Salty Holmes

Floyd Holmes (March 6, 1910 – January 1, 1970), better known as Salty Holmes, was an American country musician and Western B-movie actor.

Holmes was born in Glasgow, Kentucky. He became a virtuoso on the harmonica, specializing in the style known as "talking harp" which imitated the human voice (much like Sonny Terry). He also played the jug and guitar. He formed the group The Kentucky Ramblers in 1930, who changed their name to The Prairie Ramblers in 1933 and began broadcasting on Chicago radio station WLS-AM with new vocalist Patsy Montana. They continued performing and recording under this name until 1952, playing country, hillbilly music, gospel, and pop songs. They were the backing group on Montana's platinum hit "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart". Group members included Jack Taylor on bass, Chick Hurt on mandolin, and Alan Crocket and, later, Tex Atchison on fiddle. They made over 100 recordings between 1933 and 1940, including as session musicians.

The Prairie Ramblers have been called a "hot string band" and "a hot fiddler band". Both their "aggressive rhythms" and Chick Hurt's mandolin playing inspired Bill Monroe, the "Godfather of bluegrass", and a mandolin virtuoso.

While a member of the Prairie Ramblers, Holmes befriended Gene Autry, who invited him to Hollywood to star in Westerns in 1936 and 1944; among the films Holmes appeared in are Arizona Days and Saddle Leather Law. In a scene of Arizona Days, Holmes played two harmonicas using his mouth and nose. The Prairie Ramblers also backed Autry on some of his recordings in the 1930s.

He collaborated with Jean Chapel as Mattie & Salty, playing regularly on the Grand Ole Opry; the two married in 1947 and divorced in 1956 and had two daughters named Barbara Holmes Hale and Lana (Chapel) who was part of their act as a young child.

Birth and Death Data: Died January 1, 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, harmonica, songwriter, lead vocal, composer, jug, lyricist, yodeling, speaker, instrumentalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 285 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-77242 10-in. 12/6/1933 I want my mama Salty Holmes ; The Prairie Ramblers Harmonica solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, harmonica  
Victor BS-77243 10-in. 12/6/1933 Kentucky blues Salty Holmes ; The Prairie Ramblers Harmonica solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, harmonica  
Victor F4PB-4083 10-in. 5/24/1955 Mama blues Roy Smeck composer  
Columbia C1443 10-in. 7/17/1936 Hinky dinky parley voo no. 2 Sweet Violet Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2125 10-in. 2/25/1938 What would you give in exchange for your mother-in-law Sweet Violet Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Columbia C2312 10-in. 9/13/1938 Monkeys is the cwaziest people! Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal duet instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, lead vocal  
Columbia C2313 10-in. 9/13/1938 Somebody's smile Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Columbia C2322 10-in. 9/14/1938 Back yard stomp Sweet Violet Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2362 10-in. 10/17/1938 I'm a-ridin' up the old Kentucky mountain Patsy Montana ; Prairie Ramblers Female vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2365 10-in. 10/17/1938 The strawberry roan Patsy Montana ; Prairie Ramblers String band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Columbia C2390 10-in. 11/17/1938 I married a mouse of a man Sweet Violet Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2400 10-in. 12/6/1938 Little old locket of gold Patsy Montana ; Prairie Ramblers Female vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2413 10-in. 1/26/1939 Chiselin' daddy Sweet Violet Boys String band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2414 10-in. 1/26/1939 I married a mouse of a man Sweet Violet Boys String band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2415 10-in. 1/26/1939 The funny old hills Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2416 10-in. 1/26/1939 Hitch up the horse and buggy Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2417 10-in. 1/26/1939 I wonder if you feel the way I do Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2418 10-in. 1/31/1939 Please come home Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo and male ensemble instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Columbia C2419 10-in. 1/31/1939 Somebody's smile Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo and male ensemble instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Columbia C2420 10-in. 1/31/1939 Happy cowboy Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo and male ensemble instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Columbia C2421 10-in. 1/31/1939 They're burning down the house I was brung up in Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2422 10-in. 1/31/1939 I still love you Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2423 10-in. 2/1/1939 Han'some Joe (from the land of the Navajo) Patsy Montana ; Prairie Ramblers Female vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2425 10-in. 2/1/1939 I'm goin' west to Texas Patsy Montana ; Prairie Ramblers Female vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia C2426 10-in. 2/1/1939 I'm a-ridin' up the old Kentucky mountain Patsy Montana ; Prairie Ramblers Female vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, harmonica  
(Results 1-25 of 285 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Holmes, Salty," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/204647.

Holmes, Salty. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/204647.

"Holmes, Salty." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/204647

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