of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He was the family's first son after six daughters: Cassie, Carrie, Edna, Bertha, Myrtle, and Vancie Martha. The entire family was known for being musical. Wilson attended schools in Harmony, Rosedale and Line, then rode horseback to high school in Nixa.
About 1930, his father rented a house on the family's ranch to the Hancock family from South Dakota. A year later, Wilson married Ada Hancock. By 1934, he was raising dairy
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
and beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
on 150 acres (60.7 hectares) north of Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,325 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver...
on the Pomme de Terre River
Pomme de Terre River (Missouri)
The Pomme de Terre River is a tributary of the Osage River in southwestern Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.Pomme de terre is French for potato.-Course:...
. His father bought the adjoining parcel.
The Wilson family’s musicians would sometimes perform “together" using a telephone party line
Party line (telephony)
In twentieth-century telephone systems, a party line is an arrangement in which two or more customers are connected directly to the same local loop. Prior to World War II in the United States, party lines were the primary way residential subscribers acquired local telephone service...
. Ten to 15 families could listen in, and neighbors would eavesdrop on the sessions for entertainment, often placing the earpiece in a bucket for amplification. Wilson soon won second place in a local fiddle competition.
Radio career
Wilson formed The Goodwill Trio as "Uncle Slim" with his sister Vancie as "Aunt Martha" and her son, Herschel "Junior" HaworthSpeedy Haworth
Herschel Haworth, Jr. , better known as Speedy Haworth, was an American guitarist and singer who was involved with the golden age of country music broadcasting in the Ozarks...
. The trio first appeared on KGBX
KSGF (AM)
KSGF is a radio station licensed to serve Springfield, Missouri, USA. The station, which launched in 1926 as KGBX, is owned by the Journal Broadcast Corporation. The station also simulcast on 104.1 FM, which is licensed to Ash Grove, Missouri, USA....
in Springfield in 1932; but moved to co-owned KWTO
KWTO
KWTO refers to two radio stations in Springfield, Missouri, USA. On AM, KWTO can be found at 560 kHz, where it airs a news-talk format. On FM, KWTO operates at 98.7 MHz and carries a sports talk format....
, the more powerful station, soon after it signed on in 1933. The group made its first public appearance in 1936 at the county courthouse in Galena
Galena, Missouri
Galena is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County. Galena is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
as a fundraiser to treat their father's broken leg. The trio later became The Goodwill Family when Guy Smith joined them as "Uncle George."
Unable to afford a car, Wilson hitchhiked to KWTO to appear with Zed Tennis; and later, with Si Perkins and Smokey Lohman. He was a part of many artist combinations on the station, including Slim and Shorty (a Nixa neighbor); and The Tall Timber Trio, with Haworth on guitar and Bob White on bass fiddle. He was also "Whistler" of Flash and Whistler (with Floyd "Goo Goo" Rutledge), a music-comedy duo. The station, heard across the Ozarks, was a stepping-stone during Wilson's years for such musicians as Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
, Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
, Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
and The Browns
The Browns
The Browns were an American country and folk music vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, "The Three Bells". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie Brown, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic of the Nashville sound, though their music also...
.
Wilson was responsible for giving Wesley West
Speedy West
Wesley Webb West , better known as Speedy West, was an American pedal steel guitarist and record producer. He frequently played with Jimmy Bryant, both in their own duo and as part of the regular Capitol Records backing band for Tennessee Ernie Ford and many others...
his nickname: he introduced West to the audience as "Speedy" West at a pie social and jam session sponsored by KWTO. He worked briefly at radio stations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Denver, Colorado before returning to the Ozarks. By the early 1950s, Wilson was among the top performers on KWTO, hosting the morning show sponsored by Martha White Flour (one advertiser created a Goodwill Family Flour brand). By 1954, he had done his 25,000th broadcast on the station. He also appeared on Red Foley
Red Foley
Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
’s network radio programs.
Recording career
Wilson's December 1936 recording of "The Little Old Sod Shanty On The ClaimThe Little Old Sod Shanty On The Claim
"The Little Old Sod Shanty On The Claim" is an American folk song of unknown authorship . It appeared somewhere around 1880 published in several American newspapers. The printings suggested that it be sung to the tune of "The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane" written by Will Hays in 1871...
" is part of the Traditional Music and Spoken Word Catalog of the American Folklife Center
American Folklife Center
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife" . The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the Library in 1928 as a repository for American folk music...
at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. He recorded numerous transcriptions in the 1940s and 1950s but few commercial cuts. He recorded songs on Universal
Universal Audio
Universal Audio is the fifth and final studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Delgados, released September 20, 2004. The album is considered to showcase a more 'stripped down' sound than its predecessor Hate, featuring less orchestral themes....
in 1948; and Cattle Records released an LP, Slim Pickens Wilson–The Idol Of The Ozarks (Cattle 121), featuring Rutledge. The Goodwill Family recorded 250 transcriptions for airing on KWTO when they toured.
Wilson appeared on such RadiOzark
Ralph D. Foster
Ralph David Foster , was an American broadcasting pioneer and philanthropist who created the framework for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as the nation's country music capital during the 1950s...
Transcriptions as The Red Foley Show. Rocket Records released a Wilson 45 single, "The Shepherd Of The Hills" b/w "God Walk These Ozark Hills" (Rocket 103). He also appeared on the albums Christmas RFD (Sony 1991) and Christmas in the Country (United Multimedia, 1994).
TV career
In 1955, Wilson became a featured cast member on Ozark Jubilee for its nearly six-year run on ABC-TV, and was also a fill-in host for Red Foley. He was a versatile performer on the show, serving as the front man for both the Tall Timber Trio (sometimes known as the Tall Timber Boys), then made up of Herschel "Speedy" Haworth, White, and "Doc" Martin (steel guitar); and the Jubilee Band, composed of Haworth, Martin, White, Johnny Gailey (drums), Paul Mitchell (piano) and Zed Tennis (fiddleFiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
). He and Rutledge also teamed up again as Flash and Whistler. On the November 7, 1959 show, Wilson sang "Let's Go to Church" as a duet with Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
. In the summer of 1955, he hosted his own ABC program, Talent Varieties. Wilson also appeared on NBC-TV’s Five Star Jubilee
Five Star Jubilee
Five Star Jubilee was an American country music variety show carried by NBC-TV from March 17–September 22, 1961. The live program, a spin-off of ABC-TV's Jubilee USA, was the first network color television series to originate outside New York City or Hollywood.From March 17 to May 5, the...
in 1961, and performed with the Tall Timber Trio on NBC-TV's
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Today on the Farm from 1960–61.
He hosted The Slim Wilson Show from the studios of Springfield’s KYTV-TV
KYTV (TV)
KYTV, virtual channel 3, is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Ozark Plateau area of Southwestern Missouri that is licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter in Fordland...
from 1964–1975. The hour-long country music variety series aired on Saturdays from 6–7 p.m. CT and featured The Tall Timber Trio, joined by Roger Blevins (steel guitar) and Buster Fellows (fiddle) to comprise the Tall Timber Band; The Goodwill Family; and the Promenaders square dancing group with their caller, L.D. Keller. Haworth’s daughter, Shirley Jean, also appeared, along with other local entertainers. By 1966 it was telecast in color
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
.
In July 1967, Country Music Carousel featuring Wilson was videotaped at KYTV, produced by Hal Smith Television Programs of Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Sixteen 30-minute shows were taped in two nights; the program was unsuccessful.
Wilson had a small role as Man #1 in the "Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson and Branson West, Missouri, on Highway 76...
Fair" episode of The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
on CBS-TV
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, first aired on October 8, 1969.
Personal and death
Slim and Ada Wilson had one son, John Wesley Wilson, who was also a musician. Wilson enjoyed bowling, fishing and quailNew World quail
The New World quails or Odontophorids are small birds only distantly related to the Old World Quails, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American species are in their own family Odontophoridae, whereas Old World Quail are in the pheasant family Phasianidae...
hunting and traveled to South Dakota annually in the 1960s to hunt pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
. He owned a cabin on Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in The Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. It is impounded by Table Rock Dam constructed in 1954-1958 on the White River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is one of the tourist draws for the nearby town of Branson,...
.
Wilson died July 15, 1990 in Springfield and is buried in Eastlawn Cemetery there.
Legacy
Slim Wilson Boulevard is among several streets in a residential neighborhood northeast of downtown Nixa named for performers on Ozark Jubilee, including Red Foley Court, Zed Tennis Street, Haworth Court and Ozark Jubilee Drive.Muppet character
Slim Wilson is the name of the guitar player in the Muppet country band, Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers. Usually performed by Jerry NelsonJerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
, the character first appeared in episode 208 of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
and was the lead singer and sang duets with Lou. Wilson received his name in episode 322 in a rodeo sketch.