Don, you're right this time as it's a Leroy Van Dyke original; and your revised rating score improved from 8.7 to 9.1 (glad to see that!). "The Auctioneer" (1956) along with "Walk on By" (1961) were his big monster hits on the pop and country charts. LeRoy is a Missouri native, and he's 94!
Leroy VanDyke is an actual auctioneer, he wrote this song about another auctioneer in his hometown here in Mo. He later found out they were cousins. He said the only part of the song that isn’t true is the guy was Mo not Arkansas, he couldn’t find anything to rhyme with Missouri lol
Great choice Don - and yes Leroy was the first, in 1956 in fact! Date myself to say I actually remember when it was a single on the radio, and I always loved it! Thanks Don for the fabulous reaction!
This song has always made me smile, from the first time I heard it as a small child right up through now. Now, however, it's a smile that becomes a little sad and wistful, because now as a retired adult that spent most of my life working as a travelling salesweasel -including small-town rural territories along with the cities, I have a better understanding of the tragic stories of bankruptcy and lost family farms that this sort of auctioneering brings to mind. It's a fun song, that kinda papers over a darker side of rural life. It shares a lot with the best of folk music, in that way.
I've heard Leroy VanDyke perform this song, & some others, a few times at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, MO. I think that I first heard this song when I was around 7, or 8, years old (1994-96) when a radio station in my hometown (KMZU 100.7FM, Carrollton, MO) had played it & my mom had recorded it off of the radio onto an audio cassette tape.
There are auction schools. You have to take a test and get licensed. Leroy wrote this when he was in the army. This is about his cousin. Leroy is a auctioneer. Usually the high end auctions they just talk
The sing-song was popularized by the auctioneer the song is about. He discovered that using the rhythmic cadence of this style encouraged bidders to keep bidding so the auctioneer would keep calling.
His voice sounds just a little bit like Hank Snow's but from everything I could find, Hank didn't record this at all. I listened to a minute of Gordon Lightfoot's but didn't like it.
The first time I heard this song was from my cousin who was home from the Navy on leave. He ended with just bought a mighty fine hog, and he said he was the best hillbilly auctioneer.
Start off slowly, I'm bid 1 would you give 2, I'm bid 2 would you give 3 and so on. Then shorten "would you give" to "Wo Da Give". Filler words like "dollar now" and " I'm bid it at" "bid it at" are common. Then do counting drills and tongue twisters. Then soon you'll be chanting like an Auctioneer.
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Don, you're right this time as it's a Leroy Van Dyke original; and your revised rating score improved from 8.7 to 9.1 (glad to see that!). "The Auctioneer" (1956) along with "Walk on By" (1961) were his big monster hits on the pop and country charts. LeRoy is a Missouri native, and he's 94!
I’ve had the chance to meet Leroy many times back when my family was out on the road performing.
Leroy VanDyke is an actual auctioneer, he wrote this song about another auctioneer in his hometown here in Mo. He later found out they were cousins. He said the only part of the song that isn’t true is the guy was Mo not Arkansas, he couldn’t find anything to rhyme with Missouri lol
Great choice Don - and yes Leroy was the first, in 1956 in fact! Date myself to say I actually remember when it was a single on the radio, and I always loved it! Thanks Don for the fabulous reaction!
This song has always made me smile, from the first time I heard it as a small child right up through now. Now, however, it's a smile that becomes a little sad and wistful, because now as a retired adult that spent most of my life working as a travelling salesweasel -including small-town rural territories along with the cities, I have a better understanding of the tragic stories of bankruptcy and lost family farms that this sort of auctioneering brings to mind. It's a fun song, that kinda papers over a darker side of rural life. It shares a lot with the best of folk music, in that way.
Leroy was an auctioneer In real life too. Told story once, it wasn't just done for the song
I knew you did this and I wasn't loosing my fuggin mind. Thanks for reassuring I am not senile yet 🙂
The auction started at the end of the Civil War, when it was the Colonel's duty to sell everything. Now, an Auctioneer is called a Colonel.
Ya, I think I was6 years old when I heard him do this on our Country Radio station in our 53 Chey..
I love this song! My uncle was an auctioneer, and so were his sons. RIP Uncle Mack, Jack and Mickey.
I've heard Leroy VanDyke perform this song, & some others, a few times at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, MO.
I think that I first heard this song when I was around 7, or 8, years old (1994-96) when a radio station in my hometown (KMZU 100.7FM, Carrollton, MO) had played it & my mom had recorded it off of the radio onto an audio cassette tape.
Yes, there are auctioneer schools. My uncle attended one. He wrote this about his cousin.
There are auction schools. You have to take a test and get licensed. Leroy wrote this when he was in the army. This is about his cousin. Leroy is a auctioneer. Usually the high end auctions they just talk
I definitely have too much of a drawl to be an auctioneer. However, I've spent my fair share of cash on antiques at estate auctions. So much fun!
Thanks Don enjoyed btw Hank Snow never did this have a great day
Haven't heard this in years
Lynn Anderson (of "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden" fame) did this one too.
The sing-song was popularized by the auctioneer the song is about. He discovered that using the rhythmic cadence of this style encouraged bidders to keep bidding so the auctioneer would keep calling.
His voice sounds just a little bit like Hank Snow's but from everything I could find, Hank didn't record this at all. I listened to a minute of Gordon Lightfoot's but didn't like it.
There's an auctioneering school so people can learn to speak the auctioneer rant to bring in bids for items
his black and white video is great
The first time I heard this song was from my cousin who was home from the Navy on leave. He ended with just bought a mighty fine hog, and he said he was the best hillbilly auctioneer.
Start off slowly, I'm bid 1 would you give 2, I'm bid 2 would you give 3 and so on. Then shorten "would you give" to "Wo Da Give". Filler words like "dollar now" and " I'm bid it at" "bid it at" are common. Then do counting drills and tongue twisters. Then soon you'll be chanting like an Auctioneer.
They sure do at cattle auctions!
Have you ever the the song by Johnny Bush Green snake on the ceiling.
Steve goodman also recorded a great version
And he sold that hog for a $50 dollar bill.