Little Jody Rainwater
Encyclopedia
Little Jody Rainwater was born Charles E. Johnson in Surry Co. North Carolina
in 1920. He is one of thirteen children of M. Wilson and Emma Johnson. He is most noted for playing bass with the bluegrass
band The Foggy Mountain Boys. Jody's father played fiddle
and Jody recalls being interested in that sort of music from a young age. By his teenage years Jody had taken up mandolin
, influenced by his older sister, Nonnie. Jody's older brother had taken up guitar
and soon they began playing together as "Chuck and Slim, The Johnson Brothers." They played numerous reunions and social gatherings around the area. The element that really defined them was their sense of humor and comedic timing. The Johnson Brothers later found themselves in High Point, North Carolina
auditioning for the new radio station WMFR
which began broadcasting in 1936. Their audition was a huge success and they were offered a regular time slot every Thursday morning. The brothers lived six miles from the station and transportation was limited, and it became difficult to make it to the station on a weekly basis. They weren't really making any money and Jody's father believed farm work should take priority, so they eventually cancelled their weekly show. The next big thing for The Johnson Brothers occurred at the 1937 Fourth of July Horse Show in Kernersville, North Carolina
. There the brothers entered a competition for performers and won the award for "Best Individual Entertainers." "Slim" got married in 1938 and the duo began to appear less often, and soon Jody decided to move to Winston Salem. For four years Jody found little opportunity in music. In 1945 the outbreak of World War II
forced Jody to lay aside music and serve in the Marine Corps
. In April 1945 Jody was discharged and returned to Winston Salem. There he found work at an auto dealership and while employed there met a local musician named Woody Hauser. The two formed the band the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys. In 1946 they helped sign on station WTOB and became a regular part of its programming. While playing for WTOB
the band played a few local shows in nearby schools. It was during this time that Charles Johnson became "Little Jody." Clad in baggy pants, suspenders
, and old shirts the character that would soon be made famous with Flat and Scruggs was born. Little Jody and Woody played together for almost three years. After a trip with Woody and several friends to the Grand Ole Opry
, Jody determined that he would one day play the Opry. After the trip Jody and Woody were offered the chance to play during the intermission of a Bill Monroe
road show in Lexington, North Carolina. This is where Jody first met Lester Flatt. In 1948 Jody left North Carolina for Roanoke, Virginia
where he joined the Blue Star Boys. The band worked full time at WDBJ
radio and Jody was signed to play mandolin or bass. He also found himself in charge of bookings and all of the band's comedy routines. Later that year he learned that Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Cedric (Howard Watts) Rainwater were leaving the Blue Grass Boys for their own endeavor. This shocked Jody but sure enough the Foggy Mountain Boys were born and they had already taken a job at WCYB in Bristol, Virginia
. Jody was asked to join them to handle bookings and advertising, but he decided to stay in Roanoke. In the summer of 1949 a coal strike devastated the Bristol area's economy and the Foggy Mountain Boys left WCYB for Lexington, Kentucky
. WCYB offered the Farm and Fun Time slot to the Blue Star Boys and they took it. This didn't work out so well and Jody recalls nearly starving. It was at this point Lester Flatt again offered the booking job to Jody and this time he immediately accepted it. In addition to booking, Jody joined the group on their Saturday night slot on WVLK
's Jamboree as Cedric Rainwater's comedic partner. The comedy duo was a hit and Jody was soon being billed as Cedric's younger brother. Lester Flatt suggested the name Little Jody Rainwater and it really stuck. However, the comedic antics of the Rainwater brothers were short lived. Soon Cedric decided to join Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys
and leave bluegrass music behind. The Foggy Mountain Boys found themselves in need of a bassist and for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs the choice was obvious. For the next three years Jody played an important part in the band's sound and stage presence. The band moved a lot in those three years and Jody really gave it his all. He was both booking and playing shows. Working seven days a week up to eighteen hours a day. By May 1952 Jody was "right at a nervous breakdown" and, at the advice of a physician he put in his notice. The band was working in central Virginia at the time and Jody was offered a job working as a deejay
at WSVS
. With flexible hours and steady pay Jody jumped at the chance. On June 7, 1952 Jody Rainwater ended his tenure with the Foggy Mountain Boys and began his career in radio.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1920. He is one of thirteen children of M. Wilson and Emma Johnson. He is most noted for playing bass with the 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...
band The Foggy Mountain Boys. Jody's father played fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and Jody recalls being interested in that sort of music from a young age. By his teenage years Jody had taken up mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, influenced by his older sister, Nonnie. Jody's older brother had taken up guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and soon they began playing together as "Chuck and Slim, The Johnson Brothers." They played numerous reunions and social gatherings around the area. The element that really defined them was their sense of humor and comedic timing. The Johnson Brothers later found themselves in High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
auditioning for the new radio station WMFR
WMFR
WMFR is a radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to High Point, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by Curtis Media Group and features programing from ESPN Radio.-History:WMFR signed on October 15, 1935 by the Lambeth...
which began broadcasting in 1936. Their audition was a huge success and they were offered a regular time slot every Thursday morning. The brothers lived six miles from the station and transportation was limited, and it became difficult to make it to the station on a weekly basis. They weren't really making any money and Jody's father believed farm work should take priority, so they eventually cancelled their weekly show. The next big thing for The Johnson Brothers occurred at the 1937 Fourth of July Horse Show in Kernersville, North Carolina
Kernersville, North Carolina
Kernersville is a town in Forsyth County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 17,126 at the 2000 census. In 2007 the U.S. Census estimated the town's population at 22,309. Kernersville is located at the heart of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area, which consists of the cities...
. There the brothers entered a competition for performers and won the award for "Best Individual Entertainers." "Slim" got married in 1938 and the duo began to appear less often, and soon Jody decided to move to Winston Salem. For four years Jody found little opportunity in music. In 1945 the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
forced Jody to lay aside music and serve in the Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
. In April 1945 Jody was discharged and returned to Winston Salem. There he found work at an auto dealership and while employed there met a local musician named Woody Hauser. The two formed the band the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys. In 1946 they helped sign on station WTOB and became a regular part of its programming. While playing for WTOB
WTOB
WTOB, at 1380 AM, is one of several Spanish-language radio stations in the Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem area. WWBG, at 1470 AM, airs the same programming...
the band played a few local shows in nearby schools. It was during this time that Charles Johnson became "Little Jody." Clad in baggy pants, suspenders
Suspenders
Suspenders or braces are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up trousers. Straps may be elasticated, either entirely or only at attachment ends and most straps are of woven cloth forming an X or Y shape at the back. Braces are typically attached to trousers with buttons...
, and old shirts the character that would soon be made famous with Flat and Scruggs was born. Little Jody and Woody played together for almost three years. After a trip with Woody and several friends to the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
, Jody determined that he would one day play the Opry. After the trip Jody and Woody were offered the chance to play during the intermission of a 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...
road show in Lexington, North Carolina. This is where Jody first met Lester Flatt. In 1948 Jody left North Carolina for Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
where he joined the Blue Star Boys. The band worked full time at 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...
radio and Jody was signed to play mandolin or bass. He also found himself in charge of bookings and all of the band's comedy routines. Later that year he learned that Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Cedric (Howard Watts) Rainwater were leaving the Blue Grass Boys for their own endeavor. This shocked Jody but sure enough the Foggy Mountain Boys were born and they had already taken a job at WCYB in Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
. Jody was asked to join them to handle bookings and advertising, but he decided to stay in Roanoke. In the summer of 1949 a coal strike devastated the Bristol area's economy and the Foggy Mountain Boys left WCYB for Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. WCYB offered the Farm and Fun Time slot to the Blue Star Boys and they took it. This didn't work out so well and Jody recalls nearly starving. It was at this point Lester Flatt again offered the booking job to Jody and this time he immediately accepted it. In addition to booking, Jody joined the group on their Saturday night slot on WVLK
WVLK (AM)
WVLK is a radio station serving the Lexington, Kentucky area with a News/Talk format. This station broadcasts on AM frequency 590 kHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.-Programming:...
's Jamboree as Cedric Rainwater's comedic partner. The comedy duo was a hit and Jody was soon being billed as Cedric's younger brother. Lester Flatt suggested the name Little Jody Rainwater and it really stuck. However, the comedic antics of the Rainwater brothers were short lived. Soon Cedric decided to join Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys
Drifting Cowboys
The Drifting Cowboys were the backing group for American music legend Hank Williams. The band went through several lineups during Williams's career, and surviving members of the group continue to tour and make public appearances to this day....
and leave bluegrass music behind. The Foggy Mountain Boys found themselves in need of a bassist and for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs the choice was obvious. For the next three years Jody played an important part in the band's sound and stage presence. The band moved a lot in those three years and Jody really gave it his all. He was both booking and playing shows. Working seven days a week up to eighteen hours a day. By May 1952 Jody was "right at a nervous breakdown" and, at the advice of a physician he put in his notice. The band was working in central Virginia at the time and Jody was offered a job working as a deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
at WSVS
WSVS
WSVS is a Classic Country/Bluegrass/Americana formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Crewe, Virginia, serving Southside Virginia. WSVS is owned and operated by Gee Communications, Inc., and features programming from AP Radio and Jones Radio Network....
. With flexible hours and steady pay Jody jumped at the chance. On June 7, 1952 Jody Rainwater ended his tenure with the Foggy Mountain Boys and began his career in radio.