The Cass County Boys

The Cass County Boys were formed at Dallas radio station WFAA circa 1935 where, as staff musicians, they harmonized between programs. They were first called the Early Birds, then the Cass County Kids, after the home of accordion player Fred Martin, born June 22, 1916 in Linden, Cass County, Texas. The trio consisted of Martin, guitarist and baritone singer Jerry Scoggins (born September 20, 1911 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, also the home of Dallas Cowboy quarterback Don Meredith); and bassist and tenor singer Bert Dodson (May 27, 1915-October 3, 1994.) Gene Autry heard them in 1940 and planned to use them, as replacements for the "Rough Riders" (Jimmy Wakely, Johnny Bond and Dick Reinhart) on his "Melody Ranch" radio program. World War II put a crimp into those plans, but Autry did not forget the talented trio from Texas, and they joined the cast of "Melody Ranch" when the program and Gene Autry returned to the airwaves at the end of 1945. In later years, Scoggins became a stockbroker but did sing the theme song for the "Beverly Hillbillies" television program.