Red Kirk - Knock Out The Lights And Call The Law

1940s / 50s Hillbilly/Country


Claude red Kirk was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1925, but moved out to rural Wolf Valley when he was nine. At the tender age of seven, Red taught himself to play the steel-guitar but three years later switched to straight guitar, as he called it.

Red served in the US Army during World War II and it was then that he developed his skills as a musical entertainer. Following his discharge in 1947 the war veteran auditioned for the Tennessee Barn Dance on radio station WNOX in Knoxville. Archie Campbell was a regular on the show and gave Red his first real job, which resulted in him being signed to the fledgling Mercury label. Later, known as The Voice of the Country, Red Kirk enjoyed two impressive hits for Mercury, Lovesick Blues (1949) and Lose Your Blues (1950); but continued chart success eluded him despite cutting numerous sides for the label, including Gentle Hands, You Put My Heart In Prison and Only One Step More, he was never able to hit the big-time again and ended up flitting from label to label in a bid to find another hit.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Hillbilly
• Country

[fredwallin815]

He got that perfect 50's country voice, must not have kissed right ass on Nashville .