The “Golden Hits Of The 50s”
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COWBOY CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL
OPEN UP YOUR HEART AND LET THE SUNSHINE IN
(Stuart Hamblen)
Decca 29367
No. 8 April 2, 1955
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“Stuart Hamblen had this record label called Voss,” said music researcher and writer Robert L
Synder in an exclusive interview. “He recorded this group; actually they were never what you
would call a show business act. In fact, there really was no group to it. ‘Open Up Your Heart’
was a solo record by this little girl named Carole Sue. She didn’t get billing on the label, but she
did on the sheet music. They were all probably some kids who attended the same church that Stu
did, and he had this song and probably thought this girl had a good voice . . .” Decca Records took
notice and leased the master from Hamblen’s Voss label and the Cowboy Church Sunday School
had their mini-moment; a freak hit, a spiritual pop tune, sung by one or a bunch of school age
kids. A few other disks were printed, but nothing sold very well and peace returned to the valley.
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Stuart Hamblen’s (b. Carl Hamblin, Oct. 20, 1908, Kellerville, TX) daddy was a traveling minister.
The constant roaming encouraged the lad to want to be not a man of the cloth, but a cowboy. Stu
learned to rope and ride; appearing at rodeos while tending to college studies to become a teacher.
Instead Stu became a singing cowboy star who began recording in the late ’20s for RCA. Like 90
years ago, in 1928, he moved to Hollywood, where for the next two decades he made spot
appearances in b-movies, usually as the villain, and performed on the radio–as Country Joe, and
as a member of radio’s first Western singing group, Zeke Manner’s Beverly Hill Billies. Later, he
hosted such programs as “Covered Wagon Jubilee” and “King Cowboy and His Woolly West
Review. ” Sponsors were often called upon to spring the boy from the jailblock, where Stu was held
for brawling or shooting out street lights. He was a spirited man, not one of the cloth; you all,
recall.
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Stu turned gospel singer in 1949, after evangelist Billy Graham at a prayer meeting held in L.A.
inspired him at a tent meeting to give up his evil ways. He even ran for president–of the USA, that
is–on the Prohibition ticket in 1952; missing out on the gig by approximately 27 million votes.
Country fans probably remember Stu best for a tasty tune he wrote and recorded but didn’t want
released, “(I Won’t Go Huntin’ With You Jake) But I’ll Go Chasin’ Women” (C&W: #3, 1950).
Having just become a bornagain Christian, Hamblen asked Columbia Records not to issue the
disk. Disregarding his heartfelt wishes, the company pressed thousands of copies. Its success was
followed by Stu’s renditions of three of his finest compositions: “(Remember Me) I’m The One
Who Loves You” (C&W: #2, 1950), “Its’ No Secret (What God Can Do)” (C&W: #8, 1951), and
“This Ole House” (C&W:#2, 1954).
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“It’s No Secret;’ one of the best-known gospels of the 20th century, Stu claims he wrote after a
chance conversation with his old drinking buddy, John Wayne. The story goes that John found
Stu’s born-again stance hard to swallow and in an off-manner replied, “Well, it’s no secret what
God can do.” Hamblen claims the line struck him like a brick.
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Although he claimed he had retired decades back, he began a popular Sunday morning network
radio show over KLAC in 1971. “The Cowboy Church Of The Air” remained on air for more than a
decade.
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Stu Hamblen died at age 81 on March 8, 1989, during surgery for a brain tumor.