CASCADE HILLBILLIES, The

Homebase: Kinney's Barn (roadhouse)
Stats: 1951...
Misc Notes: Label text credits the CASCADE HILLBILLIES OF KINNEY'S BARN. The Cascade Hillbillies were founded in October, 1951. On July 4, 1952, they began a long run at Kinney's Dance Barn, often drawing capacity crowds of about 600 dancers. They eventually scored their own radio show on Everett's KRKO and built a statewide following. Members included:

• Marty Dahlgren (fiddle) According to his Seattle Times obituary (4.1.2012) Martin Blish Dahlgren "was born October 30, 1927 to parents William and Norma Dahlgren in Seattle. A life-long Washingtonian, he grew up in Edmonds and later lived for many years in South Seattle. He graduated from Edmonds High School in 1945 and served in the Army, post-WW2, in occupied Japan. He worked for many years as Shop Superintendent at Seattle Boiler Works until his retirement. Marty was well known as a musician. He played fiddle and sang with a career spanning over 60 years playing country, western swing, bluegrass, gospel and other music. He appeared on several early Seattle area T.V. shows including Tack Room Time and The Evergreen Jubilee. Some bands he performed with include The Western Melody Boys, The Country Swing Kings, The Cascade Hillbillies, the Evergreen Drifters, Stillwater Rapids, the Country Deputies, Lance Romance & Mended Heart. He was well known at the popular dance halls such as Kinney's Barn, the Spanish Castle and Shadow Lake. He shared the stage with well-known country music artists, including Bonnie Guitar, Hank Thompson, Jimmy Dickens, Marty Robbins, and Ferlin Husky. He thrilled audiences (and family) with his rendition of "Listen to the Mockingbird". A favorite of recent years was the opportunity to teach and perform at the Port Townsend Festival of Fiddle Tunes. Marty performed swing tunes with an acoustic trio to standing ovations. The trio was later greeted with the same response at Folklife. He was a member of the Western Swing Society." Dahlgren died at age 84, on March 25, 2012.
• Betty-Lou Steele (vocals /  accordion), whose father, husband and sons, reportedly, were also were members of this band.
• Among the square dance callers who performed and/or recorded with the Cascade Hillbillies were: Joe Hall (Aqua #104-A) and Vernon Hutton. (Aqua #126-B)
• Norval Newton "Bus" Boyk (October 14, 1917 - April 26, 2010) was a noted American fiddler whose career extended from the 1930s to the 1990s and who played in many bands during those eras. Boyk was born on October 14, 1917 in Everett. According to Wikipedia: "he was with the Cascade Hillbillies and the Rancho Serenaders. From 1953-1964 he played with the Sons of the Golden West. Later he toured and recorded with Ray Price. Other groups he played with during his long career were the Yeary Brothers, Roy Jackson and the Northwesterners, Ranch Dressing, Cal Shrum and his Rhythm Rangers, Everything's Jake, and the Fiddle Summit. Although he retired in the 1980s, he won 5th place in the National Oldtime Fliddler's Contest in Weiser Idaho in 1999. He was entered into the Western Swing Society's Pioneers of Western Swing Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Boyk died on April 26, 2010 in Redmond, Oregon.

  SEE ALSO:
  1.) HALL, JOE (Aqua #104-A)
  2.) CACKLING HEN (Aqua #104-B)
  3.) HUTTON, VERNON (Aqua #126-B)

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