 |
| Smokey Reason, late 1940s or early 1950s From the collection of the Reason family via John Horton |
Smokey Reason was a country music singer and songwriter from the Birmingham, Alabama, area. He had a rather short career, from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s, then dedicating his life to Christianity. Reason had a connection to Walter "Tex" Dixon, working not only in the same city and probanly knowing him therefore, but he also recorded Dixon's "Honky Tonk Swing" in 1949.
Hiram Blair "Smokey" Reason was born on June 30, 1920, in LaGrange, Georgia, only a few miles away from the Alabama state border, to John and Mary Jane Reason. When World War II began, Reason had already married Dorothy Nell Doss, with whom he had a daughter, Sandra Elaine. However, the war interrupted family life and Reason had to serve in the US Army.
He eventually divorced from Dorothy and after his discharge, moved to Birmingham, Alabama, for radio work. Around January 1947, Reason and his band, the Rainbow Range Riders, accompanied singer Rubert McClendon on a recording session for DeLuxe Records, which produced six tracks. Four of those were released by DeLuxe, including "Honky Tonk Swing", a song written by fellow Bimingham artist Walter "Tex" Dixon that was later recorded by both Reason and Dixon as well.
.jpg) |
| The Centreville Press October 27, 1949 |
In April 1949, Reason recorded his take on "Honky Tonk Swing", probably at WVOK, but it remained unreleased. Dixon would release his own version two years later for the local Bama record label. Reason spent some time in California and this may have been in the early and mid-1950s. He had a business association with Gene Autry, though details are unknown, and was also acquainted with such stars as Ferlin Husky and Little Jimmy Dickens. Word has it that Reason recorded with both of them, although there is no verification of this rumour.
Reason had two singles out in 1954. He recorded two of his own compositions, "A Boy and a Girl" and "Little Miss Muffet", and ordered his own custom pressed records under the S R label through 4 Star's OP series. 4 Star Records was an independent record company based in Pasadena, California, and the label re-released Reason's songs on 4 Star #X-90. Reason also recorded "Hoot Owl Melody" and "You Danced on My Heart" for two 4 Star various artists EPs.
In 1952, Reason had married Nancy Ellen Laney in Bentonville, Arkansas, and made his home in the nearby Joplin, Missouri, area. By late 1952, Smokey Reason was heard on WMBH out of Joplin and performed around town with different bands until ca. late 1954.
Though, in 1953, Reason had enough of the music business and decided to turn his life around and became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life to God. He stayed in Missouri during the 1950s but moved to Sallisaw, East Oklahoma, at some point in the 1960s. He opened a Baptist Church in in nearby Vian and founded "Camp Joy" in Oklahoma on Lake Tenkiller, a free Chrisian summer camp for underprivileged children. Reason continued his dedication throughout the years and in 1992, received the "Sacred Degree of Doctor of Divinity" from the Great Commission Theological Seminary of Bowling Green, Kentucky, for his enduring service.
Hiram Blair "Smokey" Reason passed away on December 21, 2001, at the age of 81 years in Porum, Oklahoma. He is buried at Coleman Cemetery in Porum. He left behind his wife, who passed away a year later, and their five daughters and 33 grandchildren. His daughter from his first marriage had already passed away in 1996.
Smokey Reason and his Southerners - Honky Tonk Swing (unissued)
.png)
