Pee Wee King (Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski)1914-2000, was born in Wisconsin, the son of a Polish fiddler. He made his professional radio debut when he was 14, he and his band were discovered by Gene Autry in 1933, and he hired them as his backup band. IT Was Autry who gave hin the nickname "Pee Wee." In 1936 King formed The Golden West Cowboys and was asked to join the Grand Ol' Opry in 1937. Two of the vocalists who passed through his band were Eddy Arnold and Cowboy Copas. In 1947, he and Redd Stewart wrote and recorded "Tennessee Waltz" which was a big hit for them. Patti Page recorded the song in 1950 and it went to No. 1 on the pop charts, selling several million records. Other King compositions were "Slowpoke", "Silver and Gold", "Changing Partners", "Bonaparte's Retreat," "You Belong to Me," "Walk By the River," "Busybody," and "Bimbo." King appeared in several western movies and has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The best collection of his music is the Bear Family Records 6 CD Pee Wee King & His Golden West Cowboys. There is also his Country Music Hall of Fame CD.Here's Tennessee Waltz, recorded in December of 1947.
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