From North Carolina, Tommy ‘Butterball’ Paige started his career playing bass guitar in the U.S. Coast Guard Band performing USO shows. After his discharge in 1943 he had stints as guitarist with Ernest Tubb, and Eddy Arnold.
Paige also worked in radio for many stations including KBOA in Missouri in the 1940s. He was “staff hillbilly DJ” on WASL in Annapolis for five hours a day, and made nightly appearances at clubs in Baltimore and over WMAR-TV.
In the 1950s-’60s Paige was a WFBR radio personality and host of the “Hillbilly Extravaganza” at the Harum Hayloft Club on Baltimore and Howard Streets in 1952. He was seen on Friday and Saturday nights at the Satyr House, and in the mid-’50s performed at Nappy’s Show Bar.
