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I am honored for to offer many treasured mementos in my E-Bay store from the estate of “Buddy’ Arnold the late beloved co-owner of the legendary Arco Theatre in Bardstown, Kentucky. Please use my store search tab by typing in (Buddy Arnold) to see a complete list. This particular item is an exceedingly rare signed 8 x 10 original photograph of Jimmy Osborne personally inscribed to "Buddy” Arnold .
Brief Bio: When Jimmie Osborne, the very popular "Kentucky Folk Singer" died on December 26, 1958 of self-inflicted gun wounds at the age of 35, he left behind a great void in the world of country music which is still mourned today—more than 37 years after his passing.
Jimmie Osborne was borne in 1923 in Winchester, Kentucky. He grew up loving to sing and play the guitar. His dad bought him a fiddle, but Jimmie asked him to take it back and trade it in for a guitar. He got his guitar and a neighbor helped him learn some chords and from that point on, Jimmie Osborne's star began to rise.
After graduating from high school in 1940, Jimmie married a pretty little blonde by the name of Margaret Lacy. Around the same time, he entered an amateur contest at a nearby high school and won first place, which soon got him a job on WLAP in Lexington, Kentucky.
In I946 Jimmie got his first big break and moved to KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, the home of the Louisiana Hayride. He worked there with the Bailes Brothers and traveled some 50,000 miles making personal appearances throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. He quickly became one of the leading folk singers in the Gulf coast area.
Later in his career, he performed on WSM's Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee; WLS' National Barn Dance in Chicago as well as on WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio and WGRC in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jimmie did quite a bit of disc jockey work in his time that he spent on radio station WLEX in Lexington, Kentucky. His show was quite a hit with the listeners since he tended to play the songs they most wanted to hear.
In September 1947, Jimmie landed a recording contract with King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio where his first recording, "My Heart Echoes" made it to Number 10 on the Billboard Juke Box Survey. Other hits he had included: "Mom Is Dying Tonight", "A Vacant Sign Upon My Heart", "Tears of Saint Ann", "God Please Protect America", and perhaps his all-time greatest recording, "The Death of Little Kathy Fiscus", the tragic, true story of a little girl who suffocated in an abandoned well in San Marino, California. Mr. Osborne received some 2,000 fan letters within three days of the song's release for air play.
Jimmie wrote most of his own songs, and until his death, he recorded exclusively for King Records and wrote for the Lois Music Publishing Company. He wrote other songs such as:
• The Door To My Heart Is Wide Open
• He'll Come Like A Thief In The Night
• What A Price To Pay For Love
• God Has Taken My Flower
• This Evil Life Don't Pay
• I Hate To Be Jealous
• Nag, Nag, Nag
• Mama Don't Agree
• The Moon Is Weeping Over You
• It's Just a Habit With You
• Give Me Back My Ring and Picture
• We Can't Take It With Us To Our Grave
• How Many Hearts Can You Break
• You Get The Roses, I Get The Thorns
Yet in the midst of all Jimmie Osborne's life, there was a mystery that no one knew what led him to taking his own life. He seemingly had it all, good, popular, upbeat. The books at the authors' disposal have little or nothing about him or his life, from which one might postulate a conclusion.
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An article in an old Country Song Roundup magazine back in June 1951 said Jimmie was a "...wiry guy, with a smile that lights up his whole face, a smooth singing voice, a knack for playing a good guitar and a keen sense of originality."
Back then, he had just joined WVLK in Lexington, KY. In talking about his career and early attachment to the guitar and music, Jimmie was quoted, "...my success is just a big dream come true."
He had started with The Kentucky Mountain Barn Dance that was held in Lexington, KY every Saturday night on January 1, 1951. He was expressing aspirations to stay there a while during that interview. He said:
"I've got some real friends in Kentucky, and I would hate to ever leave them. However, it's kind of hard to tell what state is the best, for every place I've been, folks have been swell."
Historical reference: The 750 seat Arco Theater opened January 16, 1942 with the movie "Tarzan’s Secret Adventure". It was built by C.D. Arnold and Pope Sisco at a cost of $60,000.00. The name comes from the first two letters of their last name. Seating was staggered for excellent site lines. The Melody Theater was located next door at 218 N. 3rd Street. The Arco Theater had a balcony which was designated for African Americans. By 1950 it was operated by Affiliated Theaters Inc. of Indianapolis, IN.
The Arco Theater closed December 31, 1965 with the last feature shown being "Mary Poppins". In 2002 the Arco Theater and the Melody Theater next door were bought by Dzevad Kresco and a two year remodel and restoration took place. In 2004 the former theaters were reopened as the Kresco Restaurant. Many of the theater's features were preserved and are in use in the restaurant.
*This is an excellent article online in Kentucky living magazine concerning Buddy’s widow named Si Arnold who at age 97 in 2017 is a legend in her own right as a theatrical costume designer.
