Rice Brothers Gang

[Rick Dempster]

I have a tape of a vinyl LP released in Japan in the '70s. One side is Cliff Bruner, the other side a bunch of radio transcriptions by an outfit called the 'Rice Brothers Gang'. As I recall there was no info. about the personnel with the record. The band included a chromatic harmonica player, a sax and a steel. Recorded in the late '30s and early '40s I would think. The steel player sounded like he was on a straight major tuning, and was very loose and adventurous. Tunes included 'Is it true what they say about Dixie?' 'Alabama Jubilee' and a minor blues called 'King Cotton Stomp' which was copied from an old off-centre disc, so that listening to it makes you feel seasick.
Anyone know anything about this mob? In particular, who was the steel man?

[R. L. Jones]

The Rice bros,. were a band from around Shreveport La., Paul Rice is the author of the song ,,"You are my Sunshine," He sold that song to Jimmie Davis,for 17$ , they were a real good band,,,country ,sorry ,,toomany years to remember the steel player. Cliff Bruner was from around the Beaumont, Texas area ,he is still alive

R.L.Jones,

P.S,. Jimmie Davis,s Mother was , a Wjcks,,and A sister to my Great Granpa

[R. L. Jones]

Hi Rick . after going to bed last nite . a thought came to my mind, This band was afamily band, so very likely this steelplayer could very well be one of the Rice brothers. Still I cannot be sure, it has been so long ago. Some of the information I gave came from ,Horace Logan, . Horace was the person who started the Louisiana Hayride He was raised in Shreveport La. , won a D J contest while in High school, and worked with Radio station K W K H I guess his entire life, with the exception of his time in W W 2, He like the rest of us served our time ,there

[Rick Dempster]

Thanks,R.L.,
Really, I guess it doesn't matter if I know who the steel player in the Rice Brothers Gang was. I'm just an 'infomaniac'. It never ceases to astound me just how many great players the US has produced over the years. Aside from 'the greats', there are so many unknowns who were wonderful players.
Was the Rice Brothers man just another obscurity, or was he someone who later became a 'name'? Unless I do a whole lot more research, I'll probably never know.
Back in 1980, I was over your way, in S.W. Louisiana, and I met an old boy who ran a music store in New Iberia, name of Harold Romero if memory serves, and who claimed to have been a steel player on the Hayride too. I guess if I'd thought of it, he might have been able to answer the question.
That's an interesting story about Jimmie Davis buying 'Sunshine'. Doing a search on Google on the RBG, I found a website on the history of the Hayride that suggested that the Paul Rice may have bought the song from someone else prior to selling it to Davis. You could spend a lifetime digging into this stuff.
Guess I'd better pack it in and do some practice on my old Richenbacher instead.
Best wishes,
Rick Dempster

[R. L. Jones]

You are so right ,, Rick, Back then There was a band called the Nettles Bros. ,Was just a kid then, but they had a boy, They lived less than half a mile from me, This band had aDobro player , and was a bro. , The band had one Mandokin, ,Bill, One Guitar ,,Norman one fiddle , Lonnie , One Dobro Luther, all brothers , They played dances locally but , also played on Monroe, Louisiana radio sta. My older brother learned to play guitar and played with them ,, I still have his guitar, We lost him in W W 2

R. L. Jonrs