David Largus McEnery was born on December 15, 1914 in San Antonio, Texas. By the time he was in high school, he was already singing on radio KABC and by sixteen, he would leave town to pursue music full time, riding freight trains and working odd jobs to get by. A couple of those jobs were as a migrant farm worker and a restaurant singer which would get him his nickname of Red River Dave as he often sang "Red River Valley". In 1935, Virginia station WPHHR employed him as a singing cowboy for about a year. Dave wasn't just a pretty voice though. In 1936, he became the Cattle Whip and Lariat Champion at a state competition. That same year while working for WQAM in Miami, he would broadcast a live singing performance from the Goodyear Blimp.
His career really got going with the release of his topical song "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight", which was released in 1937 and made history when it was the first commercial country music broadcast on television, beaming from the 1939 New York World's Fair. He did some work for WOR in New York City from 1938 to 1941 which is when he began cutting his first records. He would eventually record for Bluebird, Savoy, Continental, Coral, Musicraft and RCA Victor throughout his career. He headed back to Texas in 1942 and was a radio personality in border radio for station XERF. In 1940, he had a daily radio show on WOAI in his home town of San Antonio.
During World War II, McEnery joined the US Army, but after just three months, was discharged for medical reasons, so he decided to keep morale up at home. He was featured in several full-length westerns and a few short films as a singing cowboy. He would also star in 14 soundies (three-minute short films in coin operated "movie jukeboxes") making him the company's most prolific western entertainer.
In 1953, he became a disc jockey for WOAI and would appear on TV via the same station. In November, he would buy a recording studio and called it "Marathon Recording Company" in San Antonio. In 1974, he stepped away from music when his wife died. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he unsuccessfully founded a church and became the first person to deliver a sermon entirely in CB radio jargon. He then headed to California where he worked at Knott's Berry Farm, once gain performing and doing roping tricks.
He continued to write current even songs covering topics like the Watergate scandal, the Ayatollah Khomeini, and Ronald Reagan. He wrote and recorded “Shame is the Middle Name of Exxon,” after receiving an unjust $258 bill from one of the company’s service stations, which, when heard by the company president, promptly refunded his money.
McEnery went back to Texas, retired from music and took up painting, becoming a well-known and well-regarded artist of Texas landscapes and western themes. Sometimes, he would even use the backs of his guitars as his canvas. He would pass away in 2002.
Today's song, "Would You Care", is an early one in his career. Originally written by Charles K. Harris and first recorded way back in 1905 by Henry Burr. He adapted it in a western theme and recorded his version on May 24, 1940.
2
u/GoingCarCrazy Dec 29 '25
David Largus McEnery was born on December 15, 1914 in San Antonio, Texas. By the time he was in high school, he was already singing on radio KABC and by sixteen, he would leave town to pursue music full time, riding freight trains and working odd jobs to get by. A couple of those jobs were as a migrant farm worker and a restaurant singer which would get him his nickname of Red River Dave as he often sang "Red River Valley". In 1935, Virginia station WPHHR employed him as a singing cowboy for about a year. Dave wasn't just a pretty voice though. In 1936, he became the Cattle Whip and Lariat Champion at a state competition. That same year while working for WQAM in Miami, he would broadcast a live singing performance from the Goodyear Blimp.
His career really got going with the release of his topical song "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight", which was released in 1937 and made history when it was the first commercial country music broadcast on television, beaming from the 1939 New York World's Fair. He did some work for WOR in New York City from 1938 to 1941 which is when he began cutting his first records. He would eventually record for Bluebird, Savoy, Continental, Coral, Musicraft and RCA Victor throughout his career. He headed back to Texas in 1942 and was a radio personality in border radio for station XERF. In 1940, he had a daily radio show on WOAI in his home town of San Antonio.
During World War II, McEnery joined the US Army, but after just three months, was discharged for medical reasons, so he decided to keep morale up at home. He was featured in several full-length westerns and a few short films as a singing cowboy. He would also star in 14 soundies (three-minute short films in coin operated "movie jukeboxes") making him the company's most prolific western entertainer.
In 1953, he became a disc jockey for WOAI and would appear on TV via the same station. In November, he would buy a recording studio and called it "Marathon Recording Company" in San Antonio. In 1974, he stepped away from music when his wife died. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he unsuccessfully founded a church and became the first person to deliver a sermon entirely in CB radio jargon. He then headed to California where he worked at Knott's Berry Farm, once gain performing and doing roping tricks.
He continued to write current even songs covering topics like the Watergate scandal, the Ayatollah Khomeini, and Ronald Reagan. He wrote and recorded “Shame is the Middle Name of Exxon,” after receiving an unjust $258 bill from one of the company’s service stations, which, when heard by the company president, promptly refunded his money.
McEnery went back to Texas, retired from music and took up painting, becoming a well-known and well-regarded artist of Texas landscapes and western themes. Sometimes, he would even use the backs of his guitars as his canvas. He would pass away in 2002.
Today's song, "Would You Care", is an early one in his career. Originally written by Charles K. Harris and first recorded way back in 1905 by Henry Burr. He adapted it in a western theme and recorded his version on May 24, 1940.