Old Time Radio Westerns

Episode: Red Foley Tater Pie | Grand Ole Opry (01-06-51)

Host: Andrew Rhynes
Date: October 2, 2025
Featured Performers: Red Foley, Lou Childy Lou, Rod Brassfield, Cousin Minnie Pearl

Episode Overview

This episode transports listeners to the vibrant stage of the Grand Ole Opry from January 6, 1951, blending musical performances, lighthearted banter, and comedic sketches with a classic country flavor. Digitally restored for clarity, the broadcast features Red Foley, Lou Childy Lou, the witty Rod Brassfield, and the beloved Cousin Minnie Pearl. Together, they deliver songs about the joys of country life—tater pie, loving and longing, and railroads—intermingled with jokes and tales that paint a lively portrait of small-town Americana.

Key Discussion Points & Performances

1. Musical Opener: “Tater Pie”

• [00:39–01:47]
  Lou Childy Lou (with Red Foley) delivers the episode's signature cheerful song, “Tater Pie,” celebrating the comfort of home cooking and simple pleasures.
  • Notable Lyrics & Energy:
    “Ever since I've been so high, I've been a fool for tater pie...”
  • Set the episode’s playful rural tone, highlighting an affectionate connection to family recipes and country courtship.

2. Tall Tales and Comedy: Rod Brassfield’s Segment

• [02:24–05:16]
  • Rod Brassfield launches into a series of rapid-fire jokes and anecdotes, creating a warm camaraderie with Foley and Lou. Highlights include:
    • Chicken Joke ([02:30–03:02]):
      “Do you know what the little chicken said when it found an orange in its mama's nest?” – Rod Brassfield
      “Oh, look what an orange Mama laid.” – Lou Childy Lou
      (Playful exchange on punchline-stealing)
    • Susie's Stockings: ([03:11–03:42])
      Humorous tale about buying stockings for his girlfriend Susie that “just didn't quite come up to her expectations.”
    • “Civil War Dress” ([03:50–04:16]):
      “That's a dress where the north keeps pulling away from the south and skimpy. Skimpy? I'm telling you, Red, that was the skimpiest dress I've seen in my life.”
    • Costume Party Story: ([04:19–05:02])
      A man dresses as a “stuffed olive” for a party, his green suit with red underwear drawing laughter.
    • Raising Rabbits: ([05:11–05:34])
      “You know what they call them, their rabbits? It's raised inside the building... ingrown hares.”

3. Musical Performances and Instrumental Banter

• Lou Childy Lou & Red Foley Showcase Downhome Humor and Musicianship

  • New Guitar Bit: ([06:21–06:43])
    “What’d you do to that old one?”
    “Had to have something to carry my fish bait in!”
    – Classic country humor.

  • “Hog Calling Blues” / River Swamp Song: ([06:49–08:47])
    Lou’s musical storytelling, with Foley and the band chiming in, paints vivid scenes of life on the farm and by the river.

4. Sacred Songs & Spiritual Reflection

• “Lord, I'm Coming Home” ([09:36–11:59])

  • Led by Lou Childy Lou, with harmonies from Foley and Brassfield.
  • Notable Lyrics:
    “My soul is sick, my heart is sore, now I'm coming home...”
  • Emotive, gospel-rooted performance provides a meditative interlude.

• “Something Within” ([12:22–13:54])

  • A rousing spiritual with call-and-response, spreading contagious joy:
    “I got a feeling there's something within, oh, no—something within me vanishes pain... all that I know, good God, there's something within.”
    – Red Foley and ensemble

5. Spotlight: Cousin Minnie Pearl’s Entrance and Country Banter

• [15:08–19:12]
  • Opening Salvo:
    “Howdy! I'm just proud to be here.” ([15:17–15:21])
  • Modern Romance:
    Describes “going out” with her beau Hezzy and jokes about moving beyond “keeping company.”
  • Rural Rivalry:
    Exchanges good-natured bragging contests with Brassfield over their respective southern hometowns:
    • “We grow pumpkins down there so big… folks just cut them in half and use them for bathtubs.” – Rod Brassfield ([16:48–16:58])
    • “Almost as large as the Grinder Switch mushmelon.” – Minnie Pearl ([16:58–17:05])
  • Farm Life Exaggerations:
    • “The vines grow so fast they wear the mushmallows out just dragging them along on the ground.” – Rod Brassfield ([17:14–17:25])
  • Romantic Nostalgia:
    “Do you remember when I still had them big old braces on my teeth?... Every time you smiled, you looked like the front end of a new Buick.”
    – Rod Brassfield and Minnie Pearl ([18:41–18:47])

6. Closing Musical Medley

• Lou Childy Lou Returns with More Tunes ([19:12–21:50]):
  • “Riding on the Elevated Railroad”
    Entertaining observations of city life from an elevated train, marked by humor and vivid imagery.
  • Red Foley’s Blues Segment: ([22:00–23:03])
    Uplifting, blues-inflected performance on losing love and moving on.
• “Many Tears Ago” ([23:16–24:45])
  • A gentle, bittersweet song on heartbreak and memories.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lou Childy Lou’s “Tater Pie” Refrain:
  “I'll be hers until I die if she can make a tater pie.” ([01:06])

• Rod Brassfield’s Wisecracking:
  “That's a dress where the north keeps pulling away from the south and skimpy. Skimpy? I'm telling you, Red, that was the skimpiest dress I've seen in my life.” ([03:50–04:16])

• Cousin Minnie Pearl’s Charm:
  “I wore pigtails till I was 24... it was just that I was so shy. And when a fellow's trying to kiss… pigtails make awful good handles.” ([15:24–16:22])

• Comedic Town Rivalry:
  “Everybody knows the biggest jackasses come from hill.” – Red Foley ([17:41]) “That’s the first time you’ve been right. Boy, you ought to know.” – Minnie Pearl ([17:50])

Key Timestamps

• 00:39–01:47: “Tater Pie” musical opener
• 02:24–05:16: Rod Brassfield’s comic storytelling
• 06:49–08:47: “Hog Calling”/river swamp songs
• 09:36–11:59: “Lord, I’m Coming Home” (sacred song)
• 12:22–13:54: “Something Within” (spiritual song)
• 15:17–19:12: Minnie Pearl and Rod Brassfield’s rural banter
• 19:25–21:50: “Riding on the Elevated Railroad”
• 23:16–24:45: “Many Tears Ago”
• 26:13: Opry sign-off

Summary and Takeaway

This reimagined Grand Ole Opry broadcast delights with comic storytelling, affable ribbing, and a mix of gospel, blues, and country music emblematic of early 1950s American radio variety. Every segment underscores a sense of community, nostalgia, and the enduring charm of simple rural life, as delivered by some of country music’s cherished personalities.

Perfect for: Fans of classic country, lovers of old radio comedy, and anyone seeking a heartwarming, laughter-filled snapshot of mid-century musical Americana.