Texas Ruby

Musical topics not directly related to steel guitar

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Donny Hinson
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Texas Ruby

Post by Donny Hinson »

I suppose that a few of you FORUMITES have heard of the late great Texas Ruby. I would trade a tape of anything I have for a tape of her song "Shanty Street". This was one of my late father's favorite songs, and I have had no luck at all finding it anywhere else.

Thanks, in advance,
Donny
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Jerry Hayes R.I.P.
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Post by Jerry Hayes R.I.P. »

Hey Donny,
Texas Ruby was married to and worked for many years with a great fiddle player named Curley Fox. They recorded a lot together so you might try a search under his name or maybe the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. They billed themselves as Curley Fox and Texas Ruby. They were members of the Opry also I believe.

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

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Ray Jenkins
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Post by Ray Jenkins »

Donny;Iwould almost bet Herb Remington can help you out on that one.Ray
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Jerry Hayes R.I.P.
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Post by Jerry Hayes R.I.P. »

Hey Donny,
I found a biography of Curley Fox on country.com which says: Texas Ruby (Ruby Agnes Owens) met and married Curley Fox in 1937. They began appearing on the Grand Ole Opry from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1944 to 1948. In between they worked in Cincinnati, Ohio and some other major stations as well. They made some recordings but according to Fox, Ruby's throaty contralto didn't sound as good on records as it did on the radio. Her best recordings were made for King Records in 1947. In 1948 they moved to Houston where they lived and worked for ten years on local television. In 1960 they returned to the Grand Ole Opry but Ruby's health was failing, so Fox often played alone! They did record an album for Starday in 1963, but shortly thereafter, Ruby burned to death in a mobile home fire while her husband Curley Fox was playing at the Opry. Hope some of this might help you. I don't know if Starday or King Records are still around or anything but it might be a starting point for the recording you're looking for.

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12