Red Foley

Clyde Julian Foley was born in Blue Lick, Kentucky on June 17, 1910. As a child he began playing the guitar and harmonica and as a teenager won a statewide talent show. As a young man “Red” performed in Chicago on the WLS National Barn Dance radio show and on the KWKH Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport before hosting the Ozark Jubilee series on ABC-TV in the mid 50’s.

In 1941, the same year he made his film debut in “The Pioneers”, he signed a recording contract with Decca Records resulting in his first #1 country hit “Smoke On The Water” in 1944. During the next ten years, Red Foley had nine #1 country hits including, “Shame on You”, “Tennessee Saturday Night”, “Birmingham Bounce” and “Goodnight Irene”. His “Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy” topped the country charts and was #2 on the Pop charts in 1950. “Cincinnati Dancing Pig” also was a top ten country and pop hit. The duo of Red and Kitty Wells topped the country chart in 1954 with “One By One”.

Also among his more than 70 hits were top ten charters, “Sugarfoot Rag”, “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”, “There’ll Be Peace In The Valley”, “Alabama Jubilee”, “Too Old To Cut The Mustard”, “No Help Wanted”, “Jilted”, “Hearts Of Stone” and “Satisfied Mind”.

Red was a regular cast member in the 1960s television series “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967 and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Red Foley died from a heart attack on September 19, 1968, in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the age of 58.