I came to Mudcat because I seriously wanted to find the lyrics for a song. Before posting that first thread I looked around and noticed most of the postings were from people shielding their identity behind a psedonym of one sort or another. Or so I thought.

I had a father who enjoyed a modicum of notoriety from being a radio entertainer starting in 1923, almost before there was radio. His 'monicker' was 'Yankee Mac.' He headed a group called 'The Sierra Ranch Hands' and his broadcasts originated from KFBK in Sacramento and sometimes KFRC in SF. He was sometimes confused with 'Haywire Mac' McClintock, a regular on KFRC at that time.

He started me singing and on the fiddle when I was seven and he paired with me occasionally until I was old enough to play with the orchestra. He gave me the handle 'Spud Murphy.' He probably got it from 'Spud' (Lyle) Murphy who was an orchestra leader in the big band genre but is probably better known as an arranger for Jan Garber, BG, and several hollywood studio orchestras. My dad would have known him from his earlier years in vaudville and Chicago.

My dad is my hero. I didn't realize that until it was too late. I chose to call myself by the nickname he gave me to honor him. My name is George R. MacClanahan Jr. I am seventy-five years old and I live at the California Veterans' Home at Yountville, in the Napa Valley with my wife of 53 years. I am writing a story about the depression and the war years and growing up with music. Thus the occasional need for the lyrics of one or two of the old 'cowboy songs.'

I am not anonymous and doubt I ever will be. Drop in and see me any old time you're in the neighborhood.

Spud