Ask "Mr. Music"
Jerry Osborne


FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 16, 1998

DEAR JERRY: Read with interest your column regarding where Jed Clampett and family lived before moving to California as the Beverly Hillbillies.

I remember one episode where the Clampetts visit their former community, which I recall being in the Ozarks. Whether the Clampetts hailed from the Missouri or Arkansas side of the Ozarks was not said.

I am pulling this from memory and cannot validate it with a particular episode title, but I believe it is accurate. It will be interesting to see if your other readers agree.
--Fred J. England, Evansville, Ind.

DEAR FRED: At least one other reader agrees — a fellow Evansvillian:


DEAR JERRY: It has always been my understanding that the Beverly Hillbillies were from the Ozark Mountains.

There were many references to the Ozarks, and one show was even set in a place called "Silver Dollar City."

Just outside Branson, Missouri is a Silver Dollar City Amusement Park, complete with pioneer and mountain style craftsmen making blown glass, candy, etc., along with rides and such., Of course on the show, Silver Dollar City was supposed to be a backwoods town, ala Petticoat Junction or Green Acres - not an amusement park.

Additionally, at the Ozark Mountains History Museum at the College of the Ozarks, there is the truck, or a replica of it, used on the show as the family vehicle. I think it might be the actual truck.
--Lisa Sloat, Evansville, Ind.


DEAR JERRY: Did Ricky Nelson's first record, "I'm Walking," a cover of Fats Domino's hit, have an instrumental by Jimmy Haskell on the flip?

I know that sounds highly unlikely, but for some reason this sticks in my mind. Maybe I'm dreaming. If so, what is the B-side? Is this record of any value?
-- Cheryl Callahan, via e-mail

DEAR CHERYL: Your memory is on the right track, you've just jumbled the facts.

The top side of Ricky's first record is "A Teenager's Romance" (Verve 10047), with "I'm Walking" as its flip, though both did make the Top 5.

Nelson's second single, "You're My One and Only Love" (Verve 10070) is the one with an instrumental flip, "Honey Rock," by Barney Kessel.

As for Jimmy Haskell, isn't he an actor who occasionally turned up as one of Ricky's pals on "The Ozzie & Harriet Show"?

Either of these 1957 singles are in the $30 to $40 range.


DEAR JERRY: You've probably heard about the 777,777 First Edition copies of Garth Brooks's new album "Seven". I subscribe to Garth's mailing list and lot of people write that they're buying a First Edition copy and keeping it sealed "to protect its value." Well, I'm playing mine.

What are the chances that they will ever be valuable as collectibles, considering that 777,777 were made? How much would keeping them sealed affect their value?
--John Staten, Owensville, Ind.

DEAR JOHN: You don't give your age, but regardless, you may not live long enough to see this "collectible" become valuable. I'm fairly certain I won't.

Play it … enjoy it … just handle it with care.

IZ ZAT SO? Inexplicably, having a No. 1 came easy for some artists and not so easy for others.

Ricky Nelson, for example, is the second most popular rock and roll solo artist of the '50s (after Elvis). Yet, of his first 25 hits, only "Poor Little Fool" hit No. 1.



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