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Welche Bedeutung AFN mit seinen Sendungen für die Entwicklung der Country Music bei uns und vor allem für jeden einzelnen persönlich hatte, das schildere ich in dem Beitrag "Wie es war - wie es ist Country im Radio" auf dieser Seite. In der Serie "Eine AFN-Chronologie" werden nun in lockerer Folge alle mir zugänglichen Beiträge aus den verschiedensten Publikationen im deutschsprachigen Raum wiedergegeben - Beiträge aus Country Zeitschriften, Country Newsletter etc. und auch aus eigenen Aufzeichnungen. AFN hatte seine Studios in den ursprünglich amerikanischen Besatzungszonen und in West Berlin. Die Nähe der Schweiz zum süddeutschen Raum brachte es mit sich, dass der in der Schweiz ansässige von Charles "Chuck" Steiner betriebene "Ole Hillbilly Drifters"-Club hauptsächlich die Aktivitäten der AFN-Stationen in München, Stuttgart und Frankfurt beleuchtete. Der erste Bericht dieser Serie stammt aus dem Jahr 1957. Anzumerken ist noch, dass die Clubzeitschriften der "Ole Hillbilly Drifters" anfangs in englischer Sprache erschienen, später wurden Beiträge auch in deutscher Sprache abgedruckt. Die Sendezeiten der Country-Sendungen (damals verwendete man noch die Terminologien "Hillbilly Music" und etwas fortgeschritten schon "Country & Western") sind in allen Beiträgen hervorgehoben. Ergänzungen zu dieser Chronologie sind jederzeit willkommen.
All our members - near and FAR - are cordially invited to mail in their requests. We count on your help . . . especially from our OVERSEAS members. Keep requesting. Thank You!
PFC Gary HARMON
Hillbilly Reveille
AFN Bremerhaven
APO 69, US Forces
B r e m e r h a v e n
WESTERN GERMANYAus: “Country Singin´ and Pickin´ News” der Ole Hillbilly Drifters, Vol. IV, Nummer 13, April 1959
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EUROPEAN COUNTRY AND WESTERN HITPARADE
7 TOP TUNESAt the l6th of May 1959 the top tunes in the Country and Western field of music tabulate as follows:
1 faron young - ALONE WITH YOU
2 george jones - WHITE LIGHTNING
3 don gibson - WHO CARES
4 kitty wells/curly holt - ONE BY ONE
5 skeets mcdonald - WELCOME HOME
6 johnny cash - SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT
7 ray price - LETTERS HAVE NO ARMSThese selections on the European C&W Hitparade have been tabulated by the greatest number of requests right here in Europe, taken off the “Hillbilly Reveille” of the AMERICAN FORCES NETWORK (AFN).
Aus: “Country Singin´ and Pickin´ News” der Ole Hillbilly Drifters, Vol. IV, Nummer 13, April 1959
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Our Clubpresident Chuck Steiner and member Bill Bohn spent a few days in Stuttgart and Munich, Western Germany. Chuck left Basel on Friday, September 25th, at 4 a.m. to meet our German representative Martin C. Haerle in Stuttgart. There in the afternoon they visited the brand new buildings of the AMERICAN FORCES NETWORK (AFN) Stuttgart - overlooking beautiful Neckar Valley, Chuck got acquainted with the Canadian recording artist DONN REYNOLDS, and "Hoppy" Rex Hopkins, deejay of the "Stuttgart Hoedown". Of course in the evening Chuck and Martin went to see a C&W show at the Ludendorff Caserne where Eddie Wilson and his band gave out with a terrific five hour show for a large crowd. One day later - Saturday - Bill Bohn joined Chuck and Martin and in the early afternoon the three of them drove down to Munich in Martin´s car. They arrived at 5 p.m., just in time to get things fixed to attend the famous "BAVARIAN GRAND OLE OPRY" at McGraw Caserne E.M. Club. That show takes place each Saturday, and starts at 7 p.m. and lasts until Midnight. The performing band - The Munich Rangers - is leaded by Dick Glover who presented "Little" Willie, member of the "Ole Hillbilly Drifters Fan Club", and her daughter Kipper, Bob Byrd, Lowell Schaibe, and Johnny Hooker as regular singers. Outstanding instrumentalists in the band are Willi Kohler, fiddle and Kurt Rankl, steel guitar. By the way, both - Willi and Kurt - are members of our club too. The whole show was no doubt a great event for us Hillbilly Fans from Switzerland as never before they had the opportunity to be among such crowds of "countryfied neighbors". As the show was flowing along Herb Nesmith and Jim Carter joined Martin, Chuck and Bill at their table. Herb as well as Jim are both pop and C&W deejays at AFN Munich. The latter one is spinning the records in the "Hillbilly Reveille" from 6.05 till 6.30 a.m. on weekdays. AFN's "Hillbilly Reveille" is the favorite request program of all country music fans in Europe. On Sunday, September 2?th, Martin, Chuck and Bill headed for Murnau, a tiny village near the Bavarian Alps where the Munich Rangers with Dick Glover, Bob Byrd, "Little" Willie and 12-year old Kipper entertained the hillbilly-minded folks. It is not overstated but, the few hours spent at the Murnau E.M. Club, distinguished by bright and colorful decoration, were some of the nicest. Time flew away too quickly, and before the trio even thought of it, Monday and the saddest moment arrived, the moment they had to say goodbye. Back in Stuttgart again, Martin, Chuck and Bill together with our member Dietz Buchwald dropped in at the cosy place our member Robert Schilling is living. He and his charming wife made the stay a most pleasant one. After the nice evening, where for hours real down-to-earth Country Music was the main subject, time had come for Chuck and Bill to end their visit in Germany. On Tuesday, having paid a visit to the well-known TV-Tower, a token of Stuttgart, Chuck and Bill boarded the whistling train taking them home. They wish to thank each and everyone who helped to make their short stay a tremendeous success and especially: "Thank you so very much, Little Willie and Martin, for everything you did for us".
On Friday, September 25th, Johnny Cash being on visit in Germany acted as deejay on the "Hillbilly Reveille". Pfc Jim Carter who actually is the deejay on that show gladly let Johnny take over for once. No doubt, the fabulous Johnny Cash did a wonderful job.
Aus: “Country Singin´ and Pickin´ News” der Ole Hillbilly Drifters, Vol. IV, Nummer 15, October 1959
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Am 1. September 1959 spielt AFN-DJ Gary Harmon, AFN Bremerhaven, meinen ersten Wunschtitel: "A Little Time Out For Love" mit den Wilburn Brothers. Es soll dann noch "einige" Jahre dauern, bis ich dieses Lied auf einer meiner Plattenzusammenstellungen platzieren kann:auf der TELDEC Doppel-LP "A Super Country & Western Festival" (COPS 7848/1-2). Die Aufnahme der Wilburn Brothers erschien 1975 weltweit erstmals auf LP.
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EUROPEAN COUNTRY AND WESTERN HITPARADE
7 TOP TUNESAt the 5th of September 1959 the top tunes in the Country and Western field tabulate as follows:
1 JOHNNY HORTON - THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS
2 STONEWALL JACKSON - WATERLOO
3 NED MILLER - FROM A JACK TO A KING
4 LEFTY FRIZZELL - CIGARETTES AND COFFEE BLUES
5 DON GIBSON - I CAN'T STOP LOVIN´ YOU
6 HANK SNOW/ANITA CARTER - IT´S YOU, ONLY YOU, THAT I LOVE
7 FARON YOUNG - SWEET DREAMS
These selections on the “European C&W Hitparade” have been tabulated by the greatest number of requests right here in Europe, taken off the "Hillbilly Reveille" of the AMERICAN FORCES NETWORK (AFN).Aus: “Country Singin´ and Pickin´ News” der Ole Hillbilly Drifters, Vol. IV, Nummer 14, July 1959