[Archive]: Country and Western Star

A collection of 81 loose photographs, letters,negatives, and other ephemera pertaining to Country-Western star Kenny Roberts between 1950 and 1978. All items about near fine with some edgewear. An archive of photographs, tour books, business cards, and other ephemera following the 40 year career of Country and Western star, Kenny Roberts, born George S. Kingsbury Jr. in Tennessee in 1926. Roberts was a yodeling champion and guitar player who was influenced by the cowboy singer style. At 15 he made his radio debut and by 17 he was the national yodeling champion. One of his earliest bands, The Down Homers, featured Bill Haley on guitar. After signing a record contract with Coral Records in the late 1940s he had a string of novelty hits including "I Never See Maggie Alone" and "Choc'late Ice Cream Cone." A promotional postcard from Coral Record in 1951 reads, "Listen to Kenny Roberts sing "Mickey the Chicky" on the Grand Ole Opray." Roberts act featured his yodeling abilities as well as jumping around while playing his guitar earning him the nickname of "Jumpin' Kenny Roberts." Many of the photographs included here show Roberts at the height of his career in the 50s and 60s on the Country-Western music circuit playing television programs and state fairs. One of these shows a line of fans waiting outside a record shop to meet Roberts. He is usually seen in full "cowboy" attire with fringe and Stetson holding a guitar or posing with fans. One photo shows him during a rehearsal for a television show, another shows him back stage with his two young sons all dressed as cowboys. Other performers are included within the photographs such as Patsy Montana, Montana Slim, and Ernest Tubb on the night Roberts' star was included in the Country Walk of Fame. An unnamed woman posed with her guitar in a "cowgirl" outfit is pictured here as well. There are a few pieces of ephemera included here such as a pocket calendar for 1968 embossed with Roberts and his labelmate, Kathy Dee's name from their record company. This calendar was used by the couple and has tour dates and appearances written throughout it. Dee would die at the end of 1968 after battling an illness. Also featured here are drafts of a letter from the 1970s Robert's was writing to his ex-wife's lawyer. By this point Roberts was making considerably less money and the letter, first hastily written on motel stationary and eventually typed, disputes the alimony payments he owed his ex. "I feel support to my children is only right and proper, but to continue to have to pay alimony to a woman that is doing as good or better than I am is discriminating against a man who is trying to pull himself up in a new life so I can earn more money not less." Roberts spent the remaining decades in pseudo retirement before passing away in 2012 at the age of 85. An interesting collection documenting the career of the "Yodeling Cowboy," Kenny Roberts.…