‘Peepin’ was a stroke of luck for Wooley
This week in 1948: The U.S. Treasury claimed the U.K. had exhausted a $3.75 billion loan; U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious instruction in public schools is unconstitutional; 200,000 U.S. miners went on strike for better pensions; and a singer/ songwriter from Stockton, California, had his second hit record.
According to Sheb Wooley, a tune he wrote titled “Peekin’ Thru the Keyhole — Watchin’ Jole Blon” was one of the first songs he recorded and also one of his first songs to be recorded by another artist.
Sheb said, “I had recorded some songs in Dallas, Texas, and they were released on the Bluebonnet Records. And a song titled “Peepin’ Through the Keyhole — Watchin’ Jole Blon” was one of the songs. Then I went to Nashville and while I was there I called Steve Sholes at RCA Victor. He told me that his office was closed that day but when I told him that I had traveled all the way from Fort Worth, Texas, to see him, he told me to come on over. So I played him some songs and he said he wanted “Peepin’ Through the Keyhole” for an artist in California.”
“In the meantime, Cliffie
Stone had found my copy of that song in a record shop and took it back to California and recorded it. He sold 400,000 copies and this was in 1948.”
Cliffie Stone’s Capitol American single “Peepin’ Through the Keyhole — Watchin’ Jole Blon” came on the country charts March 6, 1948 and peaked at No. 4.
Cliffie Stone was a popular Los Angeles radio and TV personality and hosted “Hollywood Barn Dance,” “Lucky Stars,” and “Dinner Bell Roundup” which later became known as “Hometown Jamboree.” Stone was also an A&R executive for Capitol Records.
He placed four songs on the country music charts between 1947 and 1966.
Stone was inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1989. He died in 1998.
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