Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers

The Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers were an American Old-time string band consisting of Amos Binkley (1888–1952) on banjo, his brother Gale Binkley (1893–1946) on fiddle, Tom Andrews on guitar, and Jack Jackson on guitar and vocals. The Binkley Brothers first performed on Nashville radio station WSM in 1926, and in 1928 became one of the first bands to record commercially in the city. The group performed regularly on the Grand Ole Opry until they disbanded in 1938.

Amos and Gale Binkley were born in Cheatham County, Tennessee, and were working as jewelry repairmen when they started playing for WSM in 1926. The Binkleys eventually joined up with Franklin-born guitarist Thomas William AKA "Tom" Andrews (1901-1984), Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County, Tennessee, he worked for the L & N Rail Road then a farmer, and Jonas "Jack" Jackson (1909-1994) Wilson County, Tennessee Farmer builder of Farm equipment. and the group was given the name "Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers" by Opry founder George D. Hay, who preferred rural-sounding band names to fit the show's barn dance format. In September 1928, the group attempted to record several sides for Victor Records at the YMCA building in Nashville, but Victor's A&R agent Ralph Peer decided the group's vocals were too "rough." Peer added Lebanon, Tennessee singer Jack Jackson to the line-up, and on October 2, the band made its first recordings. The group continued performing on the Opry throughout the following decade, and by the early 1930s Jackson— who was known as the "Strolling Yodeler"— was one of the most popular singers on Nashville-area radio.

The band's repertoire included "I'll Rise When the Rooster Crows," which was derived from the 1881 song "Dem Golden Shoes," and the folk song "Give Me Back My Fifteen Cents." Both were recorded at their 1928 Victor sessions. When the Binkley Brothers left the Opry in 1938, they were replaced by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

= 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 BVE-47098 10-in. 9/28/1928 Watermelon hanging on de vine Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47099 10-in. 9/28/1928 Little old log cabin in the lane Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47100 10-in. 9/28/1928 Give me back my fifteen cents Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47101 10-in. 9/28/1928 All go hungry hash house Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47106 10-in. 10/2/1928 When I had but fifty cents Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47107 10-in. 10/2/1928 It'll never happen again Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47108 10-in. 10/2/1928 Rock all our babies to sleep Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-47109 10-in. 10/2/1928 I'll rise, when the rooster crows Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers Vocal and instrumental ensemble Musical group  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers," accessed April 16, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100559.

Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100559.

"Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 16 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100559

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