The WBT Briarhoppers - 2008

The WBT Briarhoppers - 2008
Tom Warlick, Dwight Moody, Roy "Whitey" Grant, David Deese

One of Charlotte's First Teen Idols


In 1936, an open audition at WBT yielded one of the first teen idols in the Metrolina area. Little Homer Drye became Homer A. Briarhopper on stage and was one of the most popular Briarhopper members ever. In 1940/1941, Homer left WBT to go to WPTF in Raleigh where he founded Homer A. Briarhoppers' Dixie Dudes. Homer remained in the Raleigh area and grew to be a famous entertainer in the Triad, befriending Elvis Presley, Eddy Arnold, among others. In 1954, Homer was named "Mr. Disc Jockey USA." He also opened several popular music clubs near Raleigh. Fiddlin' Dwight Moody worked with Homer many times on Homer's radio and TV shows. Homer refused three offers to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Homer died in 1983. Continuing the spirit, Homer's nephew, Larry Mangum, is a popular songwriter and musician based in the Jacksonville, FL, region. Homer's son, Tim, is retired from the Raleigh area police force.

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About The Legendary Band

The Band
Roy "Whitey" Grant has been with the band since 1941 when he joined with duet partner Arval Hogan. Whitey is in his seventh decade as a Briarhopper! David Deese,formerly with Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, has been with the band since 1991. Dwight Moody joined in 1993 and travels the world playing the fiddle and working with Rotary Internation to irradicate polio. Dave Moody is a member of the Grammy-nominated Moody Brothers, and a multiple Dove Award winner. Tom Warlick joined the band in 2007, and plays bass. Billie Burton Daniel, who was a BHopper from 1936-1941, Eleanor Bryan Fields (1940-1941), and Martin Schopp (1939-1943, are all healthy, happy, and full of stories!
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When the BHoppers Went National

When the BHoppers Went National
In 1945, WBT and CBS got together and created "Carolina Hayride" (soon to be changed to "Carolina Calling). The BHoppers, Arthur Smith, the Johnson Family, and other WBT stars performed at WBT and these performances were recorded on transcription disks. These disks were shipped to CBS and, on Saturdays, the recording was beamed throughout the nation and to the WWII soldiers in the European Theater. This image comes from a WBT advertisement sent to businesses; WBT wanted their advertisement dollars! In the picture, you can see the BHoppers, Arthur Smith, and the Johnson Family.

Who was Dad Briarhopper

Who was Dad Briarhopper
When Charles Crutchfield needed a stringband to satisfy Drug Trade Products, he yelled for Johnny McAllister to form a band. McAllister, who played "Dad Briarhopper," came from CBS-New York (then the owners of WBT) to come down and assist the station. According to Billie Burton Daniels, he was a talented musician who could play any instrument. According to Newell Hathcock, Dad came from a rich family in NY. Many times, Dad Briarhopper would "butt heads" with Crutchfield about how the Briarhopper's radio show should go. In 1940, McAllister and Homer Drye left WBT to go to WPTF in Raleigh. Once in Raleigh, McAllister was notified of his father's death in NY; McAllister hopped a train to NY and basically evaporated from site. Apparently, Drye and his wife would visit McAllister many times in NY until Drye's death. There is no written evidence of what McAllister did after he left Raleigh. A few years ago, we found a John McAllister, age 107, still living near New York City. This person never responded to letters sent to the address we found. If anybody knows about McAllister after his Briarhopper years, please email Tom Briarhopper at tomwarlick@hotmail.com.

WBT Briarhoppers in Carolinas Country/Bluegrass/Gospel Hall of Fame

WBT Briarhoppers in Carolinas Country/Bluegrass/Gospel Hall of Fame
On Dec 27, 2007, Bob Wyatt of the Mineral Springs Music Barn presented Dwight Moody with the Carolinas Country/Bluegrass/Gospel Hall of Fame's Legends Award. Whitey Grant was also a recipient. Arval Hogan and Hank Warren were named posthumously as winners of the Heritage Award.

The WBT Briarhoppers at Stumptown!

The WBT Briarhoppers at Stumptown!
During November 07, the BHoppers played at the 3rd Annual Bluegrass Festival and Chili Cookoff at Stumptown Park near Matthews, NC. The BHoppers shared the stage with George Hamilton IV, the Jones Brothers, and the Clover Feed and Seed Bluegrass Band. Here are Dwight and Tom on stage in pretty frigid weather.

Doug Mayes - Stealthy Briarhopper

Doug Mayes - Stealthy Briarhopper
Doug Mayes, who is as comfortable on the Grand Ole Opry stage as he is behind the microphone, played bass many times with the BHoppers.

Lucy and Tom Warlick's daughter, Erin Mohr, greets Fiddlin' Dwight on his recent visit to Paris

Lucy and Tom Warlick\
Dwight performed in Paris in November with his son and grandchildren. Erin, who lives in Paris, was there to see the festivities. Dwight said, "Erin is mighty purdy!" Yes she is.

Still Remembered

Still Remembered
Even though Shannon passed away 15 years ago, his name has been showing up in Bluegrass Unlimited. Numerous letters to the editor had Shannon as the subject. Over the past 6 months, Shannon was mentioned in at least three of the magazines. BU's Walt Saunders (who is a respected bgrass historian) emailed me to say what a fine musician Shannon was and it is such a shame that he did not receive the accolades that he deserved as a banjo pioneer. Hopefully, through the book and through our stories, his importance to bluegrass and stringband music will continue to be known.

Dave Moody and "Praise Band - The Movie"

Go to http://www.praisebandmovie.com/ and see what Dave Moody has been up to. Not content with Grammy nominations and Dove Awards, Dave is getting in the movie business in a big way. Starring George Hamilton IV and a host of talented actors/musicians, the movie shows how music and God interact. Give yourself a treat and go to the website to get the movie trailer, up-to-date news, special screenings, etc.



Homer A. Briarhopper's Family

Homer A. Briarhopper\
To the left is Larry Mangum (Homer's nephew and successful musician), and to the right is Tim Drye, Homer's son and recently-retired Raleigh police officer. They came to the Briarhopper's induction into the WBT Hall of Fame. To see what Larry is doing musically, go to www.larrymangum.com .

David Deese Featured in the Dec 2007 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited

The WBT Briarhoppers' great banjoist, David Deese, was featured in the December 2007 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited. Written by Pat Ahrens and titled, "David Deese: From Bluegrass Boys to Briarhopper," the article gives the reader the reason why David is one of the top 5-string banjo players in the world. Way to go, David! You can order a copy of the magazine by going to http://www.bluegrassmusic.com/index.php?issue=189790&page=issues&em193=189670_0__0_~0_-1


NC House Bill Honoring the WBT Briarhoppers!

Click on this link to the NC Legislature website to read the bill honoring the legendary WBT Briarhoppers.

http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2007/Bills/House/HTML/H2058v2.html

October 20, 2007 - The WBT Briarhoppers and The Thrifts at the Mineral Springs Music Barn

October 20, 2007 - The WBT Briarhoppers and The Thrifts at the Mineral Springs Music Barn
Left To Right: Eve Thrift, Trent Moody, Dwight Moody, Phil Thrift, Tom Warlick, somebody unknown behind Warlick, and Pete "Mr. Dobro" McCranie!

Purchasing WBT Briarhopper Products!

To purchase WBT Briarhopper CDs, go to the Lamon Records website's Bluegrass category at http://www.lamonrecords.com/products.php?cat=12

To purchase Dwight Moody's autobiography, The Life of Dwight L. Moody, Jr. - Autobiography of a North Carolina Fiddler, email Dwight at dwight@lamonrecords.com.

To purchase The WBT Briarhoppers: Eight Decades of a Bluegrass Band Made for Radio, go to the McFarland and Company's website at
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3144-1.

To purchase T-shirts printed with the logos of Crazy Water Crystals, Peruna, Kolor-Bak, or Zymole Trokeys, email your request to tomwarlick@hotmail.com. T-shirts are $12.50.

Be the first person on your block to wear these quality, screenprinted T-shirts!

Be the first person on your block to wear these quality, screenprinted T-shirts!
Top to Bottom: Kolor-Bak; Pe-Ru-Na; Zymole Trokeys (really rare); Crazy Water Crystals! Email Tom Briarhopper at tomwarlick@hotmail.com for purchase details!

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