Village Barn was the first country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 program on American network television

Big Three Television Networks

The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...

. Broadcast by NBC-TV

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 from May 24, 1948–September 1949 and from January 16–May 29, 1950, the live

Live television

Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...

 weekly variety series originated from The Village Barn, a country music nightclub in New York City's Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...

.

Hosts included Zebe Carver, Dick Thomas, Dick Dutley, Bob Stanton

Bob Haymes

Robert Haymes , also known under the stage names Robert Stanton and Bob Stanton, was an American singer, songwriter, actor and radio and television host. He is best remembered today for co-writing the song "That's All", considered part of the Great American Songbook...

 (Robert Haymes), Rosalie Allen and Ray Forrest. Guests for the premiere, a 40-minute broadcast by WNBT-TV

WNBC

WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...

, were Texas Ruby

Texas Ruby

Texas Ruby , born Ruby Agnes Owens, was a pioneering country music female vocalist of the 1930s through the early 1960s.-Biography:...

 and Curly Fox

Curly Fox

Arnim LeRoy Fox , better known as Curly Fox, was an American fiddler and country musician.-Biography:...

 along with The Dixie Boys.

Performers included Pappy Howard and His Tumbleweed Gang, Harry Ranch and His Kernels of Korn, Bill Long's Ranch Girls, Piute Pete (1948–1949) and Romolo De Spirito (1949). Shorty Warren and His Western Rangers appeared in November 1948. In July 1949, Oklahoma governor Roy J. Turner

Roy J. Turner

Roy Joseph Turner was the 13th Governor of Oklahoma.-Biography:Turner was born on November 6, 1894 in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Territory. Upon completion of his high school education, he attended Hill's Business College in Oklahoma City...

 appeared, singing his single, "My Memory Trail".

The show also featured square dancing and audience participation in kiddie car, hobby horse (disambiguation)

Hobby horse (disambiguation)

Hobby horse may refer to:* A hobby horse, a costume or character involved in traditional customs such as the morris dance and mummers' play* Hobby horse , a toy horse, consisting of a model of a horse's head attached to a stick...

 and potato sack races

Sack race

The sack race or gunny sack race is a competitive game in which participants place both of their legs inside a sack or pillow case that reaches their waist or neck and jump forward from a starting point toward a finish line. The first person to cross the finish line is the winner of the race.Sack...

.

NBC schedules

May 24–October 1948: Monday, 9:10–10 p.m. ET

October 1948–January 1949: Wednesday, 10:10–11 p.m. ET

January–May 1949: Wednesday, 8:30–9 p.m. ET

May–July 1949: Monday, 10–10:30 p.m. ET

July–September 1949: Thursday, 10–10:30 p.m. ET

January 16–May 29, 1950: Monday, 9:30–10 p.m. ET

The Village Barn nightclub

The Village Barn nightclub, in the basement of 52 West 8th Street

Electric Lady Studios

Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...

, was opened in November 1930 by owner Meyer Horowitz, who resigned as president and director on October 19, 1951. He was succeeded by his brother, Lawrence (Horowitz) Horton, who subsequently left to pursue other interests. Ownership remained with family members, including Horton, who returned to active management in the early 1960s; a nephew, George Goodman; and son Michael. Meyer Horowitz remained active as a consultant until the Barn closed in August 1967.

In 1931, Rudy Vallée

Rudy Vallée

Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...

, who had a nearby club, Villa Vallée, discovered Judy Canova

Judy Canova

Judy Canova , born Juliette Canova, was an American comedienne, actress, singer and radio personality. She appeared on Broadway and in films...

 at the Barn. Don Cornell

Don Cornell

Don Cornell was an American singer prominent mainly in the 1940s and 1950s noted for his smooth but robust baritone voice....

, the Hartmans

Paul Hartman

Paul Hartman was an American dancer, stage performer and television character actor.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, Hartman, like Fred Astaire, began performing as a dancer with his sister...

and other stars also got their start at the club.