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Hillbilly-Music.com—The People. The Music. The History.
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About the Group
About The Group Back in 1934 over radio station WROK out of Rockford, Illinois, the Blackhawk VAlley Boys were first organized as a radio act. They soon gained popularity in the surrounding area. The group took its name from the fact that the Blackhawk Valley was in Northern Illinois. That area got its name from the fact that several of the "Blackhawk" wars were fought there between the Winnebago Indians, led by Chief Blackhawk, and the early settlers. The group was the headline act on the Rock River Barn Dance show that was broadcast over WROK once a week for 45 minutes and lasted 52 consecutive weeks. They drew consistent 'record' breaking crowds during the show's tenure. The Blackhawk Valley Boys stayed at WROK for about four years. They embarked on a personal appearance tour that took them to the Southwest, appearing on stage as well as over several radio stations in Texas. During that time, radio station KXOK out of St. Louis contacted them and they became the first "talent broadcast" for them. From St. Louis, they began working their way north again, to several Wisconsin radio stations before settling down at WOWO in Ft. Wayne in 1939, Indiana. There, they were heard 'several times daily'. Their stint there included appearing on the NBC "Hoosier Hop" for over two years as well as appearing on other network shows that originated from Ft. Wayne. While they were working at WOWO, they made a series of fifteen-minute transcribed programs for a nationally known sponsor. (Anybody know who that was?) They wrote further in a song folio entitled "More Than Two Dozen 'Songs That Appeal' as featured by the Blackhawk Valley Boys", that this 'nationally known sponsor' also helped them appear in front of over 160,000 fans in 75 personal appearances.
Don Lake was nicknamed "Ike" by the group and could actually lay claim to real Blackhawk citizenship, born in Rockford, Illinois. He was 5'10" with dark brown hair and eyes then. He played the accordion and sang the baritone parts as part of the quartet numbers. He also handled the comedy vocals using a character named "The Constabule". Red Bicknell came from West Virginia. He was said to have varied his pounding of the bass fiddle with "...his clever impersonations of 'Axel Johnson'." Pete Fall learned the guitar from his dad. He was said to look like a 'real movie cowboy' and the girls thought he was cute. But Pete just wanted to be a regular fella, so, when he could take a break from the group's many personal appearances, he'd head out to the nearest fishing spot and wait for the cork to bob. Dean Maxedon was a native of Sullivan, Illinois. He served up some comedy for the group with his character of "Grandpappy Cuddlecush". From a WOWO Hoosier Hop program, we found that around late 1944, the group included Pete Fall, George Arthur and Andy Anderson along with their 'sweetheart', Penny West. By the time the Blackhawk Valley Boys had made their way to their debut on WLS back in 1945, the group had undergone some personnel changes and included a female singer, Penny West. Their roots were on WOWO in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Penny later married Dean Maxedon and took his place in the act when he had to take part in the war back then.
They were said to sing a great variety of music. And in fact, "...continued to remember that WLS listeners like their music sweet, regardless of current styles in sour chords." Timeline and Trivia Notes Group Members included:
Credits & Sources
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