Looking Back on Delmore Day
On this day (October 17) in 2015, an event paying tribute to The Delmore Brothers took place at the historic Herzog space, in celebration of the 69th anniversary of their sessions at Herzog. The tracks they cut on that day would be credited with creating Boogie and paving the way for Rockabilly, which—as you may know—led to Rock ‘n Roll itself.
Here, a recap of the event—full of images, context, memories and (yes!) even recordings of that evening.
Debby Delmore (daughter of Alton Delmore) was with us to unveil the Herzog historic marker in 2009. Photo taken by Chuck Madden shows Debby with Bud Herzog, Zella Nathan and Hazel Davis on that special day.
The Delmore Brothers tribute event at Herzog was promoted with the following declaration:
Is it true the first rock and roll record was cut in Cincinnati? Help us celebrate the anniversary of more than fifteen tracks being recorded by The Delmore Brothers - the guys who recorded a song regarded by many as the first rock and roll record, and the same guys who Bob Dylan says influenced every harmony he's ever tried to sing—at Cincinnati's Herzog Studio in October. Drop us a line if you'd like to be involved! Family-friendly fun for all ages.
In the words of Mike Breen at CityBeat:
In the fall of 1946, sibling Country (or “Hillbilly,” as it was dubbed) singing duo The Delmore Brothers came to downtown Cincinnati to record a session at E. T. Herzog’s studios (where famed sides by Hank Williams, Patti Page, Ernest Tubbs, Flatt and Scruggs and numerous other legends also recorded) on Race Street. Beginning their career in the ’30s, the Alabama-bred brothers had become well known for their stunning harmonies, incorporating Gospel, Blues and Folk traditions into their Country stylings.
In the mid-to-late-’40s, Rabon and Alton Delmore’s sound began to shift towards something more innovative and modern. The duo was recording for King Records, the legendary Cincinnati institution that made (and, many say, changed) music history when it began releasing R&B records alongside its Country ones. The Delmores were a part of the bridge to this open blending of styles, something that ultimately helped lay the groundwork for the creation of Rock & Roll.
Many consider The Delmore Brothers’ indispensable contributions to the genre dubbed “Hillbilly Boogie,” which blended bluesy rhythms and chord structures into the Country aesthetic, a crucial building block that helped pave the way for Rockabilly and Rock & Roll.
Event poster designed by Erin Volk Gabbard, still on display at the Herzog space
Performers included Ed Vardiman with Kelly Thomas, J.Dorsey, Bob Burns, Margaret Darling, Joe Mitchell, Joe Prewitt & Don Miller, Elliott Ruther, Tim Combs, Mark “Zero” Dunbar, Travis Frazier, and David Rhodes Brown; you’ll note from the photos below that many other performers showed up as well. Apologies that not all were captured on film—below images were collected from Facebook posts following the event.
Of special significance was the participation of regional music fixture Bob Burns, who passed away unexpectedly in 2018. Mike Breen at CityBeat wrote a tribute to Burns’ many achievements that you can read here.
Listen for Yourself
Wish you were there? Fear not, the event was recorded by Tobe Donahue and you can listen right here. CityBeat also presented great coverage in anticipation of the event (quoted above). Their story can be found right here.
The Delmore Brothers in 8-track format (courtesy private collection of Bill Furbee)
More Delmore Brothers
Check out the official Delmore Brothers website and their page at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Check out some Delmore Brothers cuts at this link to Internet Archive. Their music is also available on Spotify.
Required reading: Alton Delmore’s “Truth Is Stranger Than Publicity” memoir.
We checked in with Debby recently, and she had some good news to share about the book her father wrote, which has gotten to be pretty hard to find. “I would like people to know that they can get a copy of my Dad's book Truth Is Stranger Than Publicity,” she said. “The book is no longer available because it sold out, (but) I was lucky to get some that I can sell.” The book is a rare first-person account of the early country music industry, published in 1977. It covers the early Grand Ole Opry and the struggles of country music's first generation of professional musicians. Email Debby directly for more information.