''Village Barn'' was the first

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

program on American network television. Broadcast by NBC-TV from May 24, 1948–September 1949 and from January 16–May 29, 1950, the

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

weekly variety series originated from The Village Barn, a country music nightclub in New York City's

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

. Hosts included Zebe Carver, Dick Thomas, Dick Dutley, Bob Stanton (Robert Haymes), Rosalie Allen and Ray Forrest. Guests for the premiere, a 40-minute broadcast by WNBT-TV, were Texas Ruby and Curly Fox along with The Dixie Boys. Performers included Pappy Howard and His Tumbleweed Gang, Harry Ranch and His Kernels of Korn, Bill Long's Ranch Girls, Plute Pete (1948–1949) and Romolo De Spirito (1949). Shorty Warren and His Western Rangers appeared in November 1948. In July 1949, Oklahoma governor Roy J. Turner appeared, singing his single, "My Memory Trail". The show also featured square dancing and audience participation in kiddie car,

hobby horse In folklore, a hobby horse is a costumed character that features in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. In England, they are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, mummers' plays a ...

and potato sack races.

NBC schedules

*May 24–October 1948: Monday, 9:10–10 p.m. ET * October 1948–January 1949: Wednesday, 10:10–11 p.m. ET *January–May 1949: Wednesday, 8:30–9 p.m. ET *May–July 1949: Monday, 10–10:30 p.m. ET *July–September 1949: Thursday, 10–10:30 p.m. ET *January 16–May 29, 1950: Monday, 9:30–10 p.m. ET

The Village Barn nightclub

The Village Barn, which later became the Generation Club and then was sold to Jimi Hendrix and remodelled into Electric Lady Recording Studios, was opened in November 1930 by owner Meyer Horowitz, who resigned as president and director on October 19, 1951. He was succeeded by his brother, Lawrence (Horowitz) Horton, who subsequently left to pursue other interests. Ownership remained with family members, including Horton, who returned to active management in the early 1960s; a nephew, George Goodman; and son Michael. Meyer Horowitz remained active as a consultant until the Barn closed in August 1967. In 1931,

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer. He was the first male singer to rise from local radio broadcasts in New York Ci ...

, who had a nearby club, Villa Vallée, discovered Judy Canova at the Barn. Don Cornell, the Hartmans and other stars also got their start at the club.

References

Notes Bibliography * . *

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0040056 1948 American television series debuts 1940s American variety television series 1950s American variety television series 1948 American television series endings 1950 American television series endings NBC original programming American live television series Black-and-white American television shows American country music Country music television series American English-language television shows