As the revival of interest in Cincinnati's late King Records continues to grow, attention is turning from its justly celebrated Blues and R&B releases toward its early Country, Bluegrass and Country Boogie releases — “hillbilly music,” as it was known. One of its biggest stars in this field was Cowboy Copas, an Adams County native who had a huge hit in 1946 with “Filipino Baby” and later recorded one of the earliest versions of “Tennessee Waltz.” He died in 1963 — after staging a comeback — in the plane crash that killed Patsy Cline and another of King's early Country stars, Hawkshaw Hawkins. On Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Cincinnati Main Library there will be a panel discussion on “Cowboy Copas & the Golden Age of Country Music” featuring John Simon, a professor at Rio Grande University and Shawnee State University who has just published a biography on the singer. Also taking part are Cathy Hughes, Copas’ daughter, and Judy Perkins, a popular WLW radio and television star in the 1940s and 1950s. The event is free.
Get details and find nearby bars and restaurants here.
