"Hoagart Smith was born in 1924 in Plainsville, New York in 1923 and spent his early life going from town to town in a travelling vaudeville and medicine show his parents ran until 1938. His father, Haggio Smith was a contortionist and trombone player and his mother played the accordion whilst juggling small animals, mostly rats or any small rodents they could lay their hands on. This was the height of the depression and sometimes they had to make do with dead rats and sometimes even cockroaches. Hoagart grew up in this atmostphere of freewheeling lunacy and this he shaped into an act of his own by the time he was 9. Having taught himself to yodel and play the tuba he was billed as the Infant Prodigy - Hoagart.
When he was 23 he dropped the Infant Prodigy and became just Hoagart. He made several obscure and rare recordings for the defunct Prattle label in the 50's and these rare acetates came to light just recently in the basement of a dried fish stall being demolished in Brooklyn."
Hoagart - Oh Suzanna
Hoagart - Accordion Tune
These You Send It files are available for seven days or until flummoxed.
What's the date on this post?
ReplyDeleteUhm, yes ... uhm I have to admit you got me puzzled here, Michael
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't recorded in the 50-ies that's for sure ;)
You are all too smart for me - I can see that! I will have to try harder next year. Actually Hoagart was a real person but I made up the fake history ( doh!) . He was a correspondant in the 80's who lived in New York and sent the occasional tape - some accordion songs and standards sung in a kind of Tom Lehrer stylee interspersed with jokes and recipes. I've not heard from him in years and wonder what he's up too now?
ReplyDeletelooks like an (effin') beaver.
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a morphed Errol Flyn.
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ReplyDeleteActually it's Clark Gable.
ReplyDelete