Occupation Singer-songwriter Years active 1930–2010 | Name Slim Bryant Role Singer | |
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Full Name Thomas Hoyt Bryant Born December 7, 1908 ( 1908-12-07 ) Atlanta, Georgia, United States Died May 28, 2010, Dormont, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Thomas Hoyt Bryant (December 7, 1908 – May 28, 2010), known professionally as Slim Bryant, was an American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and radio personality born in Atlanta, Georgia.
Biography
Bryant was born in Atlanta in 1908, to Posey Milton Bryant and his wife Auroria, after spending nearly nine years working with Georgia fiddler Clayton McMichen as part of his band, the Georgia Wildcats, Bryant and most of the band separated from McMichen and moved to Pittsburgh in 1940 where he and the Georgia Wildcats became regulars on KDKA's new early morning Farm Hour.
He had worked at the station previously in 1931 with McMichen and in 1937 with his own group the Georgia Wildcats after parting ways with McMichen. The Wildcats became a Pittsburgh institution during World War II; and in 1949, performed on the first television program to air in that city, a musical variety show broadcast live on WDTV from Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh's Oakland section. WDTV became KDKA in January 1955. Having worked with several female singers, they added vocalist Nancy Fingal to add a pop music flavor. There were no other guests. Fingal was, Slim says, “A very talented girl, singin’ Sinatra tunes, that kind of stuff."
He was the last surviving musician to have recorded with the legendary country singer Jimmie Rodgers, who died in 1933. In 1932, Rodgers recorded Bryant's song "Mother, the Queen of My Heart", with Bryant accompanying him on guitar. Rodgers not only gave him writing credit, but had them list Bryant's name first, which is something many big stars refuse to do. He also recorded nine other songs with Rodgers. With his back-up group, the Wildcats, he wrote and recorded such novelty songs during his career as "Eeny Meeny Dixie Deeny", the closest he ever came to having a hit on the Billboard charts.
Bryant resided in the Pittsburgh suburb of Dormont, Pennsylvania. He was the subject of an extensive profile by Rich Kienzle in the January–February 2004 issue of No Depression.
Slim and his wife Mary Jane Bryant had a son, Thomas Bryant.