Country recording artist. Accordionist Tex Daniels (Daniel Franckewitz) attended Yeager’s Music School. The group formed in 1948 with guitarist Paul Seipp (see Rhythmaires), who left to join the service in 1950. A 1950 lineup of Daniels and his Lazy H Ranch group featured ‘Little Sue’ Acres (bass fiddle), Dottie Lee Penninger (rhythm guitar), Rick Penninger (guitarist from Utah), and Bob ‘Luke’ Jones (known as ‘Knucklehead’ as the group’s comedian and upright bassist). They performed at local carnivals and fairs during the summer months, and schools, churches, square dances, and civic clubs during the winters. They were a house band at the Corral Night Club on Baltimore and Frederick Streets, while also playing the Hillbilly Night Club on Hanover Street, and Porter’s Blue Gables in Middle River.
In addition to their live appearance schedule, Tex hosted a daily one-hour DJ program in the early ‘50s at noon on WSID. He and his group also appeared on Wednesday nights as Western Musicowboys for a half-hour program on WAAM TV-13, and in 1954-55 the show was televised on weekdays at noon. The group did weekly live radio broadcasts on WBMD from Johnny’s Used Cars on Belair Road, and King Ford in Essex.
After the TV show ended the group was known as Fran Daniels & Her Escorts. Fran (Tex’s wife) was vocalist, with a lineup of Tex (guitar, vocals), Eddie Gittings (guitar, vocals), Joe Pasko (steel guitar, vocals), Jones (bass), and Jimmy Olsen (drums). They traveled to military bases and USO tours in U.S. and abroad.
Over the years the Tex Daniels group also featured Gordon Flynn (pedal steel), Paul Seipp (guitar), Frank ‘Stoney’ Stone (steel guitar), Ronnie King (drums)…
Flynn went on to play with Little Jimmy Dickens appearing on the 1952 singles “Hot Diggity Dog” b/w “Lola Lee” (Columbia 20930), and “Waitress, Waitress” b/w “They Don’t Know Nothing at All” (Columbia 20976). Seipp, along with the Penninger’s, and ‘Stoney’ later formed the Rhythmaires.
‘Stoney’ was formerly a member of Texas Jim Turfle’s Stump Jumpers, a western swing band based in Westminster that toured nationally. After joining Tex Daniels band, Stone moved his family to Baltimore. His son Frank followed in the musical family tradition playing keyboards in the ‘60s rock band King Solomon’s Minds. King and Jones were later with Mel Price band.
Record releases by Tex Daniels & His Gang include:
19** Mimosa 101 Bumbelty Jag / Church Bells Chimed
19** Dixie 1001 The Old Runaround / You’re Everybody Else’s Sweetheart
19** Dixie 1006 It Can’t Rain Anymore / Nowhere Else to Go
1950 Dixie 1010 Deep in My Heart / Dream of Lucky
195* Dixie 1150 When I Put the Ring on Her Finger / I’m Pretending It’s Only a Dream
195* Blue Hen 206 Give Your Heart A Chance / Always in Love
195* Blue Hen 211 It’s Raining Roses
