Whitey Grant, Country Music Pioneer, Passes Away At 94

Whitey Grant, Country Music Pioneer,
Passes Away At 94

Saturday, September 18, 2010





Whitey Grant, half of the longest running duo in country music, Whitey and Hogan, has passed away
at the age of 94.

Whitey and Hogan grew up in Rutherfordton and in Andrews, North Carolina respectively. They met
for the first time in 1935 when they were both employed at the Firestone Cotton Mill in Gastonia,
North Carolina. They began performing together as a duo, Whitey played the guitar and Hogan
played the mandolin. Soon they were touring all over North and South Carolina and Georgia. Their
debut on the radio took place at WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They called themselves the
Spindle City Boys. Sponsored by the Efird's Department Store, Whitey and Hogan received a radio
spot at WGNC radio in Gastonia in 1939. They also appeared on the Rustin Radio Show in Gastonia,
the show was sponsored by Rustin Furniture. In 1939, they recorded sixteen sides at their first
session for Decca Records, before moving to the Sonora and Deluxe labels.

They joined the WBT Briarhoppers in 1941 performing at radio station WBT in Charlotte. When
Whitey and Hogan was asked to join the Grand Ole Opry they declined since the Opry required them
to work on Saturdays and they didn't want to stay away from their families. Whitey and Hogan
existed as a duo between 1935 and 2001.



Source : HERE

Whitey and Hogan (Roy "Whitey" Grant born April 7, 1916 in Shelby, North Carolina - died September
17, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina and Arval Hogan born July 24, 1911 in Robbinsville, North Carolina
- died September 12, 2003 in Charlotte) were an American country music duo active for sixty-six years.

Whitey and Hogan grew up in Rutherfordton and in Andrews, North Carolina respectively. They met
for the first time in 1935 when they were both employed at the Firestone Cotton Mill in Gastonia,
North Carolina. They began performing together as a duo, Whitey played the guitar and Hogan
played the mandolin. Soon they were touring all over North and South Carolina and Georgia. Their
debut on the radio took place at WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They called themselves the
Spindle City Boys. Sponsored by the Efird's Department Store, Whitey and Hogan received a radio
spot at WGNC radio in Gastonia in 1939. They also appeared on the Rustin Radio Show in Gastonia,
the show was sponsored by Rustin Furniture.[6] In 1939, they recorded sixteen sides at their first
session for Decca Records, before moving to the Sonora and Deluxe labels.

They joined the WBT Briarhoppers in 1941 performing at radio station WBT in Charlotte. When
Whitey and Hogan was asked to join the Grand Ole Opry they declined since the Opry required them
to work on Saturdays and they didn't want to stay away from their families. Whitey and Hogan
existed as a duo between 1935 and 2001. In 2003, Whitey and Hogan as the only surviving former
members of the Briarhoppers, along with Don White, received the North Carolina Arts Council Folk
Heritage Award.


Source : HERE