Ramblin' "Doc" Tommy and Frankie Scott collection

Ramblin' "Doc" Tommy and Frankie Scott collection

Descriptive Summary

Title: Ramblin' "Doc" Tommy and Frankie Scott collection
Creator: Scott, Tommy, 1917-2013
Inclusive Dates: 1930-2007
Language(s): English
Extent: 15 Linear Feet 7 boxes, 1 half Hollinger, 2 oversized boxes, 6 oversized folders, 3 artifacts
Collection Number: ms4063
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

Tommy Scott (1917-2013) began his entertainment career as a radio performer in 1933. He joined Doc Chamberlain's Medicine Show in 1936 as Ramblin' Tommy Scott, and developed several characters in the act including his ventriloquist dummy Luke McLuke. Mr. Scott took over the show in 1938, and was given the recipe for Herb-O-Lac and Snake Oil, restarting the production of Herb-O-Lac in 1942. He changed the name of the show to "Ramblin' Tommy Scott's Hollywood Hillbilly Jamboree" and toured extensively. He also joined the band Kentucky Partners with Charlie Monroe, further developing his stage characters. He married Frankie Thomas (1920-2004) in 1939 who, along with their daughter Sandra, performed in show. Tommy Scott travelled with and produced the "Tommy Scott Show" for radio and television and appeared with Luke McLuke on the Grand Ole Opry. He wrote several country and western songs including "Rosebuds and You" and "You Are the Rainbow of My Dreams." Gaines Blevins joined the show in 1949, his wife Lona handled many aspects of the business, and his son Scotty Lee performed with the act. Mr. Scott produced and starred in movie "Trail of the Hawk" in 1950, and made other short films, as well as creating "Tommy Scott's Smokey Mountain Jamboree" for TV syndication in 1950s. Mr. Scott was an early proponent of the recreational vehicles he toured in, creating several large campers himself, then designed and partnered with a manufacturer, Stewart Coach Industries, and advertised the RVs in his shows. He continued to tour his Medicine Show and Georgia Peanut Band, while appearing on national TV talk shows, being featured in the PBS documentary "Still Ramblin'" in 2001. Mr. Scott wrote his memoir "Snake Oil, Superstars, and Me" in 2007.

Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence, photographs, business records, travel date calendars, posters, and stage props from the 1940s thru the 2010s. Items of interest include advertisements printed by Scott's printing company, detailed, day to day travel and accounting records, commercial scripts, and many AV materials of both the show, and of family life.

The audiovisual materials related to this collection are housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archives.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Ramblin' "Doc" Tommy and Frankie Scott collection, ms4063, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

Related Collections in this Repository

The audiovisual materials related to this collection are housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archives.

Though the collection is open for research, the audiovisual recordings do not have reference copies. Audiovisual research requests are dependent upon the format and condition of the recordings.


Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. Business

boxfolder
11History - miscellaneous
12-3Scott, Doc Tommy continued
14Writing - Tommy Scott
15Pollution song
16Circus
17Scripts - Playlists
18Scripts - Rub-Ez commercials
19Dalton Carpets commercial
110Smokey Mountain Jamboree, 1956
111Original radio-TV show I have been on
112Sunset "Kit" Carson
113Tim McCoy
114Charlie Monroe
115Clyde Moody
116Original for book
117Business - printing
118Press information
119Legal documents and contracts
120Motor homes
121Cards from A/V Materials
boxfolder
42Appearances
43Calendars, 1991-2007
44Country Music Foundation interview with Tommy Scott - transcript, 1976
45Programs: Asheville Film Festival and WZLI-WLET Radio Reunion, 2001, 2005
4Daily account books, 1954-1956
box
5Daily travel and account books, 1953-1975
box
6Daily travel and account books, 1976-1996
box
7Cash books - Smith Brothers Circus
7Daily account books, 1959-1990
oversized_box
1Calendar - large, 1993 October
1Scrapbook
1Hand printed sign
oversized_box
2Medicine Show tour map books
oversized_folder
4Oversized scrapbook - part 1
oversized_folder
5Oversized scrapbook - part 2
oversized_folder
6Oversized scrapbook - part 3
item
1Handpainted "Doc" Scott sign
item
2Magic trick guillotine
item
3Large Medicine Show banner
 

2. Correspondence

boxfolder
21History
22-4Personal
24-6Professional
27Business
28-9Auditions
210Testimonials
211Legal
212Telegrams
 

3. Photographs

boxfolder
31-2Tommy Scott
33Frankie Scott
34Sandra Scott
35Family
36Rube Arnold
37Gaines Blevins
38Johnny Mac Brown
39Sunset "Kit" Carson
310Carolina Cotton
311Hank DeCato
312Randall Franks
313Billy Grammer
314Scotty Lee
315Tim McCoy
316Clyde Moody
317R.W. and Irene Moore
318Curly Sekler
319Al "Fuzzy" St. John
320String Bean
321Dan White
322Ray Whitely
323Various
324Charles Kuralt - On The Road
325Hee Haw stars
326Doc Tommy Scott exhibit
327Country Music Hall of Fame
328Circus
329Talk Shows
330Trail of the Hawk
331Radio shows
332-33Medicine Show cast
334Medicine Show
box
4Photo albums
 

4. Printed material

boxfolder
335How to Throw Your Voice and be a Ventriloqist
336Directories and magazines
337Printed publicity
338Programs - local
339Programs - souvenir
340Album cover
boxfolder
41Newspaper clippings
4Tour date book
oversized_box
1Herb-O-Lac boxes
1Advertisement etching plate
1Trail of the Hawk reviews
1Georgia Peanut Band sticker
1Medicine Show sticker
1Medicine Show envelopes
oversized_folder
1Show and circus posters
1Country Music Hall of Fame walkway map
oversized_folder
2Large show and circus posters
oversized_folder
3Large show and circus posters

Special Collections Libraries
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1641