Monday, December 11, 2017

Yodelin' Slim Clark's 100th Birthday

Picture Courtesy of Athol Daily News
Today (December 11, 2017) would have been Yodelin' Slim Clark's 100th birthday.

From Wikipedia (abridged):
In 1936, he went on the air as "Wyoming Buck" and a few months later the radio station manager renamed him "Yodeling Slim Clark" - which was his trademark throughout his career. 
Though primarily known as a single act, Slim's bands included the "Red River Rangers", "The Trailriders" and "The Trailsmen". 
During his very active career, Slim recorded over 25 albums. Copies of his old 78s are in the Library at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and have become collector's items. After a partial retirement in the early 1970s, he recorded for Palomino Records and played many festivals during the summertime.
Slim won the World Yodeling Championship in 1947 and was inducted into the Yodeler's Hall of Fame, He was a member of the Western Music Association's Hall of Fame. 
Here's a comment from Tiny Bill Cody:
Yodelin' Slim Clark was one of a handful of people who introduced me to the novelty tune "She Taught Me to Yodel" (there is a superlative version by Kenny Roberts I think, but regardless).  I kind of love the postmodern edge of these kinds of songs.
I'm yodelling a song whose lyrics are about the fact that i'm yodelling (is there any other kind of singing that is so self-referential?). I also love the notion of someone being so entranced by yodelling that they wouldn't even attempt it without going to switzerland to be inititated.   These things give yodeling its otherworldly power--its status as a thing that is comical yet also enchanted--a kind of benevolent magic.
I don't consider myself a good yodeller, but I am good enough to understand its value as a kind of enchantment.  God bless Slim for being so committed to the form.
Here are some videos from the man himself:







Links: Yodelin' Slim Clark, Videos above courtesy of mrblindfreddy9999

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