The LeGarde Twins | |
---|---|
Also known as | Australia's Yodeling Stockmen [1] |
Origin | Mackay, Queensland, Australia |
Genres | Country, folk |
Years active | 1950–2021 |
Labels |
Regal Zonophone Records, American Heritage Records, Festival Records |
Members | Last line-up: Tom and Ted |
The LeGarde Twins were an Australian country music duo of vocalists and guitarists identical twin brothers—Tom LeGarde and Ted LeGarde— born on 15 March 1931 in Mackay, Queensland. [3] [4] [5] Ted LeGarde died on 1 August 2018, at age 87. [6] Tom LeGarde died on 30 July 2021, at age 90. [3]
The twins left home at the age of 15 and after trying their luck on the rodeo circuit as cowboys, they began playing music (they both sing and play guitar) [7] and performed throughout Australia (with the nickname "Australia's Yodeling Stockmen"). They were signed to the Rodeo label from 1950 to 1952, after which they released a string of hits in the 1950s on Regal Zonophone Records. [8] In 1957, they left for North America, initially for Canada (they had acknowledged Canadian country singer Wilf Carter, or "Montana Slim", as an influence); [9] they were even rumored to get their own TV show on the Canadian channel CTV. [10] Soon, however, they left for Hollywood, performed on Doye O'Dell's Western Varieties TV shows, and hosted a TV show on KTLA in Los Angeles, before settling down in Nashville. [8] In the 1970s they were touring the United States, [11] part of a revival of interest in the music of the old western movies. [4] In 1972, they signed with American Heritage Records, [12] and in 1980 with the Australian label Festival Records. [13]
In later years, they opened up the LeGarde Twins Country Music Theatre in Twitty City, in Hendersonville, Tennessee; after the death of Conway Twitty, they moved the theatre to the Quality Inn Hall of Fame Hotel in Nashville. [8] They were still active in the first decade of the 21st century, playing in the Nashville Palace in 2007, [14] at the Williamsburg Film Festival in 2008, [15] and at a festival in Franklin, North Carolina in 2008; [16] in 2009 they played with Tommy Cash in Corydon, Indiana. [17]
Both Ted and Tom were regulars on the 1963 TV show Network. They also both appeared on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " I, Mudd" (1967). [18] [19] In 2009, Ted played the "Old Man Dalton" character in the movie D4, an action-thriller directed by Darrin Dickerson. [19] On 10 February 1958, the Le Garde Twins appeared on the radio and television program " You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx. They said the secret word "People" and won $100. They won a further $100 on a consolation question after failing get four questions correct in the quiz. This appearance was later released on an album of original radio broadcasts. [20]
The LeGarde Twins | |
---|---|
Also known as | Australia's Yodeling Stockmen [1] |
Origin | Mackay, Queensland, Australia |
Genres | Country, folk |
Years active | 1950–2021 |
Labels |
Regal Zonophone Records, American Heritage Records, Festival Records |
Members | Last line-up: Tom and Ted |
The LeGarde Twins were an Australian country music duo of vocalists and guitarists identical twin brothers—Tom LeGarde and Ted LeGarde— born on 15 March 1931 in Mackay, Queensland. [3] [4] [5] Ted LeGarde died on 1 August 2018, at age 87. [6] Tom LeGarde died on 30 July 2021, at age 90. [3]
The twins left home at the age of 15 and after trying their luck on the rodeo circuit as cowboys, they began playing music (they both sing and play guitar) [7] and performed throughout Australia (with the nickname "Australia's Yodeling Stockmen"). They were signed to the Rodeo label from 1950 to 1952, after which they released a string of hits in the 1950s on Regal Zonophone Records. [8] In 1957, they left for North America, initially for Canada (they had acknowledged Canadian country singer Wilf Carter, or "Montana Slim", as an influence); [9] they were even rumored to get their own TV show on the Canadian channel CTV. [10] Soon, however, they left for Hollywood, performed on Doye O'Dell's Western Varieties TV shows, and hosted a TV show on KTLA in Los Angeles, before settling down in Nashville. [8] In the 1970s they were touring the United States, [11] part of a revival of interest in the music of the old western movies. [4] In 1972, they signed with American Heritage Records, [12] and in 1980 with the Australian label Festival Records. [13]
In later years, they opened up the LeGarde Twins Country Music Theatre in Twitty City, in Hendersonville, Tennessee; after the death of Conway Twitty, they moved the theatre to the Quality Inn Hall of Fame Hotel in Nashville. [8] They were still active in the first decade of the 21st century, playing in the Nashville Palace in 2007, [14] at the Williamsburg Film Festival in 2008, [15] and at a festival in Franklin, North Carolina in 2008; [16] in 2009 they played with Tommy Cash in Corydon, Indiana. [17]
Both Ted and Tom were regulars on the 1963 TV show Network. They also both appeared on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " I, Mudd" (1967). [18] [19] In 2009, Ted played the "Old Man Dalton" character in the movie D4, an action-thriller directed by Darrin Dickerson. [19] On 10 February 1958, the Le Garde Twins appeared on the radio and television program " You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx. They said the secret word "People" and won $100. They won a further $100 on a consolation question after failing get four questions correct in the quiz. This appearance was later released on an album of original radio broadcasts. [20]