While the words “country” and “legend” may be interchangeably used to describe scores of twang-laden singers heard over radio waves during the decades, many fans of the fiddle or steel guitar will tell you the artists of the 1950s and ‘60s popularized the genre.
One of country’s true legends from this era, “Little” Joe Carson, may have been lost to history after his untimely death at just 27 in 1964, but his son, Randy, is working to change that through the Randy Carson Band.
While Carson, who now calls Boerne home, was born shortly before his father’s death, leaving him little in the way of memorable interaction, he grew up learning about his father through the speaker and television, even teaching himself to play guitar every night on the very instrument his father strummed.
“There’s an audio of a television show where he’s (Joe Carson) the guest, and he does about eight or nine songs, and he’s talking in-between that,” the son said. “So, I get to see a little bit of his personality, too. I felt like I knew him. Everybody wanted to talk about him. Where I grew up (Wichita Falls), my dad was almost as big as Elvis because that was the hometown hero.”
Touring small dive bars and smaller country saloons around the state, Randy Carson is not only playing his own songs but revisiting the tunes of his father, who lived and died in the Lone Star State.
Joe Carson was born near Wichita Falls in 1937. He quickly went from being a local celebrity to something much bigger, signing his first record deal at just 16.
This feat inspired the “little” moniker.
The country singer performed with, wrote and sang songs written by many music icons of the era, from Elvis and Buddy Holly to Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and more.
“He was one of the pioneers, but he just happened to get killed at the wrong time,” Randy said of his father. “He was right there with everybody else. His talent was like way up there.”
When a car accident claimed the elder Carson’s life, the singer was so wellliked a benefit was held in his name at Panther Hall in Forth Worth featuring performances by well-known country artists such as Wanda Jackson, Frankie Miller and Ray Chaney.
A 1964 publication of Country Music Review said this of the event: “On April 14, 1964, Panther Hall put on a benefit show for Little Joe Carson, and, like the wonderful people that they are, the country artists turned out in masses. … Keep in mind these artists all work for large salaries, but … (as they have many times before) they gave of themselves for our beloved Little Joe Carson.”
While Little Joe Carson proved hauntingly accurate in his final performance, closing out last his show before his tragic demise with “The Last Song I’m Ever Gonna Sing,” he wasn’t the final musician to showcase his works.
The father’s amicable nature paved the way for the younger Carson to enjoy memorable encounters with the country legends who had known and respected his dad.
“George Jones was called the greatest country singer that ever lived, and he loved my dad,” Carson said. “Matter of fact, I got to see George. A few years before he died, I was on his bus visiting him. And as I was walking off the bus, Nancy (Jones’ wife) said, ‘Hey, do you want something to remind yourself of your dad and George?’” The keepsake? A signed picture of George Jones and the older Carson.
Through these crossing paths, Randy Carson picked up his own stories about Waylon, Willie and the boys, which led to an unexpected collaboration with the iconic Nelson.
While Carson initially was hesitant to bother Nelson, a family member encouraged him to reach out to the world-renowned star who wrote the song his father originally performed, “Who’ll Buy My Memories.”
Almost immediately after contacting Nelson’s team, the pair became destined to record together.
“A day later, I got a call from his manager that said, ‘Willie would like to do a duet with you,’” Randy said. “And I was like, ‘What?’” In his home studio outfitted with standing mics, guitars and fiddles galore, as well as the memorabilia of his father he’s collected over the years, Carson has put his own spin on a Nelson-written country classic.
While Little Joe Carson may not be a household name, his son is keeping his legacy alive and blazing his own musical trail.
To find show dates and more information, visit rcbcountry.
com.
Randy Carson has built a collection of items memorializing his father, Little Joe Carson, including this jacket his father wore on stage and his records.
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