Anyone hear of Ben McKay who was a left-handed trick fiddler, and had
a Western Swing band around San Antonio from 1930s til 50s? He was my
Dad's cousin, and I remember him being "Hot" when I was a kid. He
died in 1957, and his son (Ben jr.) continued fiddling into the 70s.
I recall a large reel tape of his group, that was in the infancy of
guitar & dobro hot pickin', and it was pretty lame on those
instruments. I remember a Lone Star label on a record also. The other
band was from Inola Okla. (Dad's hometown) it was three Yates brothers
(Warren, Oren, Ogley) with 2 other "Name" players. They were a
travelling band making big bread, so the Yates boys built a large 2
story (dance upstairs, drink downstairs) Honky-tonk that resembled a
barn. Ogley stayed home to run things, til it would be the home for
the boys, but Warren, and the two sidemen were killed in a wreck that
left Oren handicapped. That was probably the early 40's and it was
closed and fell to ruin by the middle 60's. I hope someone may have
heard of em' "Booger Red"