Homer & Jethro – America’s Song Butchers: The Weird World Of Homer & Jethro
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Posted On July 1, 1997
A number of talented country artists have specialized in combining music with comedy, but the kings of the comic country song were undoubtedly Henry “Homer” Haynes and Kenneth “Jethro” Burns. Homer & Jethro were masters of a deadpan comedy that was considerably more sophisticated than the more obvious rural humor of the times, but their specialty was the song parody, and this new collection from Razor & Tie features many of their most popular parodies of country and pop hits, along with a few other novelty songs.
The duo playfully sent up the lyrical conceits and musical mannerisms of the songs they parodied, without ever coming across as mean-spirited or malicious. The original songwriters were often delighted with the humorous versions cooked up by Homer & Jethro. Hank Williams loved their parodies of his own songs so much that he had Acuff-Rose pay them royalties on the Williams songs they parodied.
Homer & Jethro first teamed up in the 1930s as part of the sophisticated string band the String Dusters. The String Dusters show included a comedy act from band members “Junior and Dude”, who within a few years would change their stage names to Homer & Jethro. After the String Dusters broke up, Homer & Jethro went out on their own, landing successful radio spots before being signed to King Records.
At King, they provided backup on a number of classic recordings from the Delmore Brothers, Moon Mullican, Cowboy Copas and other King stars, while also recording a mix of comic and straight material. After signing to RCA in 1949, the duo started having success with song parodies, beginning with Frank Loesser’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (which featured June Carter on guest vocals).
Unlike some of today’s song parodies, the Homer & Jethro recordings featured first-rate musicianship. Homer played a mean rhythm guitar, while Jethro was one of country music’s finest mandolinists, and they were often accompanied by other Nashville aces such as Chet Atkins and Jerry Byrd.
America’s Song Butchers begins with the duo’s earliest song parodies for RCA and continues up to their 1965 demolition of “Misty”. The bulk of the 20 recordings are from the duo’s heyday, which lasted from the late ’40s to the mid ’50s. While many song parodies have proven to be of limited value beyond evoking a chuckle or two, the warm-hearted cleverness and expert musicianship of Homer & Jethro have assured them a lasting place in country history.
