Ron Yule is a Louisiana Champion fiddler and author of a number of books on early
fiddling, bluegrass, Cajun, and country music in Louisiana. He received his B.S. from the
University of Texas, his M.S. in microbiology from McNeese State University, and has
retired as a health inspector for the State of Louisiana. In 1973, Ron began producing
fiddle contests and promoting bluegrass shows throughout Louisiana and southeast
Texas and produced the first bluegrass/fiddle club and newsletter in the state of
Louisiana. Ron continues promoting several bluegrass shows each year, including the
Beauregard Parish Fair Fiddle Contest, an event that has been viable since 1925. Ron's
books can be obtained from Fiddle Country Publications at www.ronyule.com.
fiddling, bluegrass, Cajun, and country music in Louisiana. He received his B.S. from the
University of Texas, his M.S. in microbiology from McNeese State University, and has
retired as a health inspector for the State of Louisiana. In 1973, Ron began producing
fiddle contests and promoting bluegrass shows throughout Louisiana and southeast
Texas and produced the first bluegrass/fiddle club and newsletter in the state of
Louisiana. Ron continues promoting several bluegrass shows each year, including the
Beauregard Parish Fair Fiddle Contest, an event that has been viable since 1925. Ron's
books can be obtained from Fiddle Country Publications at www.ronyule.com.
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| Clyde and Cloydis: Early Bluegrass Musicians - By Ron Yule |
| Reprinted from When The Fiddle Was King: Early Country Music From The North And West Regions Of Louisiana |
Although the Baum brothers, Clyde and Cloydis, from
Clear Creek, near Pollock, are not the typical
multi-instrument stringband of the period, they were
significant for their contributions as pioneers in the yet
to be found American music form - Bluegrass. Arthur
Baum, a lumber grader at the Big Creek Sawmill had
played the guitar and sung around his home at house
parties, serenades, and front porch pickings. His
sons, Clyde and Cloydis, were encouraged by their
father to pursue music not only as a hobby, but to
possibly use their talent to make a living. Clyde
learned the guitar at the age of 13, dabbled with the
fiddle a little, and at 20 years of age began the
mandolin, his main instrument for the rest of his life.
Cloydis also played the guitar and the mandolin. Their
sister, Jewel, sang on many of the songs in the family
band. In a Red River Journal article, in 1978, Clyde
recalled those old days in the early 1930's:
- "I learned from my father," Baum noted. "His father and friends would serenade
- around the Pollock countryside. They'd walk for miles. Anywhere a pretty girl
- might be to serenade. Even in the middle of the night. People would hear their
- playing and get out of bed, even at three o'clock in the morning. Serve ‘em cake
- and coffee, bringing out their coal oil lamps. It was like Christmas carols, only
- they'd do it anytime of the year. Spring, summer, fall.”
Besides the influence of their father, external influences like the radio brought them new
songs and sounds. They especially liked the sound of The Delmore Brothers. Besides
learning songs like "Brown's Ferry Blues" from their father, they learned tunes and ballads like
"Barbara Allen" from the stringbands that played on The Grand Ole Opry and early radio. Huey
Tarpley, who would eventually play with Clyde's Happy Hillbillies in the late 1940's notes, "They
were doing Bill Monroe before there was a Bill Monroe." He also notes that Cloydis was a red
head and sang the high tenor in their duets.
George Jones, a Grant Parish fiddler, talked about playing at the Saenger Theatre, in
Alexandria, before the "picture show" on Saturday, and at the “Hillbilly Jamboree” at the
Paramount with Clyde and Cloydis when they were one of the acts used for pre-movie
entertainment. Sometimes the Jones Boys would join with the Baums and play for the
audience. Clyde and Cloydis played on KALB in 1937 and 1938. Huey notes that the Baums
were heralded among the local musicians for their great talent, both vocally and instrumentally.
In 1940, Cloydis contacted tuberculosis from his mother before her death. He had lost a
finger and, consequently, a lot of blood in a sawmill accident, which lowered his immunity, and
made him more susceptible to the disease. He was in and out of the sanitarium in New
Orleans for the time before his death. Carlene Baum Edwards recalls hearing stories that
Cloydis sang, up until the night before he died, in his beautiful high tenor voice. The boys
stayed together until Cloydis passed away in 1942.
Clyde Baum pursued music as a living after World War II, playing and recording with Hank
Williams, Bill Nettles, Johnny and Jack, Kitty Wells, Tommy Trent and the Dixie Mountaineers,
The Bailes Brothers, Jimmie Davis, Charlie Monroe, Jimmy Dickens, The Sullivan Family, and
many others. He formed several bands, Clyde Baum and his Happy Hillbillies, Blue Mountain
Boys, and The Bayou Boys, appearing on radio and television as well as the Louisiana
Hayride. He also started one of the first bluegrass festivals in Louisiana, the Shady Dell
Bluegrass Festival, in Pollock. He never got very far from his stringband roots of the 1930's.
INTERVIEWS
Greg Edwards (7-6-2004)
Huey Tarpley (10-10-2003)
Carlene Baum (8-10-2004)
Gary Baum (8-12-2004)
REFERENCES
Alexandria Town Talk. KALB Program. October 8, 1937; November 12, 1937.
Morgan, Robert. “Clyde Baum - Louisiana's Pioneer Bluegrass Man”. Alexandria Town
- Talk, December 7, 1979.
Prime, John Andrew. “He Picked Bluegrass Tunes with Hank”. The Times, July 10, 1980.
Vanderslice, Ann G. “Bluegrass-An Outgrowth of Mountain Music”. Red River Journal,
- September, 1978.
| Clyde Baum |
| Sabine Bluegrass |