Sunday, November 13, 2011

"Happy" Hal Burns on Gold Arrow



"Happy" Hal Burns
With The Rhythm Masters

10711 – The Stamp Song
10712 - Somebody Else (Is Loving You)

Gold Arrow GAR-100
Gold Arrow Enterprises Inc.
San Antonio, Texas

Copyright 1963

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Left : Happy Hal Burns
(From "Birmingham Broadcasting", book by Tim Hollis)

Hal Byrnes became better known as Hal Burns. Happy Hal Burns. A longtime country music performer mostly active in Memphis and Birmingham - very popular regionally.

"He made a couple of Western movies, even before Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. He was always a great one. He was a good yodeler, a good singer, a great promoter and a great personality."

Born in 1908, Happy Hal Burns began his radio career at Birmingham’s WBRC Radio in the 1930s. He later moved to WMC in Memphis, Tenn., where the "Garrett Snuff Variety Show" featured Happy Hal, a cast of musical regulars, top-name guests and a little dog named Sissy.

"It became one of the leading country-music shows of the day. It was carried by major stations in Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, New Orleans and Atlanta. Mr. Burns always told a happy thought, a happy story or a joke. His closing remark and signature signoff was always, ’Beeeeeeee happy!’ "

After his service in World War II, Happy Hal returned to his native Birmingham and started another crowd-pleasing musical variety show on WBRC Radio.

"He helped many people succeed in their music careers as a music promoter and variety-show host. Not only did he perform all over the country with his Country Jubilee Shows, he also wrote more than 100 songs. One in particular was ’Cow Town,’ which he co-wrote with Tex Ritter. More recently, it was recorded by country great George Strait."


Happy Hal died in 2000.


Happy Hal Burns singing You'll Never Find Another Daddy Like Me on the Country Boy Eddie Show 1987


Sources :

Alabama Music Office,
mackari (Corsicana, Texas)
Tim Hollis : "Birmingham Broadcasting" (book)



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