Mervin James Shiner was born in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on February 20, 1921. He gained popularity in
Pennsylvania with his mother as a country and
gospel duo on a
radio program. Shiner pursued his music career in
Hollywood and later returned to the East Coast, where he continued singing on radio shows and joined a local cowboy band. In 1949, he appeared on the television program "Hometown Frolic" and caught the attention of songwriter
Vaughn Horton, leading to a recording contract with
Decca Records. Several of his songs, such as "
Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me", which made the top ten on the country and western chart, plus the three million-seller, "
Peter Cottontail", Shiner died in
Tampa, Florida, on October 23, 2023, at the age of 102. ==Discography==