Sunday, 11 March 2012

Old Shep

"Old Shep is a song by Red Foley and Arthur Willis about a dog Foley owned as a child (in reality, the dog, poisoned by a neighbor, was a German shepherd named Hoover). Foley and Willis wrote the song in 1933. Foley first recorded the song in 1935, again in 1941 and yet again in 1946.
The song, later recorded by many artists including Hank Snow and Elvis Presley, became a country classic.
On October 3, 1945, Presley at age ten sang "Old Shep" for his first public performance, a singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Dressed as a cowboy, he stood on a chair to reach the microphone. He came in fifth place, winning $5 and a free ticket to the fair rides." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Shep




Red Foley's original version of Old Shep 1935



And Elvis's version


Red Foley
" Clyde Julian Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968), 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.
For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the genre, selling more than 25 million records. His 1951 hit, "Peace in the Valley", was among the first million-selling gospel records. A Grand Ole Opry veteran until his death, Foley also hosted the first popular country music series on network television, Ozark Jubilee, from 1955 to 1960."
More on Red Foley here on Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Foley

Here's Hank Snow's version




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