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Black Jack Wayne
Born:  February 8, 1923
Died:  June 30, 1999
California Hayride
KEEN San Jose, CA
KVSM San Mateo, CA

About The Artist

Along the way, we'll find artists who cause some discussion back and forth or even some debate. No, not about their music, but about the details of their career. We've already seen some discussion on this fellow in an exchange of emails. But, somehow we stumbled across an issue of Cowboy Songs from December 1957 that had a column written by Imogene Ellwanger who provides some tidbits. And a few other mentions elsewhere, too.

Black Jack Wayne was a native of Oklahoma who moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when he was 14. He started guitar playing as a hobby but later on down the road, it became part of his career. He had an injury of some type and came back to the Bay Area and decided to join his brother's band, the "Rattlesnake Ramblers".

In mid-1956, he had three daily shows over the all-western radio station KVSM out of San Mateo, California. And a one hour show over television station KOVR with the "Bar 10 Ranch Boys". Black Jack and the Bar-10 Ranch Boys had several recordings they say on the Cavalier label. Back then their latest release was "A Dream Just Won't Do" along wiht "Nip or Two".

The "Garden of Allah" located in Niles, California became a big spot for country stars to appear at and was owned by none other than Black Jack Wayne and his little brother, Chuck Wayne. Imogene wrote that they always had a good crowd show up when the doors opened. Don't reckon there really is a city called "Niles" but it appears to be a district just east of Hayward/Fremont, CA, which ties into to some other notes we've found about Black Jack Wayne.

Later on in her column, Ms. Ellwanger mentions that KOVR, Channel 13 in Stockton, had two Western music shows on the air. One show had Glenn Stepp and his band. The other had Black Jack Wayne and his "Bar 11 Ranch Boys". Black Jack had also started a live radio show from the Garden of Allah nightclub he owned that was broadcast over KEEN every Saturday night. She also wrote that there was a possibility that the "California Hayride" might start a show originating from the Garden of Allah every Friday night over Channel 13 in Stockton.

In 1957, per a column in Cowboy Songs by Imogene Chapman, we find that Black Jack had his own record label - Black Jack. ANd around that time, had put out his first recording, "Time Stole My Empire" b/w "Shallow Water". Tom Hall and Terry Fell helped on the record with their guitar and harmonica. At the time, they mentioned that you could order the record from Black Jack in care of radio station KVSM in San Mateo, California. No coincidence that Ms. Chapman might mention Black Jack, for in the same issue featuring "Stars on the Horizon", she is listed as the president of his 'fast-growing' and 'real-active' fan club.

Later on, we found a mention on Channel 2, KTVU, now of the Fox Network, on the Bayinsider.com... "Not all of KTVU's local programming was noteworthy or long-lasting. There was The Black Jack Wayne Show, a western variety show..."

Credits & Sources

  • Cowboy Songs, Dec 1957; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT.;
  • Cowboy Songs, Apr 1957, American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT.
  • Country Song Roundup No. 43; April 1956; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT.

Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)
 
Big West
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  BJW1108 A Bartender's Lament
  BJW1108 B Cottonwood Road
 
Black Jack
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  BJ-104 A What Makes Me Hang Around (w/Rose and Cal Maddox)
  BJ-104 B Gotta Travel On (Rose and Cal Maddox)
 
Cavalier
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  839 A A Dream Just Won't Do
  839 B Nip Or Two Meet Me In the Briar Patch
 
Cheyenne
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  113 A Scoundrels and Saints
  113 B I Lost Today
  114 A Dancing With A Stranger
  114 B Red Silk Stockings and The Green Perfume


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