Wednesday, March 28, 2012

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC - CHAPTER # 32 - TEX ROE - NEW YORK STATE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAMER

Singer, songwriter, producer John Frederick "Tex" Roe (Robarge) was born in Oswego, NY on September 14, 1922. His musical career started in 1938, when his band won the areas amateur talent contest held at the Capitol Theater. In 1941, he joined the U.S. Marines and started a band with southern musicians while stationed at Paris Island. By 1942-43 Tex had his own band where he meet Ernest Tubb guitarist "Butterball" Page and Dickey Harris. He left the marines in 1946 and a year later moved to Cortland, NY. He joined the Trailblazer's and was hired by WKRT Radio in Cortland where Tex had a weekly radio show that lasted thru 1982. In 1949, Tex had his own TV Program on Syracuse's WHEN TV-8. The show called "Andy's Barn" that featured his band the Bar-O-Range Boys. Also in 1949 the "King of the Cowboys" Roy Rogers asked Tex to perform at the Grand Opening of the World Rodeo finals in Philadelphia, Pa. Back on June 12, 1951, Tex Roe shared the Syracuse Civic Theater stage with Country Music Hall of Fame great Hank Williams Sr.

Tex also appeared for 13-weeks on the Grand Ole Opry from Nashville, Tennessee. These broadcasts were heard on the country music giant WWVA Radio in Wheeling, West Virginia and the Ernest Tubb Show on WSM Radio in Nashville. Roe shared the stage with such country greats as Eddie Arnold, Boots Randolph, Buck Owens, Loretta Lynn, "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Pee Wee King, Roy Drusky, Wanda Jackson, Roy Clark, Tex Ritter, Stoneman Family, Ernest Tubb, and The Sons of the Pioneers with Roy Rogers. His 1965 release "Pass the Bottle Bartender" included famed musical great Glen Campbell and Elvis Presley drummer D.J. Fontana.

Between 1955-80 Tex Roe's bandmates included- Don Elster, Lynn Strauff, Stan Fish, Jim Ingram, "Snuffy" Smith, Ely Brothers, Jimmy Miller. George Kay, "Dizzy" Mead, Mike Ocello, Hank Recor and others.

His musical releases included the 78 rpm "Overdue" b/w "Lonesome Broken Hearted" (1957) and the 45 rpm singles "All The Time" (1958), "I Just Don't Like That Kind of Livin" (1958),  "Stop Trying To Tell Me" (1958), "Wonderful Thing Called Love" (1960), "Rocketship to the Moon" (1962). More releases came between 1968-88- "Pass The Bottle Bartender", "This Little Bird Told Me", " John The Baptist" (1968), "Praise The Lord" (1972), "Holidays" (1980), "Santa Claus" and  "Treasure Chest Of Love" (1988). 

During his long career, the vary talented Tex Roe released only one album "Tex Roe Sings Fire Shootin Pony" (1970) on Mark IV Records produced by the legendary guitarist Link Wray (of Rumble fame) at his Wray's Shack 3-Track studio in Accokeek, Maryland.

Tex Roe was inducted into the New York State Country Music Hall of Fame on May 24, 1981. He sadly passed away on February 25, 2001. He is buried in the Virgil (N.Y.) Rural Cemetery in Cortland County..

Note- Roe's song "Wonderful Thing Called Love" is included on the various artist Cd "Rockin With A Boppin Feelin- Volune 2" by Collectors Records. To this day his daughter Cindy still has a wedsite promoting her father's music.

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