The Cass County Boys
- Actor
- Soundtrack
The Cass County Boys were formed at Dallas radio station WFAA circa
1935 where, as staff musicians, they harmonized between programs. They
were first called the Early Birds, then the Cass County Kids, after the
home of accordion player Fred Martin, born June 22, 1916 in Linden,
Cass County, Texas. The trio consisted of Martin, guitarist and
baritone singer Jerry Scoggins (born September 20, 1911 in Mount
Pleasant, Texas, also the home of Dallas Cowboy quarterback Don
Meredith); and bassist and tenor singer Bert Dodson (May
27, 1915-October 3, 1994.) Gene Autry heard them in 1940 and planned to
use them, as replacements for the "Rough Riders" (Jimmy Wakely, Johnny
Bond and Dick Reinhart) on his "Melody Ranch" radio program. World War
II put a crimp into those plans, but Autry did not forget the talented
trio from Texas, and they joined the cast of "Melody Ranch" when the
program and Gene Autry returned to the airwaves at the end of 1945. In
later years, Scoggins became a stockbroker but did sing the theme song
for the "Beverly Hillbillies" television program.
