1930s Mexican Border Radio Carter Family sings Motherless Children

The 1930s saw the rise of powerful radio stations along the northern Mexican border, out of the reach of U. S. authorities. Among the border radio performers listed in the vid was one Pappy Lee O'Daniel. Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel parlayed his fame on border radio into two terms as Texas governor in '38 & '40. O'Daniel was part owner of XEAW "The Crazy Crystal Laxative" station in Reynosa. The character Pappy O'Daniel in the movie 'O Brother Where Art Thou, portrayed by Charles Durning, was based on the Texas Governor's time in border radio. O'Daniel was partly responsible for putting Bob Wills on the road to success and was so popular himself that in a 1941 run for the U. S. Senate seat from Texas, he defeated future President Lyndon B. Johnson, the only person ever to defeat Johnson in a political race.
Besides selling goat gland sexual enhancer and cancer cures, you could also have baby chicks shipped to your farm, get a horoscope, purchase GENUINE simulated diamonds, a plastic tablecloth depicting the Last Supper and even an autographed picture of Jesus Christ if you were gullible enough to send in the money to the radio preacher. If it pertained to health, sex, or religion, or better yet, a combination of all three, you could become wealthy on border radio. There were some products that were outright scams but according to listeners who bought and used Crazy Water Crystals the product was "unbelievable". But, it seems only natural that the body would want to purge itself of something as toxic as those crystals.
Many of the operators of the Border Blasters such as Dr.John Brinkley (the goat gland transplant doc) and Norman Baker (who could miraculously cure cancer) had been run out of business by U. S. Regulators only to see the hucksters re-emerge south of the Rio Grande even more successful than they ever could have dreamed in the U. S. now using the power of worldwide communication. XERA in Ciudad Acuna, which had a U. S. Post Office box address in Del Rio, Texas could be heard worldwide in its' million watt heyday.
XEPN, sister station to XER and later XERA, both owned by "Doc" Brinkley, broadcast from Piedras Negras across the river from Eagle Pass, Texas. XET and XEG whose station ID is heard at the beginning of this vid transmitted out of Monterrey. XELO along with XEJ were based in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso. XENT and XEXO broadcast from Neuvo Laredo. XENT was owned by Norman Baker mentioned above.
XERF in Ciudad Acuna, Couhila which was not connected with either XER or XERA, became the best known of the stations after WWII when Bob Smith walked into the studios and re-invented himself as Wolfman Jack~ he tantalized his listeners with funky rock and roll and the blues race music of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins and Texas Alexander-music which would never be played on a U. S. station at the time. Listeners delighted in their "secret" Exotic X channels coming from a country that allowed just about anything on its' airwaves.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Carter
• Family
• Motherless
• Children
• Border
• Radio
• Blasters
• 1930s
• Jimmie
• Rodgers
• Mexico
• Wolfman
• Jack
• Bob
• Smith
• XERF
• Ciudad
• Acuna
• XET
• Monterrey
• Juarez
• Reynosa
• Piedras
• Negras
• Texas
• Governor
• Wilbert
• Lee
• Pappy
• O'Daniel

[catman5169]

They were all small town stations...no more than 5000 watts in the Ms. Delta...I doubt if you've ever heard of them...WGRM, WABG, WDRU, WXTN,.WRDC...small time...the first time I heard XERF I lived in Greenwood, MS and thought we had a new station in town. When they said 250,000 watts of power...I couldn't believe it

[preservationhall01]

@catman5169 I used to listen to XERF in England back in its 250000 watt days. We could receive it in the "dark" hours from about 1AM to 5AM Greenwich time. We could get the Wolfman Jack show clearly 4X4 on a transistor radio. XERF is now at 5000 watts and we can receive it clearly in Texas but its all Spanish Language now.

[catman5169]

Back in the '60's, I loved to listen to the border blaster XERF with Paul Kallanger, your good neighbor along the way. Having worked in small market radio...very small market...I dreamed about what the XERF xmitter looked like...Big ole RCA...while the one at the station I worked for was a Gates...cut down to 250 watts at night...

[preservationhall01]

@catman5169 Well, now you know what it looked like. What station did you work for?

[1920sbuff]

Fascinating document, thank you for sharing!

[preservationhall01]

@1920sbuff Thanks for your interest. Glad to hear from you again! In the 1930s to WWII, XERA could be heard clearly in Belgium and all of Europe without need of special antennas etc.

[n64wilbert]

@preservationhall01 In San Diego and Los Angles the vast majority of the stations are being transmitted in Mexico. The unusual thing is that the fact that they broadcast Mexican politics in English!

[n64wilbert]

@preservationhall01 I hear [[Yes - I've Seen All Good People]] is playing in the background from the 1970s.

[charliethemaddawg]

I miss the days of this border-blaster station along with XERF. I remember programs, such as this, being blown on our radios like smithereens. Sure, most of the programs were played by schiesters that just wanted our money, and sure most of us, who ever had any sense never gave them any, but at least their programming was original and, for the most part, entertaining.

Now, if someone could post more XEG and XERF programs from the late 70's and early 80's that would be great.

[1920sbuff]

@preservationhall01 That was incredible indeed. Now we need dozens of internet relays for it.