Carlton Haney
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Carlton Haney was an American
booking agent, festival
promoter, and songwriter primarily active in bluegrass
music. Once dubbed “The P.T. Barnum of Country Music” for his large personality, Haney is best known for the organizing first multi-day bluegrass music festival as well as influencing the careers of the Osborne Brothers
, Porter Wagoner
, Conway Twitty
, Merle Haggard
and Loretta Lynn
. He was inducted to the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1998 by the International Bluegrass Music Association
.
were in full swing. While he was growing up, he didn't like country music at all. In an interview with Fred Bartenstein on August 4, 1971, Haney said he had enjoying hearing his brother Charles Haney and some friends singing "Rainbow at Midnight" and began to enjoy a few of Ernest Tubb
's records, but still disliked country music. He grew up listening to Bill Monroe, but claims to have never understood why people liked to listen to the music. Then he met Clyde Moody, who knew Bill Monroe
and introduced the two future partners. Haney was offered a job working for Monroe and took it solely based on monetary reasoning.
"I was at Clyde's house, and he [Bill Monroe] come there, in Danville, Virginia. Then I met him and two or three months after that he called me and said he had some show dates canceled and [asked] would I book four or five show dates for him and I did and they turned out real good."
Monroe informed Haney that if he ever wanted to quit his job at a battery plant making automobile batteries, he could go to work for him. Haney worked with Monroe for about a year and a half booking shows and traveling with the band. Haney had another opportunity through Monroe to work at Bean Blossom
. He stayed there from June until September 1955. Although Haney still had not developed an appreciation for the music he was promoting, he took pride in the fact that he was associated with Monroe and his contributions to this music, which had grown in popularity. When Haney went back to North Carolina he stumbled upon a band that needed someone to help them book shows. They were called the Farm Hands and included Alan Shelton, Curly Howard
and Roy Russell.
Haney also managed bluegrass duo Reno and Smiley
between 1955 to 1964. While working with Reno and Smiley, he initiated the daily television show, “Top ‘o the Morning,” on WDBJ
, Roanoke and wrote and co-wrote Reno & Smiley staples songs "He Will Forgive You," "Kneel Down" and "Jimmy Caught the Dickens (Pushing Ernest in the Tub)."
Beginning in the 1960s, Haney began to lump some of the bluegrass and country acts together on the same stage.
With the help of Ralph Rinzler
in 1965, Haney produced the first weekend-long bluegrass music festival, held at Cantrell’s Horse Farm in Fincastle, Virginia. This multi-day model became the standard format for bluegrass festivals and there are now more than 500 such events annually. Haney continued staging the festival over the next few years at various locations, including his 160 acres of renovated land in Camp Springs, NC.
During the 1970s, Haney published Muleskinner News, a prominent monthly bluegrass magazine and the second of it's kind.
The IBMA describe the lasting impact of Haney's multi-day festival: "The event proved to be a prototype and precursor that initiated the festival movement in America and ultimately in other countries, bringing incalculable economic benefits to the industry and creating a larger and more diverse audience for the music."
He can be heard introducing Merle Haggard on two live albums, Okie From Muskogee
(1969) and The Fightin' Side of Me
(1970)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
booking agent, festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
promoter, and songwriter primarily active in bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
music. Once dubbed “The P.T. Barnum of Country Music” for his large personality, Haney is best known for the organizing first multi-day bluegrass music festival as well as influencing the careers of the Osborne Brothers
Osborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne , were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s...
, Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
, Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
and Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
. He was inducted to the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1998 by the International Bluegrass Music Association
International Bluegrass Music Association
The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a joint venture with...
.
Early life
Haney was born in Rockingham County, North Carolina on September 19, 1928 just as the Bristol SessionsBristol sessions
The Bristol sessions are considered the "Big Bang" of modern country music. They were held in 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee by Victor Talking Machine Company company producer Ralph Peer. They marked the commercial debuts of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family....
were in full swing. While he was growing up, he didn't like country music at all. In an interview with Fred Bartenstein on August 4, 1971, Haney said he had enjoying hearing his brother Charles Haney and some friends singing "Rainbow at Midnight" and began to enjoy a few of Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
's records, but still disliked country music. He grew up listening to Bill Monroe, but claims to have never understood why people liked to listen to the music. Then he met Clyde Moody, who knew Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
and introduced the two future partners. Haney was offered a job working for Monroe and took it solely based on monetary reasoning.
"I was at Clyde's house, and he [Bill Monroe] come there, in Danville, Virginia. Then I met him and two or three months after that he called me and said he had some show dates canceled and [asked] would I book four or five show dates for him and I did and they turned out real good."
Monroe informed Haney that if he ever wanted to quit his job at a battery plant making automobile batteries, he could go to work for him. Haney worked with Monroe for about a year and a half booking shows and traveling with the band. Haney had another opportunity through Monroe to work at Bean Blossom
Beanblossom, Indiana
Beanblossom, also spelled Bean Blossom, is an unincorporated town in Jackson Township, Brown County, Indiana. The town was named for the nearby Beanblossom Creek, which was in turn named for a person whose surname was Beanblossom....
. He stayed there from June until September 1955. Although Haney still had not developed an appreciation for the music he was promoting, he took pride in the fact that he was associated with Monroe and his contributions to this music, which had grown in popularity. When Haney went back to North Carolina he stumbled upon a band that needed someone to help them book shows. They were called the Farm Hands and included Alan Shelton, Curly Howard
Curly Howard
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz , better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and vaudevillian. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, along with his older brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine...
and Roy Russell.
Professional career
In 1953, Bill Monroe hired Haney as a booking agent for his band, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Haney booked for the band until 1965. Haney was responsible for recruiting fiddler-star Bobby Hicks to band in 1954, initially as a bass player.Haney also managed bluegrass duo Reno and Smiley
Reno and Smiley
Reno and Smiley were a musical duo composed of Don Reno and Red Smiley. They were one of the most acclaimed duos in country music of the 1950s and early '60s.-How They Met:...
between 1955 to 1964. While working with Reno and Smiley, he initiated the daily television show, “Top ‘o the Morning,” on WDBJ
WDBJ
WDBJ is the CBS television network affiliate station serving the Roanoke/Lynchburg television market. It transmits its digital signal on UHF channel 18. It is owned by Schurz Communications of South Bend, Indiana...
, Roanoke and wrote and co-wrote Reno & Smiley staples songs "He Will Forgive You," "Kneel Down" and "Jimmy Caught the Dickens (Pushing Ernest in the Tub)."
Beginning in the 1960s, Haney began to lump some of the bluegrass and country acts together on the same stage.
With the help of Ralph Rinzler
Ralph Rinzler
Ralph Rinzler was the co-founder of the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall every summer in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a curator for American art, music, and folk culture at the Smithsonian....
in 1965, Haney produced the first weekend-long bluegrass music festival, held at Cantrell’s Horse Farm in Fincastle, Virginia. This multi-day model became the standard format for bluegrass festivals and there are now more than 500 such events annually. Haney continued staging the festival over the next few years at various locations, including his 160 acres of renovated land in Camp Springs, NC.
During the 1970s, Haney published Muleskinner News, a prominent monthly bluegrass magazine and the second of it's kind.
Death
Haney died Wednesday March 16, 2011 at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro, NC, of complications from a stroke at the age of 82.Awards and Legacy
Haney was honored with The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)'s Award of Merit in 1990 and was later inducted into The Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1998.The IBMA describe the lasting impact of Haney's multi-day festival: "The event proved to be a prototype and precursor that initiated the festival movement in America and ultimately in other countries, bringing incalculable economic benefits to the industry and creating a larger and more diverse audience for the music."
In Media
Haney was featured prominently in the 1971 movie Bluegrass: Country Soul, which was reissued on DVD in 2006.He can be heard introducing Merle Haggard on two live albums, Okie From Muskogee
Okie from Muskogee
Okie from Muskogee is an album by Merle Haggard and the Strangers, released in 1969. The album won the Academy of Country Music award for Album of the Year in 1969. Haggard also won Single of the Year for "Okie from Muskogee" as well as Top Male Vocalist.Haggard has stated that the title song on...
(1969) and The Fightin' Side of Me
The Fightin' Side of Me
"The Fightin' Side of Me" is an American country music song performed by its writer, Merle Haggard. Released in 1970 as the follow-up to "Okie from Muskogee", the song became one of the most famous of his career....
(1970)