Red River Dave McEnery (born David Largus McEnery)[1] (December 15, 1914 – January 15, 2002)[2] was an American artist, musician, and writer of topical songs. He was born in San Antonio, Texas, United States. He got the nickname "Red River Dave" because he enjoyed singing "Red River Valley" in high school. He was the leader of The Swift Cowboys.
"Red River Dave" McEnery | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | David Largus McEnery[1] |
| Also known as | Red River Dave |
| Born | December 15, 1914 San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Died | January 15, 2002 (aged 87) |
| Genres | Western music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1937–2002 |
| Labels | Decca Records Savoy Records |
Career edit
As a teenager, he appeared regularly on KABC radio. Dave began his career by singing, yodeling, and performing rope tricks at rodeos. In 1936, he broadcast a live singing performance from the Goodyear Blimp over CBS AM radio station WQAM in Miami. His career really took off with his song "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight", broadcast in a pioneer television broadcast from the 1939 New York World's Fair.[3] He worked for radio station WOR (AM) in New York City.[4] He was a radio personality in border radio for station XERF. In the latter part of his life, he became a well-known painter of Texas landscapes and Western Americana themes and was often known to paint the backs of his used guitars.
Cinema edit
He worked in several westerns as a singing cowboy, including Swing in the Saddle (1944), Hidden Valley Days (1948) and Echo Ranch (1948).
Publications edit
- Dave, Red River; Betty Ann Fisher (1939). Red River Dave Song Book: marvelous collection of cowboy, hill-billy, mountain and home songs, all originals. New York: Stasny Music Corporation.
- McEnery, Dave (c. 1940). Red River Dave's Louisiana Jamboree and Nashville Favorites. San Antonio, Texas: Red River Dave Music Company.
Songs edit
Red River Dave's songs have been recorded by Hank Snow and Tex Ritter.
- "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight" 1937
- "The Blind Boy's Dog" ("I'd Like To Give My Dog To Uncle Sam")
- "The Red Deck of Cards"[5] 1954
- "Ballad Of Emmett Till"
- "The Ballad Of Francis Powers" 1960[6]
- "Trial of Francis Powers" 1960
- "The Flight Of Apollo Eleven" 1969
- "The California Hippy Murders"[7][8]
- "The Ballad Of Patty Hearst"[8]
- "The Ballad of Three Mile Island" 1979[8]
- "Shame is the Middle Name Of Exxon"
- "Atlanta's Black Children" 1981
- "The Pine-Tarred Bat, the Ballad of George Brett" 1983[9]
- "The Clinging Lovers of Kenya" 1983[10]
- "Night That Ronald Reagan Rode With Santa Claus"[10] 1984[11]
References edit
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1997). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research Inc. p. 504. ISBN 0-89820-122-5.
- ^ "Free Family Tree, Genealogy, Family History, and DNA Testing". Myheritage.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ Wadey, Paul (January 21, 2002). "Red River Dave McEnery". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Kingsbury, Paul (2004). The Encyclopedia of Country Music: the ultimate guide to the music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 432.
- ^ "Lyrics". Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ "CONELRAD | ATOMIC PLATTERS: by". Atomicplatters.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ "Hillbillies in Hell: Country Music's Tormented Testament - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c III, Harris M. Lentz (April 9, 2003). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. p. 206. ISBN 9780786414642 – via Google Books.
- ^ Rogers, Thomas (August 4, 1983). "Ballad to Pine Tar". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Russell, Tony (March 21, 2002). "Red River Dave". The Guardian. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ Gallagher, Peter B. (December 24, 1984). "Red River Dave tries to keep America humming". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
The sleigh bells were playing Yankee Doodle in time