Best known for their song satires, dry comic delivery, and instrumental virtuosity, Homer & Jethro became one of the most successful comedy acts in country music history.

 

Guitarist Henry “Junior” Haynes and mandolinist Kenneth “Dude” Burns joined forces in 1936, when radio impresario Lowell Blanchard pulled the youngsters from two separate bands auditioning for his Mid-Day Merry-Go- Round on WNOX-Knoxville. Junior & Dude satirized the deadly serious close-harmony duets of the era by wailing hillbilly versions of sophisticated pop standards. When Blanchard forgot their nicknames during a 1936 broadcast, he introduced the team as Homer & Jethro, and the amused teenagers quickly adopted the 
names. 

 

Veteran producer Steve Sholes signed the team to RCA Victor in spring 1949. Recognizing the limited potential of their act, Sholes encouraged them to  write song parodies. Their first two attempts — “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and “Tennessee Border No. 2” — became best-sellers. In fact, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" became the largest selling country comedy song for 25 years until "The Streak" by Ray Stevens was released in 1974. 

 

The team went on to win a Grammy award for Best Comedy Performance at the second annual Grammy awards. In the 1960's they were hired as commercial personalities for Kellogg's Corn Flakes; their "Ooh! That's corny!" television spots gave them exposure beyond country music audiences. Over time, Homer and Jethro's act became more sophisticated, giving them access to mainstream audiences on network television and in Las Vegas. 

 

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- Adapted from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Encyclopedia of Country Music, published by Oxford University Press.

 

- Adapted from Wikipedia

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