Floyd 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: Born March 6, 1909, Died January 1, 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, harmonica, composer, lyricist

Notes: Also known as Salty Holmes.

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-77238 10-in. 12/6/1933 Go easy blues Prairie Ramblers Instrumental quartet, with male vocal solo (patter) vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77239 10-in. 12/6/1933 Rollin' on Prairie Ramblers Instrumental quartet, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BS-77240 10-in. 12/6/1933 Next year Prairie Ramblers Instrumental quartet, with male vocal solo vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77241 10-in. 12/6/1933 De blues Prairie Ramblers Instrumental quartet instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77242 10-in. 12/6/1933 I want my mama Salty Holmes ; Prairie Ramblers Harmonica solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, harmonica  
Victor BS-77243 10-in. 12/6/1933 Kentucky blues Salty Holmes ; Prairie Ramblers Harmonica solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, harmonica  
Victor BS-77244 10-in. 12/6/1933 Tex's dance Prairie Ramblers Instrumental quartet instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77245 10-in. 12/6/1933 Blue river Prairie Ramblers Fiddle (violin) solo, with instrumental trio, and vocal and percussion effects instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77246 10-in. 12/6/1933 Shady grove my darling Prairie Ramblers Vocal and instrumental quartet instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BS-77247 10-in. 12/6/1933 Homesick for my old cabin Rubye Blevins Female vocal solo, with string band and yodeling instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77248 10-in. 12/6/1933 Home corral Rubye Blevins Female vocal solo, with string band and yodeling instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77249 10-in. 12/6/1933 Montana plains Rubye Blevins Female vocal solo, with string band and yodeling instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77250 10-in. 12/6/1933 Waltz of the hills Rubye Blevins Female vocal solo, with string band, whistling, and yodeling instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-77251 10-in. 12/6/1933 Gonna have a feast tonight Prairie Ramblers Vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Holmes, Floyd," accessed April 16, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108132.

Holmes, Floyd. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108132.

"Holmes, Floyd." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 16 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108132

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