Luther W. Ossenbrink was born in Missourri in 1906, from owners of a farm and a general store. He taught himself to play the guitar and fiddle so he could play at the local square dances. His first job on music was on the Kansas City radio KMBC in 1928
but joined the WLS Barn Dance in Chicago in 1929, where he remained one of the most popular performers until the show went off the air in 1960.
He was professionally known as Arkie the Arkansas Woodchopper. He was a singer and yodeller, accompanying himself on guitar. He recorded two sides for Columbia late 1928, but more importantly for Gennett in 1929 and 1930, for Conqueror in 1931 and for Okeh with a string band in 1941.
Despite his huge success on radio shows, he never really established himself as a major recording musician. Thus his records have never been reissued, beside a few tracks on various compilations.
On all sides: Luther Ossenbrink: vocals & guitar.
The sides offered here were all recorded in the Gennett studio in Richmond, Indiana, and released on the Gennett label, but also on Champion and Supertone.
Supertone was one of the several labels marketed by Sears, Roebuck & Co. It started in 1924.
As Sears did not register the name, the Chicago store Straus & Schram Company used it between 1925 and 1928, with a different label design. The two labels were totally unrelated.
In 1928, Sears, Roebuck & Co. reclaimed the name and restarted the brand (the 9000 series), this time pressed by Gennett, using their own masters, until Gennett were discontunued in late 1930. Then the Brunswick Radio Corporation pressed the discs (the 2000 series) only for a very short time.
From the October 17, 1929 session:
The Arkansas Woodchopper “Zeb Turney’s gal” (Mx 15781 A)
The Arkansas Woodchopper “In The Jai House Now” (Mx 15783 A)
From the February 10, 1930 session:
The Arkansas Woodchopper “Write Me A Song About Father” (Mx 16236 B)
Released only on Supertone.
The Arkansas Woodchopper “Old And Only In The Way” (Mx 16238 B)
The Arkansas Woodchopper “The Dying Ranger” (Mx 16246)
~ 05/25/2019 UPDATE ~
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