Homer & Jethro
Homer (b. Henry D. Haynes, 27 July 1920, d. 7 August 1971, Chicago, Illinois, USA) and Jethro (b. Kenneth C. Burns, 10 March 1920, d. 4 February 1989, Evanston, Illinois, USA) were both from Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. They went to the same school and both learned to play stringed instruments as young children. In 1932, they began to work together as musicians on WNOX Knoxville, where they performed in a quartet known as the String Dusters. With Homer on guitar and Jethro on mandolin, they mainly played instrumental pop music and any vocals were usually performed as a trio. Somewhat bored with the regular format, they developed a comedy act which they used backstage. They began to present comedy versions of popular songs by maintaining the melody but changing the lyrics and before long, they were encouraged to perform them live on the radio. They were given the names of Homer and Jethro by the programme director, Lowell Blanchard. The act quickly proved a popular part of the String Dusters’ routine. In 1936, they left the group to work solely as Homer and Jethro but stayed at WNOX until 1939. They then became regulars on the RENFRO VALLEY BARN DANCE in Kentucky but in 1941, they were both called up for military service. In 1945, they were back together as regulars on the MIDWESTERN HAYRIDE on WLW Cincinnati and between 1946 and 1948, they recorded their humorous songs for the local King label. In 1949, after a move to RCA, they had Top 10 US country chart success with a recording with June Carter of Baby It's Cold Outside. In the late 1940s, they toured with their own tent show but eventually joined Red Foley on KWTO Springfield. In 1949, they toured the States as part of orchestra leader Spike Jones’ show and in 1951, whilst in Chicago with Jones, they were invited to become regulars on the NATIONAL BARN DANCE on WLS, where they stayed until 1958. During the '50s and '60s, they toured extensively; their humour proving very popular in many varied venues, including Las Vegas. Their biggest country chart hit came in 1953, when How Much Is That Hound Dog In The Window reached number 2. In 1959, they had a US pop Top 20 hit with The Battle Of Kookamonga, their take-off of Johnny Horton's hit Battle Of New Orleans. Proving that no song was safe from the couple's attentions in 1964, they made their last chart entry with their version of the Beatles’ I Want To Hold Your Hand. They also made commercials for Kellogg's Cornflakes during the '60s, which made them household names in the USA but perhaps would have caused a drop in the company's sales had they been shown in Britain. The zany comedy tended to make people overlook the fact that the duo were fine musicians. They made instrumental albums and in 1970, they recorded with Chet Atkins (Jethro's brother-in-law) as the Nashville String Band. (It was not until the album was in the charts that RCA let it be known who the musicians were.) Atkins rated Homer as one of the best rhythm guitarists he ever knew. He was also a good enough vocalist to have pursued a singing career but had no interest in doing so. Jethro was also noted as an excellent mandolin player and one who, even in his early days, did much to make the instrument acceptable in jazz music. 
The partnership came to an end after 39 years on 7 August 1971, when Homer suffered a heart attack and died. Jethro was deeply affected by Homer's death but eventually he returned to work as a musician. In the late '70s, he often worked with Steve Goodman and both toured and recorded with him. Jethro died of cancer at his home in February 1989. Homer and Jethro's parodies included such titles as The Ballad Of Davy Crew-Cut and Hart Brake Motel and few could match album titles like SONGS MY MOTHER NEVER SANG, OOH! THAT'S CORNY (named after their catchphrase) or, bearing in mind they had been steadily turning out albums for 16 years, to suddenly decide to call one just HOMER & JETHRO'S NEXT ALBUM. They never enjoyed success in the UK but in the USA they were an institution.