KENNETH HOUCHINS

Kenneth Houchins (1912–1990), billed as "The Yodeling Drifter," was an Illinois-born singer and guitarist whose career spanned more than two decades. Beginning in radio in 1930, he appeared on numerous Midwestern stations before recording more than forty masters at the Gennett studios in Richmond, Indiana. Although strongly influenced by Jimmie Rodgers and Gene Autry, Houchins developed a polished solo style that combined country blues, yodeling, and traditional hillbilly music. He later performed with the Prairie Ramblers, appeared regularly on the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic, and continued his broadcasting career into the early years of television.