Jim Harless on Shadow

Jim Harless and the Lonesome Valley Boys - Rock & Roll Fever Ain't Got Me (Shadow 104), 1961 or 1962

The rise of rock'n'roll music created several "anti-songs" in country and bluegrass music, notably Denver Duke & Jeffrey Null's "Rock and Roll Blues" from 1956. Another prime example was Jim Harless' "Rock & Roll Fever Ain't Got Me", which was recorded a few years later in the Bristol, Tennessee, area.

James Allen "Jim" Harless, Jr., was born on January 17, 1935, in Bristol, Tennessee, where he also grew up. Harless was a house-painter by day and eventually also ran his own paint contractor business but country and bluegrass music was his passion, which he enjoyed playing around Bristol in the 1950s and 1960s. Harless hosted his own popular radio show on WRKM in Carthage, Tennessee, during those years and led his own band, the Lonesome Valley Boys. By the early 1960s, the band consisted of Harless on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dean Millwood on acoustic guitar, Ray Kelly on electric guitar, Rhoda Kelly on mandolin, and Ray Jones on banjo.

This outfit made one record in either late 1961 or early 1962 for a local label from Bristol, Shadow Records. The disc featured "Banjo Bells", an instrumental number dominated by Jones' banjo, and "Rock & Roll Fever Ain't Got Me". The latter is a nice banjo bopper with great vocals and moreover, it's an ode to bluegrass music when Harless sings "let that fiddle and banjo ring 'cause we still think that bluegrass is king / rock & roll fever ain't got me". It seems the record made some noise around Bristol, being played on local radio shows like "Rise and Shine Follies" and "Hillbilly Hit Parade" but didn't stand a chance on regional or national markets.

Jim Harless (center) and the Lonesome Valley Boys
early 1960s

By 1970, Harless had relocated to Fort Worth, Texas, where he led the house band at Panther Hall, a popular live music venue for years that was predominantly known for country music entertainment. Panther Hall hosted the Cowtown Jamboree on weekends, which featured Harless' group and many top-names from Nashville as guests. Also, Harless' eight years old nephew Charles Allen Bouton appeared at the Jamboree several times.

Harless continued to work as well as perform music in Fort Worth and lived there until his death on May 22, 2001, at age 66. He is buried in Fort Worth.

Discography

Shadow 104: Jim Harless and the Lonesome Valley Boys - Banjo Bells / Rock & Roll Fever Ain't Got Me 

Sources
• Find a Grave entry
• Rockin' Country Style entry
• Thanks to Jim Harless' daughter-in-law Brenda, who gave us a little insight into his career.