ROY SHAFFER
Roy Shaffer was a Mississippi-born singer and guitarist who performed on radio as "The Lone Star Cowboy." Active throughout the South and Midwest during the 1930s, he built a successful broadcasting career before making two recording sessions, first for Decca in New Orleans and later for Bluebird in Chicago. His relaxed singing and dependable guitar accompaniment drew equally from cowboy songs, blues, gospel, and sentimental ballads, reflecting the broad repertoire expected of radio entertainers of the period.
COUPON SONG
Recorded June 26, 1939 — Chicago, Illinois
Matrix: BS-040045-1 - Bluebird B-8213
"Coupon Song" is an engaging waltz built around a simple commercial novelty theme. Beneath its light-hearted lyric, Shaffer delivers a steady 3/4 guitar accompaniment with alternating bass and clean chord changes that keep the rhythm moving naturally. Like many of his recordings, the performance relies on solid timing and an unpretentious delivery rather than instrumental display.
MOTHER DEAR OLD MOTHER
Recorded March 19, 1936 — New Orleans, Louisiana
Matrix: NO-60827 - Decca 5228
“Mother, Dear Old Mother” belongs to the long tradition of sentimental mother songs that remained an important part of early country repertoire. Recorded at Roy Shaffer’s first session, it is one of only four titles he cut for Decca in 1936 before disappearing from the recording studio until 1939.
ROCKIN' ALONE IN AN OLD ROCKING CHAIR
Recorded June 26, 1939 — Chicago, Illinois
Matrix: 040048-1 — Bluebird B-8267
“Rockin’ Alone in an Old Rocking Chair” is a sentimental song by Bob Miller about an elderly mother neglected by her family. Already part of the country repertoire by the mid-1930s, Roy Shaffer recorded his version in Chicago in 1939.
