Draggingtree Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 A Peek at a Forgotten Age of Prison Radio in Texas by Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project May 19, 2016In 1938, as the Great Depression was winding down, a Texas radio station began airing “Thirty Minutes Behind the Walls,” a variety show broadcast every Wednesday night from the state prison in Huntsville. The show featured male and female prisoners singing, strumming, dancing and acting. At one point, it had 5 million listeners, who sent in as many as 100,000 fan letters each year. Executions were stayed so that they would not conflict with the show, which was performed in an auditorium 50 yards from Old Sparky, the state’s electric chair. In a new book, “Texas Jailhouse Music,” Caroline Gnagy collects the stories of the men and women who performed on the show and at the annual Texas Prison Rodeo. Gnagy, a writer who herself plays country music, was inspired to do the research after seeing photos of the Goree All-Girl String Band and reading a Texas Monthly story about the group from 2003, “O Sister, Where Art Thou?” Jennifer Aniston has spent years trying to make a film about the band. https://www.texastribune.org/2016/05/19/peek-golden-age-prison-radio/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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