When I began working at KWKH in the late 1980s, Joey Kent, the son of Dave Kent, had already begun to look in old files, cabinets, and desk drawers for anything related to the Louisiana Hayride. After 30 years of work, ‘Cradle of the Stars: KWKH and the Louisiana Hayride has finally been published.
The Louisiana Hayride began broadcasting live on KWKH in 1949. An amazing array of talent passed through the Municipal Auditorium on the show. Everyone from Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Webb Pierce, Faron Young, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, and that young Hillbilly Cat, Elvis Presley, were regular guests or cast members. The local cast member list is long and memorable as well.
The original owner of the Louisiana Hayride was Horace Logan, who served as the show’s emcee as well. Later on, KWKH announcer Frank Page would be the staff emcee of the show. After the Hayride left downtown and moved to other locations, Dave Kent acquired the rights to the Louisiana Hayride, its name, and marketing. After Dave’s passing, his son Joey took up the project.
The coffee table book is 182 pages of photographs, newspaper clippings, advertisements, show bills, record labels, and much more memorabilia from the era. The written copy is a fantastic story of history, celebrity, and some names with whom I eventually became associated with. For me, it’s a true trip down Memory Lane. If YOU are one of those people who remembers attending the Hayride in its heyday, you are going to enjoy the trip.
The Shreveport Times wrote an article on Kent and the publication: It’s a good read. If you enjoy country music history, you might want to get a copy of Joey’s book for yourself. It’s available at Walmart, Target, and on Amazon.
Your coffee table will thank you.
