By James Perry

In February’s article I wrote about the first small airplane accident that claimed the lives of (At the time of the accident) three of the most popular young singing entertainers. I wrote more on the life and success of Jiles Richardson, known as the Big Bopper. In the March article which is about the accident near Camden, Tennessee on March 5, 1963 at approximately 6:30 CST that claimed the lives of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and pilot Randy Hughes. The Piper Commanche Airplane was owned by Randy Hughes who was Patsy Cline’s and Cowboy Copas’ manager as well as Cowboy Copas’ son-in-law married to Kathy Loma Copas Hughes who was Cowboy Copas’ daughter and also, recorded duets with her father, Cowboy Copas. This article will tell you about Cowboy Copas who at the time was the biggest star on the airplane. Today, most under the age of fifty do not know about Cowboy Copas and have never heard any of his recorded songs.

Cowboy Copas‘ given name was Loyd Estel Copas born July 15, 1913 at Blue Creek, Ohio in Adams County near Portsmouth, Ohio which lies on the banks of the Ohio River in Southeast Ohio. Copas was born into a musical family as his father and mother could play musical instruments, mostly fiddle and guitar. As their seven children grew up they would play and sing at churches, Grange Halls, square dances, get- to- gathers at homes and country stores. A close boyhood friend who grew up near Copas was Leonard Slye. They played music together at local get-to-gathers and Leonard Slye loved to play at and call square dances. A favorite thing he did into his older years. As teenage boys Copas and Leonard Slye would camp out along the Ohio River and in local woods and would usually “Borrow” a chicken or two from any local farms nearby where they camped. By the way Leonard Slye became Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys after moving to California while hunting a good job. Roy Rogers (Leonard Slye along with Bob Nolen and Tim Spencer originated the Sons of The Pioneers around 1935. Roy Rogers later tried to get his boyhood friend to join the Sons of The Pioneers, but Copas wanted to perform what at the time was called Hillbilly Music and in 1949 was changed to country-western and today goes by the same name.

During Copas’ late teen years he joined a well-accepted Southeastern Ohio string band known as Fred Evans Hen Cacklers playing on local radio station WPAY 1395 AM in Portsmouth, Ohio which got them local bookings. Fred Evans took Copas under his wing, training Copas to be a good MC, to dress good and always be neat and courteous to your audience. Copas at a young age became very professional.

During Copas’ late teen years he met and became a friend and partner with another fiddle player from a nearby county by the name of Lester Storer. Lester happened to be tall and slender like Copas. Lester Storer had black hair, black eyes and slightly dark skin and liked to dress like an Indian. A local person who knew the Storer family said they were not Indian and did not know what an Indian looked like, but Lester Storer was billed as Natchee, The Indian. After working together for a while Copas and Natchee moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and performed on The Midwestern Hayride Radio Show on WLW 700 AM in Cincinnati with 500,000 watts of power which was the most powerful radio broadcast station in the world. Later as television came to WLW the program was broadcast on television nationwide.

While in Cincinnati, Lloyd Copas married Lucille Markins, Natchee (Lester Storer) said that Copas was “Happy as a pig in a mud hole.” Lloyd and Lucille, and Lester, Natchee the Indian and Nada his wife shared a duplex apartment in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At this time Natchee and Cowboy Copas were starring on the Midwestern Hayride Show in Cincinnati, Ohio. Before their wedding Copas ask his friend and partner how marriage was. Natchee said, “Copas, Marriage is like a hot bath once you’re in it awhile it aint so hot.”

Natchee ( Lester Storer) told Copas that the grass growing in and around Loudon, Ohio was the richest and sweetest in Ohio. Their neighbor raised pigs and in spring time turned his six week old pigs out into the spring grass. That caused their tails to curl tighter. Sometimes he’d looked out and the whole pen was full of pigs walking around on their two front legs. Their tails had curled up so tight it lifted their rear ends off the ground.

Larry Sunbrock was now managing Copas and Natchee and had booked the two in California three times in one year. The two were featured on the Midwestern Hayride in Cincinnati, Ohio and were still playing local clubs, fairs, Armories, Moose Lodges and anywhere Sunbrock could attract an audience. They also competed at fiddle contest set up by Larry Sunbrock. By 1938 Copas and Lucille had two children, Kathy Loma and son, Gary Lee.

In 1941 Copas wanted to move back home and check out possibilities elsewhere. Natchee wanted to settle down and quit the road. Natchee joined with Billy Starr and his wife Evalina and remained in Cincinnati entertaining.

Copas went to Huntington, West Virginia and joined T. Texas Tyler and other entertainers on Radio Station WSAZ-AM in Huntington, West Virginia. While in Huntington Copas played the Wheeling Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia broadcast on Radio Station WWVA 1170- AM which was the second oldest live country music show behind the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Copas also played shows in Charlston, West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky especially in the Ashland, Kentucky area. Another dependable and lucrative place to entertain was the movie theaters and drive in movie parks. Copas worked these movie theaters and drive in movie park chains. The entertainers did their shows during the half time breaks in the movie. The movie fans got two shows for the price of one. The country acts filled the theaters and drive in movie parks.

It’s now 1942 and Cowboy Copas’ next move is to Knoxville, Tennessee. Copas started performing on Knoxville’s powerful radio station WNOX 990 AM and the Mid-Day Merry Go Round which aired from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM Monday thru Saturday. The Mid-Day Merry Go Round was listened to by almost everyone in upper Tennessee. At the time it was broadcast from the Andrew Johnson Hotel on Gay street in Knoxville and people would line up for blocks to attend each day. The Merry Go Round served as a Baseball Farm Team for the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Cowboy Copas and his band were received well by East Tennessee listeners of the Mid- Day Merry Go Round. During the time in the 1940’s the shows that funneled the new performers to the Grand Ole opry was the Mid-Day Merry Go Round, The Louisiana Hayride, WLS Barn Dance, and The Wheeling Jamboree. There were other smaller venues like these four that polished up the new young performers who would move up to one of these four on their journey to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Through the Mid-Day Merry Go Round there were three from Union County Tennessee who went on to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and became members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. They were Roy Acuff, Carl Smith, and Chet Atkins.

Copas was contacted by Larry Sunbrook who had put together a plan for a circus with Hillbilly Music Shows included as a side attraction with Copas as the main performer and him being the mc of the events. The only catch was that the circus would be located behind the Roxie Theatre in New York City. It was a complete circus named New York City Big Top Circus. The circus lasted for several months and then folded. Copas and his family moved back to Cincinnati in 1943 and he started performing on radio station WKRC. In 1944 Sydney Nathan opened a recording studio in Cincinnati and named it King Records. A close friend of Copas was entertainer Grandpa Jones who vouched to Syd Nathan for Copas. Grandpa Jones was King Records first recording artist. Copas recorded a session for King Records in 1944 and two of the four songs became hits.

“Filipino Baby” climbed quickly to number four on the Hillbilly Charts and sold over ½ million copies in 1945. The second song was “Tragic Romance” written by Grandpa Jones which became a regional hit. These two songs launched the careers of both Copas and Grandpa Jones and started King Records off as a Hillbilly Label. King Records in a few years became the sixth largest record label in America.

In the spring of 1945 Copas got a call from Pee Wee King and was offered a job as a replacement for Eddy Arnold who had quit as Pee Wee King’s lead singer. At the time Eddy Arnold’s career was taking off and he wanted to quit performing on the Grand Ole Opry with Pee Wee and his band, ‘The Golden West Cowboys.” Eddy made the right decision for himself and for the next eight years he set records in country music that still stands today. Cowboy Copas decided to take the job with Pee Wee. Copas’ job required him to sing and play rhythm guitar and help emcee Pee Wee’s shows both on the Grand Ole Opry and also the road shows.

This job with Pee Wee put Copas’ singing abilities across the nation as the Grand Ole Opry was broadcast every Saturday night over WSM 650 AM a clear channel radio station and to all military stations around the world. This put Copas before the largest audience in the world. Pee Wee’s father-in-law was J.L Franks, who was one of the biggest promoters of hillbilly singers, which allowed Pee Wee and his band to perform in the most affluent venues during the 1940’s. Cowboy Copas started recording more records and charted a great many in the top 10, top 20, and top 40 during the 1940’s and early 1950’s. In 1960 Copas joined the Starday Label and charted a number one B side fast tempo hit called “Alabam.” This song boosted his career and increased his earnings. Cowboy Copas was like so many country artist that grew up during the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s. They all came from a poor rural background, grew up on farms or came from small town America, mostly southern and listened to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights on battery powered radios. They cultivated a hunger to one day perform on the Grand Ole Opry. A few made it.

Copas left the stage at 6:29 CST March 5, 1963 near Camden, Tennessee when a Piper Commanche 250 crashed with four aboard.

Here is list of Cowboy Copas’ and Kathy Copas’ songs:
1. Candy Kisses – by Cowboy Copas
2. Tragic Romance – by Cowboy Copas
3. South Pacific Shore – by Cowboy Cop
4. Filipino Baby – by Cowboy Copas
5. Won’t You Ride In My Little Red Wagon – by Cowboy Copas
6. Tennessee Waltz – by Cowboy Copas
7. Boomerang – by Cowboy Copas
8. Those Gone and Left Me Blues – by Cowboy Copas
9. Signed, Sealed and Delivered -1961 Version - by Cowboy Copas
10. Copy Cat – Cowboy and Kathy Copas
11. I Love You My Darling – by Cowboy and Kathy Copas
12. The Stone Was Rolled Away – by Cowboy Copas

Enjoy these songs and see you next month.