Air Week: June 17-23, 2024

This week, the “Juke” is jumpin’ with the honey jumper himself, Oscar McLollie. Born Oscar Lollie, this Louisiana boy went from serving in the military during World War II to servin’ up jump blues in Los Angeles Clubs. Mercury Records hired him as one of their West Coast A&R scouts in the early ’50s and he made his first single for the label. Record mogul Leon Rene and his son, Googie Rene wrote tunes for the newly christened McLollie and they scored a regional smash with “The Honey Jump.” That record sold well enough for them to see dollar signs and they sold McLollie’s contract to the Bihari Brothers at Modern Records, who quickly re-recorded “The Honey Jump” and had an even bigger hit with it. McLollie and the Renes continued to collaborate and several other regional hits followed with “All The Oil In Texas,” “Lolly Pop,” “Hey Lolly Lolly” and his biggest solo hit, “Convicted.” By 1958, McLollie was back on the Rene’s Class Label, scoring his only national hit record, “Hey Girl – Hey Boy,” a duet with Jeanette Baker. Though he never saw mainstream success, McLollie recorded some great early Rock n’ Roll and Matt The Cat is filling the ol’ Rockola Jukebox with his jumpin’ tunes on this week’s “Juke In The Back.” 

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