Howard Watts (Cedric Rainwater)
coll...@nospam.gte.net
A lot has been documented about the "Original Bluegrass Band", Bill Monroe's
Blue Grass Boys from 1945-1948. This legendary group included Lester Flatt,
Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, and bassist Howard Watts. Although much has been
publicized about Flatt, Scruggs, and Wise, it seems relatively little
information is available about Watts.
Besides being a member of this classic group, he was also the original bassist
for Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Boys in 1948. Watts was also a member of
Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys prior to Williams' death in 1953. He often
used the stage name of "Cedric Rainwater" as part of a comedy routine.
I believe Mr Watts has been deceased for a number of years. Aside from
sporadic work as a studio bassist, I know of little about him after the demise
of the Drifting Cowboys.
Can anyone out there fill in some of the gaps about this bassist? Although
there have been better bassists over the years, Howard Watts must still be
recognized for his contributions to bluegrass and honk-tonk bass styles.
Colleydog
Lyle Lofgren
I don't have any answers to your questions, but I have one of my own,
and it has to do with outfits (as in "I see by your outfit that you
are a cowboy"). In at least one publicity photo from the period, the
Bluegrass Boys are all wearing Jodhpurs and (I may be remembering this
part wrong) English riding boots. It's as if all they needed to do
was to put on red jackets, mount their steeds, and they'd be off to
the fox hunt.
I'm aware of some of the fashion traditions of the music, such as that
non-professional folk usually dress up in their best clothing if
they're being brought onstage to perform. Also, the only guy in a
professional band who dresses like a farmer is the clown (who also
always plays bass, but that's a whole other sociological issue).
Obviously, the Bluegrass Boys, being from KY, wouldn't be wearing
cowboy suits like the Opry stars, but does anyone have any idea what
these Eastern horse outfits were supposed to symbolize about Bluegrass
music? For that matter, what do blue polyester suits symbolize about
BG?
Peter S. Shenkin
Lyle Lofgren <lofg...@maroon.tc.umn.edu> wrote in message
news:387dbe57....@news.tc.umn.edu...
> I don't have any answers to your questions, but I have one of my own,
> and it has to do with outfits (as in "I see by your outfit that you
> are a cowboy"). In at least one publicity photo from the period, the
> Bluegrass Boys are all wearing Jodhpurs and (I may be remembering this
> part wrong) English riding boots
> I'm aware of some of the fashion traditions of the music, such as that
> non-professional folk usually dress up in their best clothing if
> they're being brought onstage to perform. Also, the only guy in a
> professional band who dresses like a farmer is the clown (who also
> always plays bass, but that's a whole other sociological issue).
> Obviously, the Bluegrass Boys, being from KY, wouldn't be wearing
> cowboy suits like the Opry stars,
Then why did they later start wearing cowboy hats? Also, let's recall
that the Nudie suits started in L.A. in the late '40s, not out on
the open range.
> but does anyone have any idea what
> these Eastern horse outfits were supposed to symbolize about Bluegrass
> music?
For one thing, I'd guess, an allusion to the Bluegrass State --
specifically its horsey tradition. Can you say "Kentucky Derby"?
Recall that "Molly and Tenbrooks" was written about a 19th-century
running of that race. Also, I think the costume reflects upper-
class aspirations.
> For that matter, what do blue polyester suits symbolize about
> BG?
They symbolize that you're listening to a Stanley Bros. recording
from, say, 1964. :-)
-P.
Robert Palasek
> I don't have any answers to your questions, but I have one of my own,
> and it has to do with outfits (as in "I see by your outfit that you
> are a cowboy"). In at least one publicity photo from the period, the
> Bluegrass Boys are all wearing Jodhpurs and (I may be remembering this
> was to put on red jackets, mount their steeds, and they'd be off to
> the fox hunt.
I have assumed that those outfits were derivative of what used to
be folks wearing their old World War I uniforms. Bob Wills and
His Texas Playboys I believe were in earlier times the Light Crust
Dough Boys. I believe I recall a picture of them dressed in
jodhpurs. And of course, the Lilly Brothers. And who else?
Kind of like wearing camouflage fatigues in present times.
Bob
= == === ===== ======== ============= =====================
My gal, she rides an old hay wagon.
Y' know, she's gettin' there just the same.
John Ross
Lofgren) wrote:
> Also, the only guy in a
>professional band who dresses like a farmer is the clown (who also
>always plays bass, but that's a whole other sociological issue).
Bass player? Just as often, it was the banjo player, wasn't it? Think
of Snuffy Jenkins, Grandpa Jones and Stringbean, just for starters.
Paula
wrote:
Then, of course, there's one of my all-time favorite instrumentalists,
Cousin Jody! It's a shame that his clown-y persona in a clown-y band
distracted people from his great musical talent. He was COOL.
Paula
Lyle Lofgren
Okay, I'll demote my generalization to a corporalization, or maybe (as
in the former Soviet Union), a privatization.
Dan Cutrer
> Then, of course, there's one of my all-time favorite instrumentalists,
> Cousin Jody! It's a shame that his clown-y persona in a clown-y band
> distracted people from his great musical talent. He was COOL.
Jody and group had a great country ballad I find myself humming still,
"Beyond the Next Hilltop, I'll Make a New Start." Buddy Killen, a
Nashville stalwart for half a century, who was in Jody's original
trio, in his book "By the Seat of My Pants" writes:
"Jody had been using a hydraulic jack to level his new (mobile) home.
The board split and caught Jody's hand between the jack and the
coupling. ... Two middle fingers were amputated, and Jody had to learn
to play the steel guitar with only half of a hand to hold the bar. It
was to his credit that he had the patience and determination to overcome
such a handicap. Jody passed away a few years ago, but I'll always
remember the time I spent with him."
Jody was originally part of the Lonzo & Oscar troupe, played steel for
them. (WHAT, children? You don't recall Lonzo & Oscar??? <g>) Noted
that Jody wore false teeth, and when he removed them he could touch his
nose with his lower lip. I seem to recall that one of the
precedent-setting "right to profit from one's likeness" cases dealt with
a greeting card company that put the famous photo of Cousin Jody chewing
on his nose on one of their products, Jody sued, eventually won.
Paula
<dcu...@postoffice.swbell.net> wrote:
>Jody and group had a great country ballad I find myself humming still,
>"Beyond the Next Hilltop, I'll Make a New Start." Buddy Killen, a
>Nashville stalwart for half a century, who was in Jody's original
>trio,
Does anyone have any idea where I can find recordings of Jody's band?
I can't really handle Lonzo & Oscar.
Paula
Al Christians
same last name
had played with Bill Monroe in the early days. Maybe your idea about
which name was
the stage name is askew. IDK, but that's what I heard.
Al
Al Christians
same last name
had played with Monroe in the early days. Maybe you have the stage name
part
backwards.
Joe Cline
<dcu...@postoffice.swbell.net> wrote:
>Jody was originally part of the Lonzo & Oscar troupe, played steel for
>them.
Clell Summey (his real name) also played with Acuff's Smokey Mt. Boys
before WWII, as I recall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe Cline ( Mand...@hotmail.com )
Charlotte
I'm still not sure if I understand ambiguity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack Aldrich
around 1940. I have some pictures of the Smoky Mountain Boys from that
era. He wasn't a clown or comedian with the band, either, as far as I
know.
Colleydog
Al,
Thanks for your post, but I'm pretty certain that "Cedric Rainwater" was the
stage name that Howard Watts used on many occasions. Dave Rainwater may be
referring to Jody Rainwater, who was a bassist with Flatt & Scruggs in the
early 1950's.
However, I seem to recall from an old article in "Bluegrass Unlimited" magazine
that "Jody Rainwater" was also a stage name, since he joined Flatt & Scruggs'
band while Watts was still with them. I'm not aware of Jody ever being a
member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, but with the multitude of musicians
that Monroe used over the years, it isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Colleydog
In article <3882E4DF...@easystreet.com>, ach...@easystreet.com says...
>
>Fiddler Dave Rainwater once told me that one of his ancestors of the
>same last name
>had played with Bill Monroe in the early days. Maybe your idea about
>which name was
>the stage name is askew. IDK, but that's what I heard.
>
>
TOM KAN PA
tom kan pa