The Fourth of July will be a historical event in Benton, promises Alderman Joe Lee Richards.
Richards, a local icon in the music business with his guitar and xd3 ketron, will showcase his music along with an area artist whom he describes as “one of the greatest banjo and mandolin pickers anyone has known.”
He was referring to one of his performing partners, Joe Hunt, now 80, who has “the singing voice of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Johnny Duncan combined.”
“With his mandolin and xd3 ketron, he sings cowboy and country songs and performs instrumentals like ‘Somewhere, My Love,’ ‘Mona Lisa” and so many great songs of the past 60 years,” Richards said of Hunt, who lives near Arkadelphia.
Joining the two on steel guitar will be Mark Matoska of the Tracy Bird show, Richards noted.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. when the city presents its annual fireworks extravaganza.
Richards pointed out that Hunt started on Eddy Arnold’s “The Home Town” radio program on CBS and in 2004 was dubbed the “Living Legend of Country Music” by the Silver City, N.M., Sun Times.
That newspaper reportedly described him as “a living legend, a musician who still plays the sounds of the greats — Patsy Cline, JIm Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Sonny James, Mary Robbins, Gene Autry and many more.”
Richards has opened for many Nashville artists through the years and has recorded more than 50 songs. “And I’m still singin’ and pickin’,” he said.
“This a one-time-only show that may never happen again. ... If you are not here, you will miss one of the greatest events to happen in Benton,” he said
According to Richards, Hunt has been known by many names during his many years of entertaining audiences.
On the Arnold radio broadcast, he was introduced as “the world’s fastest banjo player,” Richards said.
“Eddy would get down on his knees in front of Joe and make faces at him, trying to make him smile. Joe says he was too busy concentrating on his playing to smile.”
The famed Arnold gave him the nickname “Stony Face.”
On the CBS radio network sponsored by Pillsbury Flour and another 300 stations sponsored by Ballard Biscuits, he was introduced by “and now we present America’s singer of sweet songs.”
Hunt reportedly began his professional career when he and his brother, “Cowboy” Jack Hunt, had a program on radio station KTHS in Hot Springs. “Joe was 9 at the time,” Richards said.
“Joe was a featured member of the ‘Louisiana Hayride,’” Richards noted. “Most of the guests either did not have or did not bring a band for the program and they would ask Jack, Joe and their band, The Rhythm Ranch Hands, to back them as they sang on the program.
“Joe also backed many of the artists who came to record at the KWKH studio. He played guitar on three of the million-seller recordings made by Slim Whitman.”
These included “Rose Marie, “Secret Love” and “Cattle Call.”
He also played banjo on the first million-seller by Jim Ed Brown, “Looking Back to See.”
Jim Reeves and Hunt reportedly traveled together when Reeves was still an unknown artist, Richards said. “Joe said he must have backed Jim singing ‘Bimbo” at least a million times. Jack, Joe and the Rhythm Ranch Hands played at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel from 1950 to 1953 with Art Linkletter, Arthur Godfrey and then-President Harry Truman’s daughter, Margaret Truman, for the Pillsbury National Bake-Off.”
Other artists Hunt has appeared with include the Carter Family, Rhonda Vincent, Gov. Jimmy Davis and Bob Wills. “While on the ‘Louisiana Hayride,’ the music played by Joe, Jimmy Day and Floyd Cramer became known as ‘the Hayride sound,” Richards said.
The Hunt Brothers, “Cowboy” Jack and Little Joe,” as he was known then, traveled with several Grand Ole Opry road shows, including some with Bill Monroe and Cousin Wilbur.
“Bill Monroe took them to the Opry many times as guests,” Richards said. “He and Ernest Tubb were working to get them a membership in the union so they could become regulars on the Opry, but before this could be accomplished, Jack and Joe were offered the Pillsbury Program.
“They left Nashville and returned home to Hot Springs. CBS designed and built them a recording studio on their Rhythm Ranch where their radio programs were produced.
“Bob Millsap once asked Joe what it was like, playing for the big money in his early playing days,” Richards said. “Joe replied, ‘money?’ I never in my life played for money. I love playing music too much to charge for it. I’m sure I never got paid for playing. I was paid for lugging my instruments to the jobs. That’s the hard part.”
Richards said he and Hunt have been rehearsing weekly at Terry Martin’s Bar & Grill in Hot Springs.
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