Known as "the Lone Cowboy", Big Slim was actually Harry McAuliffe and came from Bluefield West Virginia. Those who recall the famous WWVA Jamboree from Wheeling, West Virginia may well remember him as a popular fixture on that show --Slim appeared there off and on for some 30 years. Though a passably good singer (in the Jimmie Rodgers mold), he did little commercial recording apart from 2 discs that he cut for the Decca label in 1936 and a Canadian LP on the ARC label. These are all nicely sung with just guitar accompaniment, and his choice of material will likely be of interest both to "Cowboy" and "Western" fans (as well as some of today's Bluegrass fans). If nothing else, Slim will be known as the writer of SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, a song made popular by Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and of course by Jimmy Martin later on. Some of the other well recognizable songs here include FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, LITTLE JOE, PUT MY LITTLE SHOES AWAY, BLUE VELVET BAND, WHERE THE OLD RED RIVER FLOWS, TRAGIC ROMANCE, and I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU CALL MY NAME. But the most effective of the tracks here are 5 Jimmie Rodgers songs nicely performed on a rare 6-song mini-LP on the EssGee label out of St. Clairsville, Ohio. Big Slim was a good representation of the Cowboy Singer/Entertainer that was popular in the 40s and 50s --their singing was augmented with horse and gun tricks --in Slim's case it was his skill with a bullwhip that contributed to his popularity.
