Roy Lanham

Roy Lanham

(Guitar)

• Date of Birth: January 16, 1923
• Place of Birth: Corbin, Kentucky
• Date of Death: February 14, 1991

Roy was born the youngest of nine children to John Thomas and Pearlee Brooks Lanham. Given his first guitar by his brother Arvil, Roy proved to be a natural musician. Around age ten, Roy sent in a box top from Strike-a-Light matches for the sheet music to Robert Lund’s “Talking Blues”, a song he featured when performing for the rest of his career. At age twelve, Roy and his cousin, Jim Brooks, entered a talent contest at John Lair’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance and came in second place behind Lily Mae Ledford who won a contract with Lair. Roy and Jim won wristwatches.

In 1939, while still in high school, Roy attended a concert by “Grandpappy and His Gang” featuring “Grandpappy’ Archie Campbell; Doug Dalton (mandolin); Gene McGee (guitar); Charlie Pickle (bass) and dancer, Pete Hines. Roy auditioned for Campbell, and after obtaining permission from his parents, left with the troupe. Campbell’s group appeared regularly on KNOX “Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round”. At this time, Roy heard George Barnes play an electric guitar – the first time he was ever exposed to that instrument. Roy later played as a part of “The Fidgety Four” with Doug Dalton, Bynum Geouge, and Red Wooten on Chattanooga’s WDOD after Campbell moved to that station.

The group was picked up by crooner Gene Austin on a 1940 swing through Chattanooga, and Austin changed their name to “The Whippoorwills”. The advance man for this group was Tom Parker, who as “Colonel” Tom Parker, became famous years later as Elvis Presley’s manager.

Beginning in December 1943, Roy began performing on WLW Cincinnati with Hank Penny & The Plantation Boys (Sheldon Bennett, Boudeleaux Bryant, Noel Boggs, Louie Dumont and Carl Stuart).

After WWII, Roy found himself performing in Atlanta, Georgia on WGST in a trio called “Shades of Blue”. He also worked with the LeFevre Trio at Atlanta’s WAGA, where he met and married singer Marianne LeGlise. Marianne was hired by WLW in Cincinatti to replace Doris Day who had left to join Les Brown's band.

Roy reformed the Whippoorwills in 1947 and 1948 with Doug Dalton, Gene Monbeck, Dusty Rhodes, and vocalist Juanita “Sweet Georgia Brown” Vastine .

Relocating to Hollywood, California in 1950, the Whippoorwills teamed up with Gene Autry sidekick Smiley Burnette to produce almost three-hundred radio transcriptions featuring guest stars such as Tex Williams, Eddie Dean, Rex Allen, Eddie Kirk, Johnny Bond, and the Sons of the Pioneers. Through the Pioneers, Roy became familiar with Roy Rogers, who arranged Roy Lanham to play guitar on Dale Evan’s recording of “Happy Trails”.

Lanham spent most of the 1950’s as an in-demand session player for Jim Reeves, the Browns, Faber Robinson, Wade Ray, Bonnie Guitar, and Johnny Horton. The Whippoorwills finally disbanded in 1956.

Roy helped shape the sound of The Fleetwoods in 1959 on their million-selling records “Come Softly To Me” and “Mr. Blue”.

After the death of Karl Farr of the Sons of the Pioneers in 1961, Pat Brady invited Roy to join the Pioneers, which he did in September 1961.