Doc Williams

ountry singer Doc Williams is a long-time customer of Curtiss Show Print, and many of the posters created for his music show are featured in the Continental, Ohio documentary.

Doc Williams has been associated with radio station WWVA’s Jamboree since 1937. This live radio show originating from Wheeling, West Virginia, has devoted fans across the United States and Canada. The Jamboree has been running almost as long as The Grand Ol’ Opry.

Born in Cleveland, Williams grew up in Pennsylvania. His father taught him how to play the coronet and he learned to play the harmonica, guitar, and accordion by ear. After working as a coal miner for less than a dollar a day, Williams began performing music country music in 1933. Two years later he had his first radio show.

His first fan letter came from Jesse Wanda Crupe, from Bethany, West Virginia, who wanted the group to play for a square dance. When Doc saw Jesse Wanda, he nicknamed her “Chickie” because he thought she was a “cute chick.” They were married in 1939. Along with his band, The Border Riders, they performed across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. My Old Brown Coat and Me, an English folk song, is one of his trademark tunes. Roses Are Blooming is another of his hits.

In 1983, Doc was enshrined in WWVA’s Walkway of the Stars. He’s the oldest living member of Jamboree USA, and is “West Virginia’s Official Country Music Ambassador of Good Will.”

Williams still performs special Jamboree shows every year as well as many other concert dates across the country and Canada.

Doc Williams’s music can also be heard in the Continental, Ohio, documentary.