The Briarhopper Connection

In the story I wrote about the loving attention given to my Mom during her years at the Wilora Lakes retirement home, I failed to mention that Yvonne Grant was the daughter of "Whitey"....of the famous "Whitey and Hogan" Briarhopper duo.

Whitey still resides at the Wilora Lakes home and I believe he is the last surviving member of the Briarhopper band that we grew up listening to.


Tom Warlick, webmaster, musician and  co-author with his wife Lucy, of a great book about the group,  reminded me that the famous band is STILL performing: Tom's book is titled,
The WBT Briarhoppers - Eight Decades of a Bluegrass Band Made For Radio."

"Celebrating 76 years of continuous entertainment, The WBT Briarhoppers still start every show with, "Y'all know what 'hit is? 'Hit's Briarhopper Time!" Then, Dwight Moody, Tom Warlick, Alana Flowers, and Trent Moody sing the theme song, "Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie."


The Rev. Dwight Moody was playing fiddle with Homer Briarhopper Drye in the early 1940s. Dwight is a Grammy-nominated musician who travels the world playing his fiddle and working with Rotary International to eradicate polio worldwide. Tom Warlick plays upright bass who also plays banjo in the style of Shannon Grayson and sometimes plays in the old mountain style on stage. Alana Flowers is an award-winning banjo player and a member of the Flowers Family Band who recently graduated from Belmont Abbey College. Lead singer and guitarist Trent Moody is a Grammy-nominated artist and an International Music Award winner.


The current stage show includes "advertisements" for Peruna, Kolor-Bak, Zymole Trokeys, and Radio Girl Perfume and these are straight from the original sheets that Charles Crutchfield read on WBT in the 1930s and 1940s.   -Tom"

Check out their website at www.wbtbriarhoppers.blogspot.com where you can also order the Warlick's outstanding book      -Ed