Remembering Ralph Shannon
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Ralph Shannon regularly performed on the
‘Saturday Night
Jamboree,’ the popular country music show that aired
on WSAZ-TV in the 1950s and ‘60s.
File Photo | The Herald-Dispatch
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Known as the “Wayne County Whippoorwill,” Ralph Shannon
regularly performed on the “Saturday Night Jamboree,” the
popular country music show that aired on WSAZ-TV
from the early 1950s through the 1960s.
Born and raised in Huntington, the son of Cleo and William Lacy
Shannon, the young singer served aboard a Navy cruiser, the
USS Brooklynn, during World War II. His musical career
began when he was 9 years old and saw him play for
audiences large and small all over the Huntington
area. He also was active in Republican politics
and even made an unsuccessful
run for Congress.
Shannon moved to Sarasota, Florida, in 1975 and continued
entertaining, playing throughout the Sunshine State. He
also owned and operated a combination night club
and restaurant he named Shannon’s Way.
Sarasota is the cultural part of Florida,” he said in a
2002
newspaper interview. “People here love ballet and opera,
but I broke them in and they love country now.
They have country albums but don’t want
their neighbors to know it.”
Shannon also said he had fond memories
of Huntington and his days on the
“Saturday Night Jamboree.”
“We had a long run,” he said. “Ashland Oil was a great
sponsor.
We only lost one week in the TV ratings, and that was the
week when ‘Bonanza’ broadcast its first episode.
But we got the top spot back the next week.”
Ralph Shannon died in Sarasota in 2021.
He was 95 years old.
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Note: This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on July 16, 2024.
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