Monday, March 4, 2013

Preston Ward on Echo


Preston Ward
With The Echo Valley Boys

(P. Ward – J. King)
(P. Ward – W. Douglas)

    Echo 284-1
(284= Rite custom account number)


  Billboard May 25, 1960


 The cast of the Barnyard Frolic, WKRC-TV, Cincinnati (early fifties)
From the book by Jim Friedman "Cincinnati Television (OH)"

Preston Ward was born near Knoxville, moved to Cincinnati when in his teens.  He was discovered by King Records of Cincinnati where he recorded a session in April 1947.    In the early fifties, he was a member of the Echo Valley Boys on the Barnyard Frolic cast over WKRC-TV  in Cincinnati.    Preston worked on several stations around Cincinnati and for a while joined KICA, Clovis, New Mexico.  In the late fifties, he was a regular performer on Lake Ranch, Verona, KY.
 
After a few recordings issued in 1952 by the Maestro and Hit Parade labels, both owned by Lester M. Cox out of Indianapolis,  there was a long string of recordings for Carl Burkhardt's budget labels : Kentucky, Gateway Top Tune, Big 4 Hits and, as Ward Preston, on Big Buy and Coast To Coast. 

Preston Ward was the great-uncle of racing driver Bob Sweikert,  Indy winner and American champion of 1955 who died in a crash at the Salem Raceway.
 
 




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