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Hugh Farr – printable
Hugh Farr
(1903 - 1980)
It has been related that during a Walter Winchell interview, the noted conductor Leopold Stokowski was asked whom he considered the greatest natural violinist of the century. Stokowski allegedly replied, "It really must be two musicians - the left hand of Fritz Kreisler and the right hand of that gentleman who plays the violin with the Sons of the Pioneers. I can't recall his name...." (Hear My Song, by Ken Griffis, 1994 p. 107)
♫
The small central Texas town of Llano was the birthplace of Thomas Hubert (Hugh) Farr (future fiddler for the Sons of the Pioneers), December 6, 1903. His father, Thomas Benjamin Farr, was an independent building contractor and part-time musician. Both Thomas and Hattie Wheatley Farr, while going together, played for local dances and neighborhood parties, Tom playing the fiddle and Hattie the guitar. Hugh accused his father of branding him a fiddler at birth. The doctor, who previously had delivered five sisters, Lyla, Belle, Winnie, Stella, and Maggie, informed Thomas that he finally had a son. Thomas wouldn’t accept the word of the doctor until he had seen for himself. “Well, I’ll be darned, there’s my fiddler!” Following Hugh were brothers Glen and Karl. (Ibid, p. 103)
Hugh Farr was a masterful musician. He claimed no one had influenced his playing and there is no question he developed a style of fiddling that was completely his own. Yet while Hugh could amaze you with his solos he never let his playing interfere with the Pioneers’ singing as he provided stylish and subtle accompaniment to their harmonies. Karl Farr’s guitar playing was the perfect complement to his brother’s fiddling. Bringing him into the group made them strong instrumentally as they were vocally. It was truly as if each of the Pioneers was a part of a musical jigsaw puzzle with each piece fitting together perfectly. Apart each had talent and would have enjoyed some measure of success. Together they formed a group that became the cornerstone of western music. (Laurence Zwisohn, Los Angeles, California, March 1998)
Hugh Farr joined the Sons of the Pioneers between November 1933 and February 1934 and remained with the group until 1958, adding that immediately identifiable fiddle styling and soft bass voice to the classic sound. But he had been active in music from a small boy.
Hugh told Ken Griffis that when he was seven he mastered the guitar and joined his father playing for the Saturday night community dances. He recalled that when he was about 9 years old, his father let him play hooky from school to learn to play the violin. He accomplished that, he said, in one day flat and from then on did the fiddling to his father's back-up guitar.
He admired the jazzy sound of the Kansas City Hawks and would sneak out of bed at night to listen to them on the family radio but he quickly developed his own style.
The family moved around a lot, eventually ending up in Encino, California, where Hugh tried construction work. Before too long he had found work at Mammy's Shack, a bar on Ventura Boulevard and he decided making music was more in his line. He stayed at Mammy's Shack for three years until the place burned to the ground. He and Karl joined Len Nash and His Country Boys, a band which played on radio and in a dance hall until 1933. The Farr Brothers worked as staff musicians on KFOX until Hugh left in March 1933 to join Jack LeFevre's Texas Outlaws on KFWB. Late in November of 1933, Ken Slye, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer offered him a place with them. He was hesitant to leave his own staff job until he heard the trio sing - and then he was sold.
1934 Farley's Gold Star Rangers with Gus Mack
1936 The Sons of the Pioneers at the Texas Centennial with, possibly, Glenn Spencer.
1940
photo courtesy of Ed Phillips
Publicity still from the Columbia picture, Spoilers of the Range, 1939.
Back with Roy Rogers for the Republic films, 1941.
Hugh remained with the Sons of the Pioneers when he attempted to form his own group which he called "The Sons of the Pioneers". None of these groups was successful. Hugh had always been under the impression that since he was one of the original four members of the group that, when all the others left, he would own the name so he copyrighted it. Shortly after his brother Karl's death in 1961, he formed another but the current Sons of the Pioneers objected and a court case sorted the matter out. The transcript from a photocopy of the original trial transcript courtesy of Fred Goodwin is provided at the end of this page.
About four years after losing the court case he joined or helped form a group called The Country Gentlemen composed of Jimmie Widener, Pat Patterson and Kenny Baker. They made Lake Tahoe their base. Although they didn't sound like the Sons of the Pioneers, their sound was much admired.
To quote Will Osborne, the entertainment director at Harvey's Wagon Wheel in Lake Tahoe where The Country Gentlemen were appearing:
During the formative period of The Country Gentlemen, I was fortunate enough to hear the group in rehearsal. A close friend of mine telephoned me one afternoon and suggested that I come over to his home here at Lake Tahoe for a cup of tea and a musical treat. The tea was brisk...the musical treat, exhilarating. The Country Gentlemen were in rehearsal. They had decided to get completely away from Hollywood and its influence and had chosen this garden spot as a base while rehearsing and polishing the group to be known as The Country Gentlemen.
What I heard that afternoon in early January 1962 took me completely by surprise, not because of innovations or gimmicks, but mainly because I had never heard such quality in voices, such fine musicianship and presentation in a group in the country and western field.
My first thought was to insist that they sign a contract to appear for us at Harvey's Wagon Wheel but then it seemed ridiculous that such an outstanding organization could possible be at liberty. On broaching the subject, I was told that they would not be ready to play their first engagement until after some weeks of rehearsal. To shorten the story - 5 days later, The Country Gentlemen opened at the Wagon Wheel on January 19, 1962. Since that date, they have played six engagements for us in a period of nine months ... an all-time record.
Among the many top musicians and celebrities frequenting the performances of The Country Gentlemen, Harry James said, "The most modern sound and the finest musicianship in the western field." Bob Wills, "The first musical thrill I've had in 20 years." Red Norvo, playing on the same bill, spent much of his time between shows "out front" listening. He is a staunch fan of The Country Gentlemen. To quote Red, "They have such good taste and produce a wonderful sound."
I am naturally proud of the boys and of the great strides they have made in such a short period of time. They have made me a fan of country and western music - Country Gentlemen style.
The group broke up within a few months of recording this album because of the illness of one of the members. Hugh made brief public appearances at ceremonies where the Sons of the Pioneers were honored and demonstrated that he had lost none of that genius that had helped raise the Sons of the Pioneers to the height of popularity.
1976 at the Hollywood Walk of Fame dedication ceremony with Bob Nolan and Roberta Mileusnich.
In later years, Hugh suffered severely reduced circumstances and on March 17, 1980, he passed away, leaving to mourn his wife, Lynn.
Following is a partial list of Hugh Farr and Karl Farr's compositions.
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Hugh Farr – printable
Bad Road to Texas
Blues in D
Bluin' the Blues
Boggy Road in Texas
Bon Ton Schottische
Cactus Swing
Cajon Stomp
Cajun Stomp
Chicken in the Corn Crib
Comin' Thru the Korn
Dance of the Dogies
Dreamy Reverie
Farr Away Blues
Farr into the Night
Fiddlin' Around
Heart to Heart
Hoppin' High
Howlin' Pup
South in My Soul
Swingin' the Bow
Texas Crapshooter
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Hugh Farr – printable
Court case re: ownership of the name "The Sons of the Pioneers"
(copy of Xerox, courtesy of Fred Goodwin)
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
DEPARTMENT 34
HON. EMIL GUMPERT, JUDGE
No. 721111
KARL FARR, LLOYD PERRYMAN, GEORGE FISHER, LLOYD T. DOSS, DALE WARREN Plaintiffs and Cross-Defendants, Vs. HUGH FARR, Defendant and Cross-Complainant
REPORTER’S TRANSCRIPT
Tuesday, December 15, 1959
APPEARANCES:
For Plaintiffs: MAX E. GILMORE
For Defendant: ROSENTHAL, ROMANIK & NISALL
By: GERALD L. ROMANIK
GRACE A. ROGERS, C. S. R., Official Reporter
INDEX
PLAINTIFFS’ WITNESS DIRECT CROSS
FARR, Hugh (2055 CCP)2 14
DEFENDANT’S WITNESS
FARR, Lynn 26 31
REBUTTAL WITNESS
PERRYMAN, Lloyd 33 36
EXHIBITS
DEFENDANT’S IN EVIDENCE
A – Group of Business Records 30
ORAL OPINION OF THE COURTPAGE 38
Page 2
Los Angeles, California, Tuesday, December 15, 1959 9:30 AM
THE COURT: Farr versus Farr
MR. GILMORE: Ready, your Honor.
MR. ROMANIK: Ready for the defendant, your Honor.
MR. GILMORE: I WILL CALL Mr. Hugh Farr under 2055.
HUGH FARR, the defendant herein, called as a witness on behalf of the plaintiffs under the provisions of Section 2055 of the Code of Civil Procedure, having been previously duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
THE CLERK: State your name, please, again for the record.
THE WITNESS: Hugh Farr.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. GILMORE:
Q Mr. Farr, as I understand it, it is your position in this lawsuit you are the sole owner of the name “Sons of the Pioneers”?
A Yes, sir, I have always thought that; yes.
Q It is your position in this lawsuit that your brother Karl has simply been an employee of this group since he joined in about 1935?
Page 3
A Yes.
Q And it is your position that Mr. Fisher has been a member of the group since he joined in 1936[1]?
A Yes.
Q And it is your position that Mr. Doss has been a member of the group since he joined in 1939[2]?
A Yes.
Q The old original group of “Sons of the Pioneers” were Roy Rogers, Tim Spencer and Mr. Robert Nolan and yourself; is that correct?
A Yes.
Q It is your position that those original four agreed regardless of who joined the group later on the name remained with the original four or whoever of the original four remained in the group; is that correct?
A Yes, but it has been so long ago they have forgotten. You forget a lot in 27 years.
Q In February of 1939[3] you were the only member of the original group still with the “Sons of the Pioneers”; is that correct?
A Yes, sir.
Q And you are the only original member of the group who has been with the “Sons of the Pioneers” since
Page 4
Tim Spencer left in about 1952; is that correct?
A Yes.
Q In about 1954 your then wife, Rosita Estelle Farr, secured a divorce from you in this court; is that correct?
A No, I got one from her.
Q About that time?
A Yes.
Q In that proceeding you filed an affidavit in which you purported to set forth all of your separate community assets; is that correct?
A All except the name of the “Sons of the Pioneers”.
Q But in your affidavit that you made in that proceeding –
MR. ROMANIK: Do you have that affidavit with you, counsel?
MR. GILMORE: No, I do not.
Q --you purported to set forth all of your assets, both community and separate, in that affidavit; is that correct?
A Yes.
Page 5
Q But you did not include the name “Sons of the Pioneers” in that list of property?
A No, because that was my livelihood.
MR. GILMORE: May it please the Court, may counsel approach the bench?
THE COURT: If you wish to say something without the witness hearing it, you may. However, there is no jury here, of course.
MR. GILMORE: It need not be on the record.
(Conference at the bench between both counsel and the Court, without the reporter.)
THE COURT: We discussed informally a stipulation, but this is no indication of the feeling of the Court, because the Court, of course, does not form or express any opinion on a case until it is finally submitted to the Court, the same as with a jury. But as I understood counsel in chambers, there was a further stipulation that was not put on the record, that if the court should determine that the firm name was a partnership asset it would be sold and the proceeds divided equally between the parties to this litigation.
MR. ROMANIK: So stipulated, your Honor.
MR. GILMORE: So stipulated.
THE COURT: That is to say, one-sixth to each; is that correct, gentlemen?
MR. ROMANIK: So stipulated.
Page 6
MR. GILMORE: So stipulated.
THE COURT: All right. You may proceed.
Q BY MR GILMORE: Mr. Farr, on or about 1954 you filed a petition in bankruptcy in the United States District Court here in Los Angeles?
A Yes, sir.
Q In connection with that proceeding you filed under oath schedules which purport to set forth all of your property of every nature and description; isn’t that true?
A Yes, sir.
Q In those schedules is it not a fact you did not include as one of your assets the trade name “Sons of the Pioneers”?
A That’s right.
THE COURT: At the time you swore to those schedules in bankruptcy did you consider –
THE WITNESS: My lawyer –
THE COURT: Just listen to the question, please. Did you consider the name “Sons of the Pioneers” an asset of any value, or did you consider it an asset of no value and for that reason leave it out of your schedules?