Early life Harold Ralph Morrison was born on January 30, 1931, in High Lonesome, a rural town in
Christian County, Missouri, forty miles southeast of
Springfield. His father was a farm laborer and his mother was a housewife. Morrison began playing banjo and guitar at an early age.
Career In 1950, Morrison began performing on local radio stations in Springfield, and by 1951, he was performing as a duo with fiddler and guitarist, Jimmy Gateley. They worked with the Red River Rustlers on
KJSB radio in
Jamestown, North Dakota. Later, they moved to
Wheeling, West Virginia, where they worked with
WWVA (AM) radio. During this time, they occasionally performed with Dusty Owens' music group. In 1954, they recorded sessions with Owens' band for
Columbia Records before returning to Springfield in 1955 to join the cast of the
Ozark Jubilee. In 1955, Morrison and Gateley also went on tour with
Red Foley. During this time, Morrison performed as a
session musician for several studios, playing
steel guitar with
The Browns on their recording of "
I Take the Chance", as well as playing the banjo on multiple
Porter Wagoner songs. By 1957, Morrison and his family relocated to
Nashville, Tennessee, where he performed on the steel guitar and
dobro with
Kitty Wells on several
Decca recordings, including her version of "
I Can't Stop Loving You". He also recorded with
Johnnie Wright for
RCA Victor. Morrison was a touring member of both Wells's and Wright's bands. In the early 1960s, he became a member of
The Wilburn Brothers, touring with them and co-hosting their television series, "The Wilburn Brothers Show". In the mid-1960s, Morrison recorded instrumental work and comedy routines for Decca Records, which were compiled and released as "Hoss, He's the Boss" in 1965. That year, he played the banjo on
Loretta Lynn's song "
Blue Kentucky Girl". Two years later, in 1967, he performed with the Maple Hill Boys, releasing the single "Opry Theme" under Epic records. It was the first time the
Grand Ole Opry had allowed its theme to be recorded. In 1969, Morrison became a member of
George Jones and
Tammy Wynette's band, touring with them until their 1975 split. After 1975, Morrison continued touring with Wynette's band. In the early 1970s, Morrison was an occasional guest on
The Porter Wagoner Show. In 1975, Morrison, his daughter Karla, and
Benny Williams formed the Smokin' bluegrass music group. The group went on tour for several years, appearing at many of the larger bluegrass festivals and winning several competitions. After the group broke up, Morrison continued playing with several different groups. In 1985, Morrison performed under his own name in
Branson, Missouri. In 1989, he played with
Ferlin Husky, performing at their theater in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, until
Hurricane Hugo destroyed the building. He then played with
Grandpa Jones for a few years. In 1992, Morrison formed another band under his own name.
Death Morrison died of heart failure on December 21, 1993, in Springfield, Missouri, following a cerebral hemorrhage. He was 62 years old. ==Discography==