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| Moore as radio personality "The Squeakin' Deacon" |
I recently received a message from Cecil Warren, who noticed that once upon a time I started to create a family tree for Carl, at Ancestry.com. Moore was one of the central characters in I Went Down to St. James Infirmary, and I closely researched his early years.
When he was a young lad ("in the 1947/1948 time period when my parents took me to his radio program"), Mr. Warren once sat on Moore's knee, and received the photograph you see here. "Too bad it got torn," Warren wrote, "probably a result of a fight between my sister and I over who got to hold it while we listened to his radio show. It is still a piece of history that has survived these 60 plus years."
By this time, Moore had given up leading a dance orchestra (many dance orchestras dissolved due to supply and personnel shortages during World War Two), and had become the country radio personality, "The Squeakin' Deacon." The Deacon was living in California at this time, not far from Hollywood. In fact, he had a (very) minor film career, including an uncredited appearance as the Toastmaster in the Rock Hudson/Elizabeth Taylor/James Dean movie Giant. He was once considered for the title role in the Will Rogers film biography, but Rogers' son eventually played that part. Moore would have been a natural, with his down-home humor and country hick persona.
Mr Warren added, in response to my writing, that "I am glad that his role in music history is being preserved." Thank you, Cecil
ps In her late nineties, Moore's wife Marjorie is very much alive and energetic - she will be thrilled to see that you remember Carl Moore, The Squeakin' Deacon.
2 comments:
When I was in Kindergarten,I met the Deacon at KXLA. We lived in Eagle Rock across the bridge from Pasadena. He lived in Eagle Rock right at the base of the rock. My parents would go to the radio show occasionally and I even sat on his knee during the show. My younger sister, Juhl even sang a song on his show one evening.My dad made a very detailed outhouse on a board about a foot square. It had a picket fence, grass and a door at each end. When one door was opened, the door at the other end opened for a quick exit. When I returned after four years in the air force, I went to his house and knocked on the door. He came to the door and invited me in. In the living room was the outhouse oh the mantel above the fireplace. I commented on the outhouse and he said that a family that came to his show at the Hunington Hoel presented it to him in the late 40s. I said that it was a"three holer". He was dumbfounded. "How do you know?' he asked. My dad built it was my answer. We had a nice talk and that was the last time that I saw the Deacon. Rest in peace Mr. Moore.
Joel Olsen
That's a great story! Thank you for sharing it.
It certainly agrees with anything I have found out about the Deacon's character. I was lucky enough to exchange letters - and a couple of 'phone calls - with his wife, who was in her late nineties the last time we were in contact. She was delightful.
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