Several years ago, while I was trying to restore running water to my old farmhouse, I unearthed this "artifact" under the house(CLICK ON THE PHOTO). This deadly weapon once belonged to the "Front Row Kid," and was frequently used to defend such notable cowboys as Don "Red" Berry, The Drango Kid, Wild Bill Elliott, Lash LaRue and Jimmy Wakeley, the "Singing Cowboy." In most instances, my heroes had gotten themselves in serious trouble at the Ritz Theater on Saturday afternoon. They had stumbled into an ambush. When things looked desperate, it was then that the "Front Row Kid" was rise, his cap pistol blazing to assist his friends. My gun was sometimes confiscated by the owner of the Ritz and I was lead away, but I usually got some scattered applause from some other cowboys sitting in the dark.
Kind Hearts, this is Dave Waldrop who alternated between sitting with his buddies in the back of the room (that is Gene Middleton, Frank Crawford and John Quinnett) and performing. Dave pats his foot while he delivers catchy little ditties about mountain life, fake cowboys and kudzu.
