death_date death_place years_active birth_place label name background birth_date instrument genre article_title birth_name occupation
september , 1975 -lrb- aged 60 -rrb- van buren , arkansas , u.s. 1950s van buren , arkansas , u.s. 4 star -lrb- gilt-edge -rrb- arkie shibley solo_singer 21 september 1914 vocals , guitar western swing arkie shibley
 jesse lee shibley musician
arkie shibley

jesse lee `` arkie '' shibley -lrb- born `` jesse lee shibley '' , 21 september 1914 in van buren , arkansas -- september 1975 in van buren , arkansas -rrb- was a country singer who recorded the original version of `` hot rod race '' in 1950 .
the record was important because '' `` it introduced automobile racing into popular music and underscored the car 's relevance to american culture , particularly youth culture . '' ''
shibley had relocated from arkansas - hence the nickname `` arkie '' - and , around 1948 , began hosting a regular country music show on radio station kbrg in bremerton , washington .
although the writing credit for `` hot rod race '' is given to george wilson , this may be shibley 's pseudonym .
he offered the song to 4 star records in los angeles , but was turned down , and shibley decided to release the song on his own mountain dew label .
the record was credited to `` arkie shibley and his mountain dew boys '' , the line-up being shibley on rhythm guitar , leon kelley on lead guitar , jackie hayes on bass and banjo , and phil fregon on fiddle .
the record became popular and was reissued on 4 star 's gilt edge imprint .
shibley 's record raced into the country charts in january 1951 , peaking at # 5 , with cover versions on major labels by ramblin ' jimmie dolan on capitol , red foley on decca and tiny hill on mercury .
the hill version also crossed over to the pop charts -lrb- # 29 -rrb- .
in 1951 shibley recorded four sequels to his hit , all performed in a woody guthrie-like talking blues style : `` hot rod race # 2 '' , `` arkie meets the judge -lrb- hot rod race # 3 -rrb- '' , `` the guy in the mercury -lrb- hot rod race # 4 -rrb- '' and `` the kid in the model a -lrb- hot rod race # 5 -rrb- '' .
he subsequently disappeared into obscurity .
`` hot rod race '' prompted the even more successful answer song `` hot rod lincoln '' , a hit for charlie ryan -lrb- recorded 1955 and 1959 , charted 1960 , # 33 pop -rrb- , johnny bond -lrb- 1960 , # 26 pop -rrb- and commander cody -lrb- 1972 , # 9 pop -rrb- .
shibley 's record also directly influenced chuck berry 's `` maybellene '' , gene vincent 's `` race with the devil '' , and the succession of hot rod records by the beach boys and others in the early 1960s .
