In the early 1940s to 1950s, Gathright's Saturday Night Jamboree was billed as “One of the South’s Greatest Radio Shows.” Much like Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, it featured the best local musical and comedic acts in Pine Bluff, and was broadcast locally by KOTN and state-wide by KARK.
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In the early 1940s to 1950s, Gathright's Saturday Night Jamboree was billed as “One of the South’s Greatest Radio Shows.” Thick booklets featuring the show's many performers were sold at every performance. Each program sold for 50¢, which was a hefty price for entertainment, when a movie ticket, a coke, and a candy bar cost just 35¢.
In the 1940s, Gathright's Saturday Night Jamboree blossomed out of a simple jam session attended by a few musicians after hours every Saturday night at Gathright Van & Storage Transit Co. company headquarters at 300 Pine Street in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. All the musicians had one singular goal, to have a rollicking good time while playing and singing blues and country music.
By January 9, 1943, Gathright's Saturday Night Jamboree became so popular that it was broadcast over local radio station KOTN from the Gathright Van & Storage Transit Co. sales room. Initially, no admission fees were charged. Consequently, the crowd that gathered to watch the talented musicians play soon outgrew Gathright’s sales room. The seating capacity was extended to accommodate the crowds, and Gathright's Hayloft was born.
On September 4, 1943, the program began reaching a larger audience after being broadcast on KARK, a state-wide radio station. The Jamboree was broadcast in two separate segments. The first segment lasted from 8:00 p.m. to 8:55 p.m., and the first thirty minutes were broadcast state-wide on KARK. The second segment lasted from 9:05 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The last 30 minutes were broadcast on KOTN.
Gathrights Saturday Night Jamboree had a long list of local performers who included young performers like Eva Pappas, youngest entertainer, Betty Wadsworth, 12-year-old amateur contest winner, and Johnnie Lou Henry, 14-year-old singer, dancer, and movie star. Musicians included John Walton, bass player Newt Martin, comedian, singer, bass player E.A. Evans, and singer and fiddler Fiddlin’ Rufus. Singers included Rubye Heird, Fanny Evans, Bill Dudley, Smokey Goodwin, Gene Gray, and singer and tap dancer Patsy Sharpe. Singing groups included the Gathright's Quartet, Two Guys and a Gal, The Troubadours, with M.T. Brewer, and the Original Tune Peddlers. Also featured on the program were comedian Joe Price, master of ceremonies Joe Wallace, and writer and commercial announcer Brooks Henslee.
During its run, Gathright's Saturday Night Jamboree was much like Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, which began in the 1920s as a country music radio broadcast born out of live jam sessions. Like the Grand Ole Opry, Gathright's Saturday Night Jamboree featured popular local musicians and comedic performances that drew large local crowds. During its time, Gathrights Saturday Night Jamboree helped launch the careers of Arkansas musicians like Fiddlin’ Rufus, who went on to play in the same arenas as musical giants like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.
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Written by: Ninfa O. Barnard