Who was/is Bob Newman ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more
Bob Newman
Bob Newman was born in October, 1915. near Macon, Georgia. In 1935, he joined his brothers (as a bass fiddle player) who had worked throughout the South and Midwest since 1928 as a duo. The Georgia Crackers.
WWII broke up the act. Only Hank (the eldest brother) was not called to the service and briefly subbed for Lloyd Perryman in The Sons Of The Pioneers. The Georgia Crackers reunited after the war and their popularity picked up dramatically. In 1947 and 1949. they recorded for RCA-Victor, none of the songs were really Western numbers, but some were novelties of the type Bob later recorded. The Georgia Crackers moved to Columbus. Ohio, in 1950. where they signed to King Records.
The first session at the Cincinnati studio was held on September 19th. 1950, and a year later, on October 19th. the superb -Hangover Boogie" was recorded. The last King session was held on August 15th. 1952, and they cut a total of 25 songs at King. The Georgia Crackers continued working around the Midwest and Hank went into the Italian restaurant business around 1954.
The date of the Sage recordings (1956/57?) is a mystery. Only four tracks are known. these being released on an E.P. (45-EP-316). "Hangover Boogie- is more rocking than the King version and "Sunday Down In Tennessee" is great boppin' Country Boogie. "Take Me In Your Arms" and
"Chapparell" are pure Country.
By 1958, Bob was experiencing serious health problems (he had a nerve crossed in his brain), but surgery put things to right. After that, he tried his luck in the Phoenix area. forming the Arizona Night Riders. with Red Embry and Billy Grammar and for a time. things worked out well. (No recordings are known by this formation).
In the same year, Bob found work as a D.J. at KHAT, the top Country radio station in Phoenix. He called himself The Old Hilligan and had a popular Hillbilly show. But despite his popularity, Bob left KHAT, in a dispute with management. and nearly starved to death.
In 1970, he returned to Ohio for a brief reunion with Hank and Slim for a few shows, but he wound up broke and back in Phoenix, managing the trailer park in which he lived. He talked about making a new start in the music business, but nothing seemed to work. Hank died in 1978, Bob passed over (of a heart attack) on October 8th, 1979 and the remaining Georgia Cracker, Slim died in 1984.
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