Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy
Midnight
Mississippi
Old Shep
Peace In The Valley
Steal Away
Red Foley was one of Country music’s most versatile and beloved singers and "a superstar of his time."  He had a constant succession of hit records between 1944 and 1956, selling about 56 million records and remaining one of the biggest selling Country artists of all time.  A shy child, Red was happiest on his own, playing an old battered guitar given to him by his father, who ran the general store.  His father also sold harmonicas and Red used to practice on them to his heart’s content.  His mother was proud of Red’s vocal potential and hired a music coach but Red wasn’t happy with this arrangement so this was abandoned.  Music wasn’t his only interest and he also excelled in sports, particularly basketball and track events. Red’s career dated back to a singing contest, which he won when he was 17.
 
     He was invited to Louisville to compete at the state level, but having a bit of stage fright, he faltered and had to begin again three times.  However, he eventually sang the song so well that he charmed the audience and the judges and walked away with first prize.  In 1930, during his time at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky, he was spotted by a talent scout from WLS in Chicago who signed him for the National Barn Dance.  There he joined John Lair’s Cumberland Ridge Runners. Red spent his time absorbing new music and preparing himself for his future success. Red was also impressed by the Blues and apparently learned to play bottleneck guitar at this time from the migrating black musicians who stopped off in Chicago.  In 1933, after his first wife had died in childbirth, Red married Eva Overstake, who was one of the Three Little Maids and a sister of Jenny Lou Carson, who would become a talented Country music songwriter.  Red’s solo singing, his comedy and his duet singing with Lulu Belle Wiseman made him more and more popular. Red stayed with the National Barn Dance until 1937. 

     In October 1937, Red Foley, Whitey Ford (The Duke of Paducah) and John Lair founded the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, which started in Cincinnati, Ohio. In November 1939, it moved to Renfro Valley, Kentucky and Red performed as a regular on the show for a short time. Red’s flexible baritone voice was warm and rich and he was at home with any kind of song material from sentimental ballads to boogie. He also became the first Country artist to have a network radio show, Avalon Time, which co-starred comic Red Skelton. His popularity ensured that he was continually performing, making personal appearances at fairs, theaters and one nighters.

     From 1940-1946, WLS National Barn Dance once again claimed Red. From 1946, Red appeared on the NBC segment of the Grand Ole Opry called the Prince Albert Show. Red was the emcee and principal singer and also acted as straight man to such comics as Minnie Pearl and Rod Brasfield. In addition, Red did recitations. He did much to make the Grand Ole Opry the most famous Country radio show. He was emcee when Hank Williams appeared on the Opry, on June 11, 1949, the wildly cheering audience asking for more and more encores of Lovesick Blues. Red had to ask them to cease howling for more, and let the program proceed. In 1951, Red’s second wife, who was known professionally during her solo career as Judy Martin,died in 1951.

     Red went into virtual retirement to bring up his family after the death of his wife, but he was lured back by Si Siman and John Mahaffey of RadiOzark Enterprises, who offered to build a whole show around him, and was a phenomenal success. The show, Ozark Jubilee, was networked on ABC-TV from 1955 through 1960. Red’s recording career started in 1933, when he signed to the Conqueror label and stayed with them until 1936. Decca signed Red Foley to a lifetime contract in 1941. This was the year that Red made his western movie debut in The Pioneers, starring Tex Ritter. During the 1940’s, some of the most popular songs recorded were, Old Shep, self-penned and a great weeper (Elvis Presley, for one, admitted being a fan of Red Foley and he later recorded the song) and Foggy River, another favorite.
 
In 1944, Red spent 13 weeks at No.1 with Smoke On The Water, which was also a Top 10 Pop hit. The flip-side, There’s A Blue Star Shining Bright, made the Country Top 5. He started 1945 with the Top 5 double-sided hit, Hang Your Head in Shame/I’ll Never Let You Worry My Mind and completed it with the No.1, Shame On You (a Top 15 Pop hit)/At Mail Call Today (Top 3), on which Red was accompanied by Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. In March 1945, Red was the first major performer to record in Nashville, in Studio B at WSM, and was produced by Paul Cohen. Red’s 1946 hits were the double-sided Top 5 success, Harriet/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, on which Red was accompanied by Roy Ross & His Ramblers and which came from the movie, Over The Trail, in which he appeared. From 1947 through the spring of 1949, Red recorded with his group, the Cumberland Valley Boys. The hits during this period were 1947: That’s How Much I Love You (Top 5), New Jole Blonde (New Pretty Blonde) (No.1), Freight Train Boogie (Top 5) and Never Trust A Woman (Top 3); 1948: Tennessee Saturday Night (No. 1); 1949: Candy Kisses (Top 5)/ Tennessee Border (Top 3). Red’s other hits in 1949 were, Tennessee Polka (Top 5)/I’m Throwing Rice (At The Girl I Love) (Top 15) and Two Cents, Three Eggs And A Postcard (Top 10).

At the end of 1949, Red got together with Ernest Tubb and in 1950, their single, Tennessee Border No.2 became a Top 3 hit and its flip, Don’t Be Ashamed Of Your Age, went Top 10. Red followed these with I Gotta Have My Baby Back/Careless Kisses (both Top 10). This was followed by a single that became Red’s trade-mark number, Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy, which stayed at the top of the Country charts for thirteen weeks and at the top of the Pop chart for eight weeks. The flip-side, Sugarfoot Rag, went Top 5 Country and Top 25 Pop and featured Hank Garland on guitar. After these, Red scored with the Top 10, Steal Away. This was followed by another No.1, Birmingham Bounce, which stayed at the top for four weeks and made the Pop Top 15. The flip-side, Choc’late Ice Cream Cone, went Top 5. Red’s other hits that year were M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I (No.1), Just A Closer Walk With Thee (Top 10), Goodnight Irene (with Ernest Tubb, No.1 Country/Top 10 Pop) and the flip, Hillbilly Fever No.2 (Top 10), Cincinnati Dancing Pig (Top 3 Country/Top 10 Pop) and Our Lady Of Fatima (Top 10 Country/Top 20 Pop). Red’s 1951-1953 hits were; 1951: My Heart Cries For You (Top 10, with Evelyn Knight), Hobo Boogie (Top 10), The Strange Little Girl (Top 10, with Ernest Tubb), (There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me) (Top 5, certified Gold) and Alabama Jubilee (Top 3 Country/Top 30 Pop, with the Nashville Dixielanders featuring Francis Craig on bones). (There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me), on which Red was accompanied by the Sunshine Boys Quartet, was the first million-selling Gospel song. In 1952, Red scored with Too Old To Cut The Mustard (Top 5, with Ernest Tubb) and Milk Bucket Boogie/Salty Dog Rag (both Top 10) and in 1953, he had Midnight (No.1), Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes (Top 10), Hot Toddy (Top 10), No Help Wanted #2 (Top 10, with Ernest Tubb), Slaves Of A Hopeless Love Affair (Top 10) and Shake A Hand (Top 10). Red started out 1954 with the Top 10 hit, As Far As I’m Concerned, on which he was joined by his daughter Betty Foley. This was followed by another duet, this time with Kitty Wells, on the No.1 One By One. The flip-side, I’m A Stranger In My Home, also made the Top 15. Red wrapped up the year with the Top 10, Jilted. In 1955, Red scored with Hearts Of Stone (Top 5) and the double-sided hit with Kitty Wells, As Long As I Live (Top 3)/Make Believe (‘Til We Can Make It Come True) (Top 10). During the end of the 50’s, Red’s hits were You And Me/No One But Me (Top 3, with Kitty Wells, 1956) and Travelin’ Man (Top 30). Of course, during this time Red recorded dozens of albums on Decca. In the early 60’s, Red co-starred with Fess Parker in the ABC-TV series, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Red’s daughter Betty Foley (Cummins) was a successful Country singer from the 1950’s and his daughter Shirley Lee married Pat Boone and one of their daughters is successful Pop-Country-Gospel singer Debby Boone. Red and Ernest Tubb helped to persuade the music industry to replace the word "hillbilly" with the less derisory "Country." Red Foley was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967, being honored as "one of the most versatile and moving performers of all time" and "a giant influence during the formative years of contemporary Country music and today a timeless legend." That year, Red enjoyed a return to the lower region of the chart with the Top 50 duet with Kitty Wells, Happiness Means You and the flip-side, Hello Number One, which went Top 60. At the beginning of 1968, the twosome charted with the Top 70, Living As Strangers. Red died of a heart attack after a tour with WSM’s Grand Ole Opry at Fort Wayne, Indiana. At the beginning of 1969, Red had a posthumous hit with, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?, on which he was paired with Kitty Wells. Red always signed off on his radio and TV broadcasts with his famous "Good night Mama, Good night Papa."