Why Is The Louisiana Hayride Popular

The Louisiana Hayride was a country music radio show airing from Shreveport, Louisiana, during the post-World War II years. It was number two to the Grand Ole Opry during its era of broadcasts. Its style was different than that of the Opry’s, which allowed growth in the country and western music genre. Louisiana Hayride assisted rising American country music stars gain popularity early in their careers. The risings of Hank Williams and Elvis Presley are important pieces in the history of the Louisiana Hayride, which reflect on how rock and roll grew in that time. The Louisiana Hayride broadcast premiered on April 3, 1948, and continued to air until its final consistent show on August 27, 1960. Based in Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium, the

Listeners began to want more of Elvis and rock and roll music. The Hayride, being a country music show, started to lose a listening audience due to this and a decrease in popularity. The newer, younger listeners looking for rock and roll began to drive away the older listeners who wanted the country and western music. Once rock and roll began to appear elsewhere, and after Elvis left the Hayride, the once ever popular country music venue started to decline in popularity. Rock and roll was dominating the music business into the late 1950s and pushed aside the Louisiana Hayride. The Louisiana Hayride had its last regular broadcast on August 27, 1960 (“Louisiana”) as rock and roll continued to dominate. This was not long before the death of the Hayride’s last major artist, Johnny Horton

Broadcasting at 50,000 watts, listeners would tune in every Saturday night to listen to Horace Logan’s live program of “hillbilly music.” Known as the “Cradle of the Stars,” the Hayride gave rise to many rising country music stars. Hank Williams was exposed to real fame for the first time by means of the Hayride, which brought it to greater renowned fame. Elvis Presley brought an abundance of new listeners to the Hayride, but in turn, drove away many and took away even more. These two artists had parts in bringing the Louisiana Hayride to not only the peak of its fame, but also to its demise. The successes in the history the Louisiana Hayride brought not only the “King of Country Music” and the “King of Rock and Roll” but also multiple other country artists to listeners all around America, as well as spreading the developing rock and roll to countless listeners across