George (February 10, 1910 – July 1974) and Leslie York (August 23, 1917 - February 21, 1984), known professionally as The York Brothers, were an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

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 ...

duo, popular from the late 1930s through the 1950s, known for their close

harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

singing. Their

country boogie Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

style, a precursor to

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...

, combined elements of

hillbilly ''Hillbilly'' is a term historically used for White people who dwell in rural area, rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in the Appalachian region and Ozarks. As people migrated out of the region during the Great Depression, ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

music. Although originally from Kentucky, they are often associated with the city of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, where they were based for several years, and which they paid tribute to in songs such as "Hamtramck Mama", "Detroit Hula Girl", and "Motor City Boogie".

Biography

George and Leslie York were both born in

Louisa, Kentucky Louisa is a home-rule class city located in eastern Kentucky, United States, at the merger of the Levisa Fork River, Levisa and Tug Fork River, Tug Forks into the Big Sandy River (Ohio River tributary), Big Sandy River, which forms part of the s ...

, United States. They were raised in a musical family. After finishing 8th grade George worked as a miner in Kentucky, but eventually moved to Denver, Colorado to pursue a career as a professional musician. After singing and playing guitar with various Denver bands, George moved to

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in Scioto County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, Ohio, Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of th ...

, where he found work at radio station WPAY. Meanwhile, Leslie (who was seven years younger than George) finished 9th grade, and won a talent contest in Lexington, Kentucky. He joined his older brother in Portsmouth, and the two soon relocated to Detroit, Michigan. Detroit's auto industry in the late 1930s employed thousands of Southerners. Also at this time, sibling country music acts such as the

Delmore Brothers Alton Delmore (December 25, 1908 – June 9, 1964) and Rabon Delmore (December 3, 1916 – December 4, 1952), billed as The Delmore Brothers, were country music pioneer singer-songwriters and musicians who were stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the ...

and the Monroe Brothers were enjoying great popularity. Adopting "The York Brothers" as a stage name, they quickly found success as a live act in Detroit's country music taverns. In 1939 they recorded their first single, "Hamtramck Mama," which became a hit on the Detroit-based Universal label – selling some 300,000 copies in the Detroit area alone. The song's bawdy lyrics raised some protest among the politicians of the city of Hamtramck (within Detroit's borders). More successful singles followed, and in 1941 the brothers signed with

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

. Originally recording with just the two of them singing and playing acoustic guitars (with Leslie usually playing lead), they gradually added new instrumentation as they updated their sound. The start of the Second World War and the resultant shortage of shellac for production of records led to most labels cutting back on releases. The York Brothers were trimmed from the Decca roster after releasing six sides, although their popularity in the Midwest and South remained strong. They began performing with an expanded group and released several records on the Detroit-based Mellow label. By the start of 1944, however, both brothers were in the Navy, with George serving in the Pacific and Leslie in Europe. In 1946, with the war over, the brothers reunited and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. One of the few 'hillbilly acts' to successfully adapt to post-war tastes, they joined the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

and signed with the new Bullet label. They released a new version of their earlier hit, "Hamtramck Mama," as well as originals and covers of popular songs. They survived the 1948 AFM recording ban with steady live work, including a six-week stint with the

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' is a radio and later television country music show that was broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana; during its heyday from 1948 to 1960, it helped to launch the careers of some ...

, and remained with the Opry until 1950, when they returned to Detroit. While still in Nashville, George and Leslie had begun recording a long series of sides for

Syd Nathan Sydney Nathan (April 27, 1904 – March 5, 1968) was an American music business executive who founded King Records, a leading independent record label, in 1943. He contributed to the development of country & western music, rhythm and blues a ...

's Cincinnati-based

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

label, using top-notch studio musicians such as steel guitarist

Jerry Byrd Gerald Lester Byrd (March 9, 1920 – April 11, 2005) was an American musician who played the lap steel guitar in country and Hawaiian music, as well as a singer-songwriter and the head of a music publishing firm. He appeared on numerous radio p ...

, guitarist

Zeb Turner Zeb Turner (June 23, 1915 – January 10, 1978) was an American country music songwriter and guitarist, and pioneer of rockabilly. He was born William Edward Grishaw in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States, and he renamed himself after a favori ...

, and bassist Louis Innis. Many of their King efforts showed Western Swing, Latin, and R&B influences, and were consistently strong sellers. Some originals, such as "Mountain Rosa Lee", later came to be considered classics (in this case, within the bluegrass field). The York Brothers moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1953, along with their families. There they were regularly featured on the

Big D Jamboree ''Big D Jamboree'' was a radio program broadcast by KRLD-AM in Dallas, Texas. The show consisted of appearances by famous country musicians, and sketch comedy and jokes. It was also carried by KRLD-TV during the 1950s. History ''Big D Jambore ...

television show, and the WFAA Shindig radio program. They continued recording, including another session for Decca in 1957. Leslie recorded some solo material for Sage Records that year. In 1963 the brothers started their own label, York Bros. Records, and released several regionally popular singles, including "Monday Morning Blues." They eventually retired from performing, with George running a restaurant, and Leslie working various jobs. Both died in Dallas – George in 1974, and Leslie in 1984. The Yorks were an inspiration to many others, including the

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, an ...

, who recorded the Yorks' "Long Time Gone" on their ''Songs Our Daddy Taught Us'' album.

Discography

Singles (78rpm and 45rpm; incomplete list; release dates approximate) 1939 *Universal 105/106 Hamtramck Mama / Going Home *Universal 107/108 Highland Park Girl / Detroit Hula Girl 1940 *Universal 126/4402 Gamblers Blues / Conscription Blues *Universal 404/405 Sweetheart Darling / It Taint No Good 1941 *Hot Wax 105/405 Hamtramck Mama / It Taint No Good *Decca 5933 Speak To Me Little Darling / You Took My Sunshine With You *Decca 5943 Got Ramblin' and Gamblin' On My Mind / Naggin' Young Woman *Decca 6018 My Little Honeysuckle Rose / I'm Saying Goodbye 1942 *Mellow 1619 Blue Skies Turned To Gray / I Don't Want No Part Of You *Mellow 1620 I'll Be Happy Again / Goodbye And Luck To You *Mellow 1621 Long Gone / Just Wanting You *Mellow 1622 Hail, Hail Ol' Glory / Riding And Singing My Song *Mellow 1623 Hillbilly Rose / If I Would Never Lose You *Mellow 1624 Going Back To The Sunny South / Life Can Never Be The Same *Mellow 1625 We're Gonna Catch That Train / It Makes Me Jealous Hearted *Mellow 1105/1629 Hamtramck Mama / Home In Tennessee *Mellow 1633 Memories Of You / New Trail To Mexico *Mellow 1634 Rose Of The Rio Grande / York Brothers Blues *Mellow 1635 Kentucky's Calling Me / Got To Get Rid Of My Worried Mind *Mellow 1637 Maybe Then You'll Care / You Stayed Away Too Long *Mellow 1638 Going To The Shindig / Mother's Sunny Smile *Mellow 1640/1641 Merry Christmas To The Boys Over There / Not Over 35 *Mellow 1642 I Got My Eyes On You / You'll Pay For It All 1946 *Bullet 607 I'm Not Fooling / Mine In Dreams *Bullet 610 Blues Why Don't You Leave Me Alone / Yesterday's Love 1947 *Bullet 618 Hamtramck Mama / My Tears Will Never Make You Change *Bullet 619 Let's Talk It Over, Please Do / Hop, Skip And Jump *Bullet 641 Mother's Not Dead She's Only Sleeping / Got Blues On My Mind *Bullet 642 I'm A Soldier For Jesus / Blue Ridge Mountain Blues *King 669 Let's Don't Sleep Again / They Laid My Darling Away *King 683 New Mississippi River Blues / If I Knew I'd Never Lose You *King 690 Let's Talk Our Troubles Over / Nothing But The Blues *King 691 Mountain Rosa Lee / You're The One *King 723 Sweet Anita / It Ain't No Good *King 766 A Package Of Old Love Letters / New Mississippi River Blues 1949 *Fortune 120 Hamtramck Mama / Highland Park Girl 1950 *King 852 Take A Number / Gravy Train *King 858 Motor City Boogie / I'm Coming Back Home To Stay *King 901 Kill Her With Kindness / Road Of Sadness 1951 *King 970 Sixty Minute Man / Looking For Somebody New *King 983 Chicken Blues / Tremblin' 1952 *King 1042 Love Sweet Love / When You Want A Little Lovin' *King 1049 My Carolina Gal / That's Why I'm Crying All The Time *King 1067 Hard Way / I Love You Waltz *King 1092 Two Sides To Every Story / Twirly Whirly *King 1135 Tennessee Tango / River Of Tears *King 1156 So Full Of Love / Baby I'm Lost Without You 1953 *Fortune 180 Detroit Hula Girl / Going Home *King 1170 Why Was I Born To Be Blue / Baby Come On Home *King 1173 St. Joseph's High School Bounce / Lakewood And J. Marshall Blues *King 1206 Rocky Bumpy Road To Love / Ever Since We Met *King 1248 Why Don't You Open The Door / You're My Every Dream Come True *King 1277 Starlight My Love / My Prayer Tonight *King 1299 Kentucky / Tight Wad *King 1324 I Get The Blues In Springtime / Mr. Midnight 1954 *King 1351 Deep Within My Heart / I'll Leave The Door Open *King 1362 Strange Town / 3 O'Clock Blues *King 1400 Hurts Me To My Heart / Two Loves In One Night *King 1418 Don't Leave Me With Yum Yum Blues / Why Did You Have To Go 1955 *King 1434 Chip On Your Shoulder / That's All I Want From You *King 1449 House With No Windows / If You Hadn't Told The First Lie *King 1468 Mohawk Squaw / These Haunting Years *King 1488 Don't Take It So Hard / Pretty Little Thing *King 1503 Don't Get Your Dander Up / Whatsoever You Do 1957 *Decca 30473 Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby / I Want My Baby Back 1963 *York Bros.100 Monday Morning Blues / Unwanted Roses Albums (compilations and re-issues) *''Rare Rockabilly, Vol. 3'' LP MCA (UK) 1978 *''Decca Rare Rockabilly, Vol. 3'' LP MCA (US) 1986 *''MCA Rockabillies, Vol. 2'' CD Big Tone (UK) 1993 *''That'll Flat Git It, Vol. 6'' CD Bear Family (Ger) 1994 *''Detroit In The 40s And 50s: The York Brothers' Best'' CD Collector (Neth) *''Long Time Gone'' CD Ace (UK) 2006

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:York Brothers, The King Records artists Decca Records artists Brother duos People from Louisa, Kentucky American musical duos Country music groups from Kentucky