DONALD
A. LAUGHLIN
a.k.a.
DON
LAUGHLIN
Kajac Recording Artist, BMI Songwriter, Author, Composer
BALLADS
OF DEADWOOD S.D.
About People and Events In
Deadwood S.D.
(circa) 1876
Laughlin’s musical
history story actually starts out in Des Moines, Iowa, where he went to school
and learned western music at an early
age from family members. When he was only four
years old he started performing for
a family act on WHO radio’s once –well - known “Iowa Barn Dance Frolic”
(circa) 1936.The Des Moines 50,000 watt clear channel radio station used to broadcast the Frolic live, and for a while the emcee
was a personable young 1040 sports announcer named Ronald Reagan, former
President of the United States.
“They took a picture of “Dutch”
Reagan and me the first time that I appeared on their broadcast,” Laughlin
said.
Ronald
“Dutch” Reagan
At
WHO Microphone, Emcee, Barn Dance Frolic
(circa)
1937
Laughlin noted that in the
thirties, because of the strong
radio signal of WHO, the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic was more popular than the Grand
Ole’ Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. But the event ended on WHO when World War
II broke out , and the Tennessee “Opry” moved into the top slot for
showcasing country and western music. Iowa’s Barn Dance Frolic, along with the
“Sunset Corners Opera House, “Des Moines, Iowa could have become the
national Country Music Center of the world”
The Iowa Barn Dance Frolic
that was broadcast from a stage
of the (Theoretical)" Sunset Corners Opera House” in the town of “Sunset
Corners, Iowa”, (the stage was actually the Shrine Auditorium
located at 10th and pleasant street in Des Moines Iowa.)
ZA-GA-ZIG
Shrine Temple (circa) 1927-1982
The Auditorium could seat 4200 people, and
in 1937 it was one of America’s largest theaters. Every Saturday night ,
according to careful estimates, more than a MILLION people were radio guests of
radio station WHO at the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic , at the sunset Corners Opera
House.
Looking from the stage of the Shrine Auditorium into the faces of the people seated, that came to see the WHO Iowa Barn Dance Frolic at the “Sunset Corners Opera House,” “Live’ Radio Broadcast on a Saturday night in (Circa) 1936.
Laughlin
stated that : “ The Frolic and “live” radio broadcast was far better than
the Grand Ole’ Opry
could
have been at that time in history.
Even
without the Barn Dance Frolic stage
to perform on, Laughlin kept up with his western music during his school days,
and after he returned from his Korean War Service, he started playing
country and western night spots in Des Moines, Iowa with several
different groups
By
the sixties Des Moines was no longer a cow town full of honkytonks, however, and
Laughlin and the bands he played with had more success in the western states.
His music has always been more like the “Sons of the Pioneers” than
contemporary country music, anyway.
From
1974 on Laughlin centered his operation from his home in Lead, S.D. and his show
in Deadwood. He had went there to live, he fell in love with the town, its
goodwill, its history, and the people who lived there. The people shared their
stories of the “old” days in Deadwood with Don and he felt he had the
ability as a songwriter to make
these stories into songs, that would be of historical, educational, significance
for children, teachers, educators, historians and someday even hopefully be a
“Sound Track” for a “Deadwood
Movie” or TV. Show. Don was in
search of “Gold”, songwriting “Gold.
Like
mining for Gold songwriting can become a “Fever. Finding Gold is not easy, and
neither is money to continue his songwriting. Soon Don
was “down on his luck” ready to give up.
He
was encouraged by the faith, friendship and support of: his wife
and children, to continue his songwriting, also by friends: Lloyd and Betty West, who owed F.L. Thorpe
& Company (Original Black Hills Gold Jewelry),
by Gary Keehn, owner of “Old Style Saloon No.10, (The only Bar in
Deadwood with a Museum in it), by Don Achtain owner (Buffalo Saloon), Owners of
the Franklin Hotel, Bella Union
Theater, Wild Bills Trading Post, Calamity Jane Ice Cream Parlor, Broken Boot
Gold Mine, Mount Moriah, Days Of
“76, Thompson Frontier Drug, The
Prospector Gift Shop and many other
town people, who appreciated his
singing, entertaining and story telling.
Harold
L. Luick, (A long time friend of Don) and President
of Kajac Record Corporation, Carlisle, Iowa
was willing to gamble musicians, recording engineers, recording studio
time, and the money for release of
a L.P. Album of 11 songs and the Pressing of the first 10,000 33 1/3 Rpm LP
Records to possibly make Don’s Dream come true. The first song written by Don
was the Ballad Of Deadwood and it only took ten minutes for Don to write! It was
released on the (Saloon # 10 custom label) and was placed on
the Saloon #10 Juke Box (in
l974) for evaluation and
to see if people would pay money to
play it!
Two
years later: “Ballads Of Deadwood S.D.” L.P. Album #003-78 was recorded in
1976 and released in 1978 and received regional and national sales and
distribution. The first 13 weeks after release,
over 3000 schools in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska had
been given a free copy
to be used
by their faculty
to teach and present the history of Deadwood S.D. to their students. On
the back-liner of the Album was Ads bought
and paid for by 11 businesses located in Deadwood
hoping this would attract tourist to their establishments, through radio
airplay, media promotion, album
sales that would be generated by Kajac Record Corporation releasing this L.P.
Album #003-78, through out the world on a regional and national basis.
This Ad money was used to help
offset the initial cost of
Studio recording, Pressing and manufacturing
of over 10,000
records for Promotion and Distribution!
To
thank the Deadwood Business owners who participated and bought Ads, Kajac Record
Corporation distributed 300 Free
L.P. copies of the Album #003-78
to each of the businesses
(to sell to tourists) and use the money derived form these sales to
“Off-set” the cost that they paid for their Ads. The end result was: their
ads cost them nothing
and each
sale made money for their
Business.
Over
128 years has passed, but Deadwood is still a “GOLD TOWN” its “gold” can
be found in the History Collections
at the ADAMS MUSEUM & HOUSE
the #1 Tourist Attraction
“Where Legends Live”
in Deadwood today, and in
the Casino’s that exist in downtown deadwood. The money that is derived from
gambling over the years has been
used to restore, utilities,
buildings, streets,
etc. of the town, while
still retaining much of the look of 1876.
The
residents’ faith in the town to survive for at least another 128 years. It’s
citizens believe and have proven that
a Town that “Forgets Its Past” , will never have a “Future Worth Remembering.”
On
Your “Vacation” visit Deadwood Sometime” in the future!
“History
Is Waiting For You”
In
1979 Ballad Of Deadwood S.D. Kajac
L.P. 003-78 was nominated for the
“Best Historical Album” category of the Grammy Awards. It
placed in the top 10 out of 200 that were submitted. It did not win first
place, but it did verify Dons, songwriting ability.
In
1980, the Ballads Of Deadwood S.D.
was used as theme background for
CBS 60 minute TV.
show “The closing of the last Bordello, and retirement of the last
“Madam” in Deadwood S.D. It was
viewed and music played to millions of viewers.
In
1985 he captured nationwide honors under the “Original Inspiration Song”
division at the National Music Competition For Veterans in Washington,
D.C. His Congressman at that time was the up-and-coming, Honorable Tom Daschel,
who proved both his bipartisanship and rank by bringing none other than the
former emcee and former host of the 1937 Iowa Barn Dance Frolic Ronald Reagan
to Constitution Hall in Washington D.C.
to help honor Don Laughlin and other musically-talented veterans who
would perform there.
It had been 48 years since Ronald Reagan introduced the
four-year-old young Iowa entertainer, Don Laughlin on his first public singing
performance on WHO Radio. Both the President and Laughlin the songwriter still
had their gifts of gab; They chatted about the early days of “true” western
music on the WHO Barn Dance Frolic and
the “Sunset Corners Opera House.”
In
1987 Don Laughlin was presented the “Pioneer Country Music Award” by the
Country Music Association Of Colorado for his songwriting, recording artists
performance on the “Ballads Of Deadwood S.D. Kajac L.P Album #003-78
A
Korean War Veteran, Laughlin was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down during
the war. He was getting better for a while but the injury slowly caught up with
him. Soon after 1988 Laughlin had to give up touring because of health reasons.
In 1991 a stroke ended his musical career. During his career he played,
performed in Deadwood and 41 of the
50 states, and he was proficient with the guitar, banjo, mandolin, bugle and
piano. The stroke ended his ability to play the above instruments, so what did
he do…. he started playing the harmonica again.
From
his days as a kid on the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic to his years with a touring
country and western stage show, Marshall town’s Don Laughlin has covered many
a mile in his cowboy boots. In 1996 Don Laughlin became a resident of the Iowa
Veterans Home 1301 Summit Street, Marshalltown, Iowa 50158
and guess what? He still active in the music business
in the veterans home. Playing harmonica for anyone that will listen, clap
or stomp their feet. In 2003 he helped produce
the first . Annual
Music Festival and Salute to “Those Who Serve Their Country In Time Of
Need.”
At
that festival, Country Music Showcase International, Inc.
http://www.cmshowcase.org
Inducted Don A Laughlin,
Into The Iowa/Midwest “Virtual”
Country Music Heritage Museum, Library and Hall Of Fame. It is located on the
Internet at http://www.cmshowcase.org/doorway.htm
The
Presentation was made by officers of :
Country
Music Showcase International, Inc.
Iowa/Midwest
Country Music Heritage Museum,
Library, Hall Of Fame
At
this festival the Honorable Mark
Smith, Iowa Representative, Presented Harold L. Luick
CEO
And
Country Music Showcase International, Inc with
STATE
OF IOWA RECOGNITION
For
their efforts in the debut of the First Annual Marshalltown-Iowa Veterans Home
Music Festival
KAJAC RECORD COMPANY PERSONNEL
THAT CREATED THE
“Ballad
Of Deadwood S.D.
Kajac L.P Album #003-78” In 1976
Are:
HAROLD
L. LUICK
President
Of Kajac Record Corporation
EXECUTIVE
PRODUCER, ENGINEER, REMIX FINAL MASTER
Carlisle,
Iowa
DENNIS
DYER
Recording
Engineer
Des
Moines, Iowa
JAMES
PHINNEY
MUSIC
ARRANGER
Bass,
Dobro, Hi String Guitar
Des
Moines, Iowa
LENNY
HUDSON
Acoustic
and Lead Guitar
Carlisle,
Iowa
BILL
OBER,
Rhythm and Lead Mandolin
Carlisle,
Iowa
RICH
RICHMOND
Drums,
Percussion
Des
Moines, Iowa
VOCAL
BACKGROUND
James Phinney, Lenny Hudson, Cathy Bishop
Thank
You For Visiting Don Laughlin Hall
Of Fame Page
And
Our “Virtual” Museum.
For
writing, editing, researching, documentation of
Don Laughlin history:
Harold
L. Luick, CEO CMSI, Historian, Curator of the
Iowa/Midwest
“Virtual” Country Music Heritage Museum, Library, Hall Of Fame Archives,
Historical Files and Interviews with Don Laughlin.
Barbara
Luick, President CMSI and
Contributing Editor
Dennis
Dyer, Vice President, and CMSI Web Master, For all his Computer engineering
skills, preparing and up-loading of
all files that make up our “Virtual” Museum, Library, Hall Of Fame web site.
Dennis
was Assistant Recording Engineer on The Ballad Of Deadwood S.D. Album.
Biff
Dysart, “Past Times Editor” of the monthly supplement to the
times–republican.
Excepts
taken or republished with permission of publisher
from the Marshalltown ,
Iowa
Times-Republican for parts of story on Don Laughlin they published &
printed.
© 2004 CMSI Trustee, Iowa/Midwest
Country Music Heritage Museum, Library, Hall Of
Fame, Harold L. Luick , Author/Publisher.
All Rights Reserved! NO part of this web page or information may be
reproduced, printed, by electronic retrieval with out getting permission in
writing first, or by e-mail permission from the author/publisher: haroldl@cmshowcase.org
Exception: For brief quotations in a
review or for: other museums , public or private schools Teaching
History of Country Music. Credit and acknowledgement must be given to:
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