Cross-harp harmonica player whose long-time collaboration with fellow harmonicist Lonnie Glosson bore fruit in the 1949 hit “Why Don’t You Haul Off and Love Me” and the Delmore Brothers’ “Blues Stay Away From Me”, as well as two radio shows which were so popular they resulted in the sales of millions of harmonicas via mail order.
Raney was born with a deformed foot which kept him from helping out with chores on the family farm near Wolf Bayou, Arkansas, where he was born. It didn’t keep him from tapping his foot to such solo hits as “Jack and Jill Boogie” and “Lost John Boogie” in 1948.
He formed Rimrock Records in the late ’50s and released several solo albums as well as appearing on The Grand Ole Opry and the country music variety show Hee-Haw.
His autobiography is entitled Life Is Not A Bed Of Roses. Raney passed away in 1993, and was later inducted into the Country Music Disk Jockey Hall of Fame.
Wayne Raney recordings:
Country Express
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