Moriss Taylor - Sweetie Pie Punkin’ (Key Records, 1957)

Moriss Taylor & His Sierra Melody Gang, featuring Bashful Charlie Robinson “Look-A-What“ b/w “Sweetie Pie Punkin’“ Key Records 5718 Hollywood, CA Released 1957 Moriss Taylor (1924-2018) was a country singer/songwriter and early adopter of broadcast television as a method to promote country music. His weekly program The Moriss Taylor Show is cited as one of the longest-running locally produced television shows in history, running from 1956 to 1997 in Chico, California. From the Key Records 45 sleeve: “Like most country performers and deejays, MORISS TAYLOR hails from the grass-roots, a little ranch near Miami, Oklahoma, having been the spot chosen by the Stork to deliver this particular Sooner. Steeped in country music, raised in the atmosphere of a house-to-house floating Saturday night shindig. Moriss had him a guitar before he was big enough to span the frets. At 14 he won a regional amateur contest in Picher, Oklahoma, singing “THE ONE ROSE“ That did it. From high school Commencement, Moriss went directly to The Army Air Force. There wasn’t much time for music while he was earning his Air Medal with Cluster, his Distinguished Flying Cross and Presidential Citation for flight work over the Himalaya Mountains between India and China. Upon discharge from the service, Moriss settled in Oroville, California; went to work on KDAN (now KMOR and we don’t know whether the MOR stands for MORiss or not) spent several years there doing live shows and deejay duty. From there, he moved to Chico, California, where he has a devoted following in both radio and TV on a fine station, KHSL. He is happily married, has three youngsters. His wife does the mixing on his recorded shows for other stations. And it wouldn’t be fair not to add that she also mixes a mean biscuit batter. Moriss had a small part in the Gary Cooper picture FRIENDLY PERSUASION. It would be real romantic to say we spotted him on a horse in the picture and rushed to Chico to sign him up. We didn’t. Moriss and his band were on one of more than 2000 air-check tapes KEY has listened to in quest of new sounds. Moriss sent us the tape, we sent him a contract. We believe he’s a real comer and we are launching him herewith on two excellent pieces of material; one, an original by Moriss, chosen because of the reaction it merits when performed live; the other, a fine jump-billy tune from Jack Stapp’s ever-verdant TREE PUBLISHING CO. catalog. We like *em both, we like Moriss, and we hope you do too.“