The Steel Guitar Forum

Back in the 50's when Jimmy Dean was on CBS at 7 in the morning - 5 days a week, one of his Texas Wildcats was a steel player named Marvin Caroll. He pretty much was in the background and never really took a decent ride. Billy Grammer was the guitarist and certainly was featured along with Buck Ryan on fiddle.

Does anyone have any information on him? I have not heard of him since Jimmy went more modern and no longer featured a real country band. I am sure the likes of Smiley or Bobbe might know.....????

Ben, I used to play steel in a band that included Marvin's son Jimmy.....we are going back to the 60' s or 70's.Marvin lived in Northern Virginia. I looked up Caroll in the Northern Virginia phonebook...no luck. If you can give me the correct spelling I'll help you.

Jimmy Dean had a later show and Marvin always had a good solo to include Lovely Hula Hands, Star Dust, Lone Star Rag and others. Marvin had great tone and technique. cc

I remember the Jimmy Dean Show ,I use to watch it every morning. I just about made it to work on time, because i couldn't get my self away from the TV. I remember Marvin Carrol. I remember him playing a big Gibson Pedal Steel standing up. I also remember Smitty Erwin on banjo, Buck Ryan on Fiddle, Molly Bee, and another girl singer ,but i don't remember her name. I also saw Pete Drake on the show , with his talking steel guitar. Pete was always one of my fvorites. Boy i wish someone would make those old Jimmy Dean shows available to see again. The old Hee Haw shows are available.

As I remember Marvin, he was a long-time member, and probably the oldest one in Jimmy's band...older than Jimmy (who's now 78). He did do instrumentals, and I'd guess he would be considered as an average player back in those days. Roy Clark also played for them for awhile.

Ben, so funny you would ask this question here.

I was 14 years old and playing the WRVA Jamboree in Richmond VA. (just one night, while living in Norfolk VA.) I did meet Marvin, there. I was playing a triple neck Epiphone that my uncle Doug had rebuilt and added a "E to A" pedal on. Marvin was fastinated with it, we promised to always stay in touch, but I never saw or heard from him again. That was 1954.
I never forgot that show, my first big country jamboree radio show. I must have been good,,,,,,,,,,,,,, they never asked me to come back! (shouldn't have gotten so drunk I guess, maybe it was my cigar, or the blonde I was with,)


Bobbe

Here is a clip from the Jimmy Dean Show, featuring Marvin Carroll on Steel, Roy Clark on Guitar and Buck Ryan on Fiddle, they do "Oklahoma Stomp":

click here


Kind Regards, Walter

www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

Walter, after listening to Marvin Carrol, picking the Okie Stomp, ( I had never heard that one )I'm Thinking about tossing My Steel in the junk pile, or make scrap metal out of it, and go fishing, Thanks for posting the tune, can't beat that.

Herbie

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Speaking of the old Jimmy Dean show, does anyone remember the name of the Lead Guitar picker? (not Roy Clark). The first pedal steel job I did was with Oscar Shields in Jan 70, in College Park, and it was noted the lead picker was the one that was on the Jimmy Dean show.

Here is the cast of the Jimmy Dean morning show as best I remember.

Billy Grammer - Guitar
Buck Ryan - Fiddle
Smitty Irvin - 5 string banjo
Mary Klick - bass and vocals
Marvin Carroll - Steel Guitar
Herbie Jones - Rhythm Guitar
Jan Crockett - vocals
Jo Davis - Vocals
George Hamilton IV - Vocals
The Country Ladds - Billy Graves and Dick Flood - vocal duets
Jimmy Groves filled in on guitar when Billy Grammer was on vacation.
Alec Houston and Elmer - ventriloquist and dummy

The popularity of the morning show led to an hour long Saturday noontime show. The music became more mongrelized to appeal to a wider audience and this show then led to the hour long prime time evening show. Billy Grammer by this time had his hit of "Gotta Travel on" and was not longer a member of the show but did occasionally return as a guest. Roy Clark was a frequent guest and eventually became a permanent on the evening show.

Jimmy has a piano that he played that was autographed by every morning show guest. I wonder what ever became of it. Lots of great autographs on it, Elton Britt, Carl Smith, Webb Pierce, Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, and on and on.

I guess you can tell I was a fan. It was awfully hard prying myself away to go catch the school bus.

The show started with Billy Grammer doing a little thumb style and the whole gang singing......"Whenever the day is dawning and where ever we are seen, it's the whole gang saying Good Morning, Good Morning from Jimmy Dean".

Ben, I tried locating Jimmy Carroll, son of Marvin Carroll, with no luck. I called every Carroll, and version thereof. I called 22 people in Norther Virginia...where I know Jimmy lived at one time.....sorry

Stan:

I really appreciate your efforts. I hope that he is still around and picking somewhere.