I Sang With O. C. Cash

It was the Spring of 1950. The Central States Convention was in Topeka, Kansas.

I had been a member of the Society since 1947 and was happily engaged singing in a foursome called "The Chord Huskers" from Fort Dodge and Manson, Iowa. We had not as yet entered any contests, but had attended a couple of events as a group. On this occasion I was by myself and rooting for my heroes, "The Hawkeye Four," from Des Moines.

It was about three a.m. on Sunday morning following the Saturday night finals. "The Hawks" had finished second to an Omaha group called "The Four Tones." (Everybody in those days had 'The' in their names!) I was returning to my hotel room and saw these gentlemen standing in the lobby doing the woodshed thing, and I wandered over to listen a bit. The rules then about fifth-wheeling were even more stringent than they are today, so I just enjoyed the music.

After one of their numbers, a fellow in a big white ten gallon Stetson asked me, "What part do you sing, son?" I mumbled about my favorite part being baritone. All four of the men chuckled and Ten Gallon Hat said, "Not in MY quartet, boy!" He continued, "Can you sing lead?" I allowed as how I could take the melody on a number of songs. Mr. Ten Gallon Hat said, "Do you know 'Sweet Roses of Morn'?" A guy with gold-rimmed glasses blew the pitch pipe and backed out of the group as I started to sing.

We also did "Coney Island Baby" and the time-tested "Sweet Adeline" as I remember. At that point, I thanked the guys for letting me sing with them and told them I had to drive home (Fort Dodge) later and needed at least an hour or two of sleep. Then we exchanged names. It hadn't seemed important before then. Mr. Ten Gallon Hat was Owen C. Cash! One of the others, I think it was Mr. Gold-Rimmed Glasses, said he was Rupert Hall. I have long forgotten the names of the others.

It wasn't until about a week later that I discovered what had happened to this skinny little kid from Iowa! I was relating the story to Herb Dick, founder of the Fort Dodge, Iowa, chapter, and he said, "YOU sang with O. C. Cash?!?!"

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