Song:Philadelphia Lawyer
Album:America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band: Their Original Recordings 1946-1951
From the 1930s to the 1950s, The Maddox Brothers and Rose were known as America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band. They were most successful recording for 4-Star Records and Columbia in the post WWII era. The Maddox family led by Charlie and Lula Maddox took five of their seven children and rode the rails and hitchhiked from Boaz, AL to California in 1933 and worked in migrant worker labor camps in the San Joaquin Valley.The five children were oldest brother Cliff, Cal, Fred, Don and of course their sister Rose. The other two children were too young to travel. They lived in Modesto and when Fred got tired of picking fruit in 1937, he got the family a radio show on a local station with 11 year old Rose singing lead vocals. Their popularity grew in California and the show was syndicated on the west coast. WWII interrupted the group's rise when Cal, Fred and Don were all drafted into the military. Cliff was too ill to serve and led his own group The Rhyrhm Ramblers. And Rose sang with various bands. They reformed after the war their mix of music and comedy made them a big concert draw and on the radio. The recordings on this Arhoolie CD were recorded for 4-Star Records between 1946 and 1951. Philadelphia Lawyer is a very tongue in cheek cover of a Woody Guthrie song. They moved to Columbia in 1951 and recorded there until they disbanded in 1956. Cliff died in 1949 and was replaced by younger brother Henry. Rose Maddox went solo in 1956 and had a very successful run on Capitol Records. The brothers attempted to stay together but didn't. Fred Maddox owned a successful nightclub. Henry worked with Rose and she continued to perform into the 80s. Cal Maddox died in 1968. Henry Maddox died in 1974. Fred Maddox died in 1992. Rose Maddox died in 1998. Don Maddox is now 87 years old. Here's a video for Philadelphia Lawyer by The Maddox Brothers and Rose.
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