Lester (Road Hog) Moran and The Cadillac Cowboys

About The Artist What is there left to say of this legendary group? To quote one person, "There is no one else in country music to compare with Lester and the boys. They are in a class all their own. They are without equals. They are unique." The group's choice of music certainly takes one back to the golden era of country music and when it was performed live over the radio airwaves. Well, all-right, this group was from that mecca of country music, Rainbow Valley. Their classic live album show was sponsored by Burford, the Rainbow Valley barber. The music of this group would have been lost if not for the efforts of the Statler Brothers and Mercury Records back in 1974 or 1975 who captured the group in a live performance at their regular Saturday night show at the Johnny Mack Brown High School. In typical fashion of the old-style hillbilly music shows of a long ago era, each member of the band gets a turn in front of the microphone on the live album. We get a duet number by Red and Wesley, "Filipino Baby", the old Ernest Tubb classic. Their harmony is truly unforgettable. Or should we say forgettable? Lester himself is in fine form when he takes on the classic by Tennessee Ernie Ford, Sixteen Tons. And of course, the shows end with the typical song featuring the group harmonies with such classics as "Keep on the Sunny Side" or "Church in the Wildwood". We get to hear their talents on the instrumental numbers such as "Little Liza Jane", the Cadillac Cowboys' musical theme or "Wildwood Flower". Lester (Roadhog) Moran and his Cadillac Cowboys were first introduced to country music fans when the Statler Brothers included them on their album, "Country Music: Then And Now." The group traveled to their personal appearances in an old renovated(?) van that in one picture shows a bare lightbulb. Luxury was not what they were about - they stayed true to their roots and their fans, which is part of their appeal. The Mercury album includes a couple of gems - a recording of one of their live Saturday morning radio shows along with a "confidential" audition tape for a network. This is indeed classic country music; at its best? Maybe not, but its from the heart. The Statler Brothers of that era, Harold Reid, Don Reid, Phil Balsley and Lew DeWitt are to be commended for their efforts in preserving this classic bit of Americana. Timeline & Trivia Notes Group Members Lester "Roadhog" Moran, lead, vocals Wesley Red Wichita

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