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WGFC founders Dale and Marie Gallimore with fellow musicians at the Firemen's Frolic.
WGFC founders Dale (guitar) and Marie (electric bass) Gallimore performing with Irene Harris (guitar), Janet Turner (autoharp), Anna Hale (accordion), and Rick Wimmer (guitar) at a Firemen’s Frolic dance benefiting the Floyd Fire Department.
Images (click to enlarge)
  • Marie Gallimore at her radio station WGFC.
    Marie Gallimore holding her electric bass at WGFC. Her family, including sons Tony and Gerald, started the radio station. Photos of Dale and Marie are courtesy of Gerald Gallimore.
  • Farmer Dale at WPUV circa 1958.
    Dale Gallimore was a radio personality decades before starting WGFC. In this circa 1958 photo, he is "Farmer Dale" working at station WPUV in Pulaski, Virginia.
  • Four original members of the Over the Hill Gang with Janet Turner.
    Wilbur Weddle, Stanley Lorton, R.O. Slusher, Ralph Spradling with Janet Turner playing music at the Spradling home.
  • Members of the Over the Hill Gang band ready for a road trip.
    Members of the band preparing to travel to a program. Max Wade (pictured at left), Arnold Slusher, and Evelyn Slusher became part of the band after this WGFC session.
Media
Cultural Objects, Music

Radio Station WGFC’s Pine Creek Jamboree

People
Associated Person: Dale Gallimore
Performer: Rev. Ralph Spradling
Performer: Wilbur Weddle
Performer: Stanley Lorton
Performer: R.O. Slusher, Jr.
Associated Person: Evelyn Slusher
Date
1985
Places
Floyd (Courthouse District)
Material/Medium

Cassette Tape

Specifications
  • Peacock Rag
  • I Wonder How the Old Folks Are At Home
  • Ragtime Annie
  • Road to Columbus
  • The Schottische Waltz
  • Faded Love
  • Florida Blues
  • Down Yonder
  • Wreck of the Old ’97
  • Peacock Rag
Description

Evelyn Slusher taped this half-hour program on a cassette recorder when it was broadcast on WGFC Radio in the 1980s. Dale Gallimore is the Master of Ceremonies.  The musicians performing live at the radio station continued playing together and eventually settled on “The Over the Hill Gang” as their band name.  The Rev. Ralph Spradling is playing fiddle, R.O. Slusher, Jr., is playing banjo and doing vocals, Wilbur Weddle is playing guitar, and Stanley Lorton is playing mandolin. For this program they perform a mix of dance songs and popular tunes from the 1930s including a schottische and “The Wreck of the Old ’97.”

Keywords
Radio WGFC, Over the Hill Gang, Firemen's Frolic, Friday Nite Jamboree
Notes

Dale and Marie Gallimore launched WGFC Radio in 1985 after working in broadcasting for many years. Pine Creek flows behind the radio station which led to their Saturday morning broadcast being called the Pine Creek Jamboree. Local musicians taped shows at the station; Dale also recorded shows at the Firemen’s Frolic, Friday Nite Jamboree,  and other local venues for broadcasting on the air. The Gallimores were key promoters of local musicians and deserve credit for helping build Floyd’s reputation for gospel, old time, and bluegrass music.

The ballad “I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home?” was copyrighted in 1909 and became popular throughout the region after the Carter Family recorded it in 1930. Listen to R.O. Slusher, Jr., singing his version on this clip from a live WGFC broadcast at left. Digital recording courtesy of George S. Slusher; photo courtesy of the Slusher family.