Song Of The Day #019

Bill (1917-2008) and Earl (1919-1998) Bolick were born and raised in East Hickory, North Carolina. Their very religious parents taught them at an early age to sing gospel music. While each played several instruments, they eventually settled on Bill playing the mandolin and Earl playing the guitar.

They made their first radio appearance in 1935 as part of a group called "The Crazy Hickory Nuts." In 1936 they signed with RCA as a brother duo and The Blue Sky Boys were born. Their first release, Sunny Side Of Life/Where The Soul Never Dies, was an instant hit and they went on to record over 100 songs for RCA before they both left for the war in 1941. They returned in 1946, had some more hits, but didn't like the direction country music was taking, refused to have an electric guitar on their recordings, and retired from music in 1951. They were brought out of retirement in the 60's as part of the hootenanny craze and recorded a couple more albums.

Along with the Monroes, Delmores and Dixons, the Blue Sky Boys were part of the "brother sound" of early country music. Bill and Earl, though, had a unique style of harmony that influenced later artists such as the Louvin Brothers and the Everly Brothers.

This being a gospel music day, our selection by the Blue Sky Boys is I'm S-A-V-E-D, recorded in 1940. It's available on the box set Blue Sky Boys.

If you like your gospel music with a soft choral arrangement and with a modern, weak-kneed, sissified message, then this song ain't for you.