From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Sat Aug 17, 2002 1:58 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Wayne Raney WAYNE RANEY (Bby Jean-Marc Pezet) Born 17 August 1921, Wolf Bayou, Arkansas Died 23 January 1993, Batesville, Arkansas Hillbilly Boogie legend and harmonica seller Wayne Raney was born in a small farming community of Arkansas and latched on to the harmonica at an early age after seeing a man playing one, busking for tips in the streets of Concord, AK. Not being able to help his family at the farm because of his crippled foot, young Wayne decided to hit the road and make a living with music. He spent most of the late 30s / early 40s playing music and working on radio in several states. He first teamed up with his hero, Lonnie Glosson, who backed him on his huge hit "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me" (# 1 country) in 1949 and also had met up with the Delmore Brothers in Memphis, TN. He started a fruitful association with both them and King Records, cutting numerous and successful singles with Lonnie Glosson, as a sideman for the Delmores and under his own name. This was the golden period of Hillbilly Boogie and they cut marvellous sides such as "Hillbilly Boogie", "Freight Train Boogie", "Boogie Woogie Baby", "Mobile Boogie" and under Wayne's own name "Jack & Jill Boogie" (# 13 country) or "Lost John Boogie" (# 11). By 1955, Wayne had left King for Decca where he cut the rockabilly favourite "Shake Baby Shake". He also had set up a mail order company to sell harmonicas, claiming to have sold more than one million pieces by the late 1940s! The 60s and 70s were busy with radio, running recording studios and producing. He was hit by throat cancer during the last years of his life and died at the Batesville hospital, Arkansas in 1993. Recommended listening: - CD Wayne Raney "Songs Of The Hill" - King - CD The Delmore Brothers "Freight Traiin Boogie" Ace CDHD 455, 1993 - "Shake Baby Shake" can be found on "TThat'll Flat Git It Vol 6", Bear Family BCD 15733, 1994 - LP Wayne Raney "Real Hot Boogie" Charrly CD 30247, 1986 - LP Wayne Raney "More Hot Boogie" Charrly CR 30263, 1987 - LP The Delmore Brothers & Wayne Raneyy "When They Let The Hammer Down" Bear Family BFX 15167, 1984 Recommended reading: The Wayne Raney Story by Dick Grant, Now Dig This 51 & 52