As unlikely as it may now seem, Burrus Mill in Saginaw, Texas once was home to an important recording studio. Bob Wills recorded "New San Antonio Rose," which went on to sell more than a million records, in that studio. "Pappy" O' Daniel, a musician in his own right, hosted a radio show that broadcast statewide from that location, and the fame he achieved on the show helped him become the governor of Texas. Not long ago my grandfather told me about Pappy's gubernatorial campaign. A wagon traveled through the North Side of town giving away biscuits. "Pass me a biscuit, Pappy" was O' Daniel's slogan. In the 1930s, a free biscuit was always welcome, and I imagine that "Pappy" garnered at least one vote per cat-head.
When the major labels were in town to record regional acts, they would sometimes use Burrus Mill Recording Studio. Ted Daffan's Texans first recorded at the mill in 1940. Daffan, incidentally, was an early pioneer of country steel guitar. Okeh, a major label for "hillbilly" and "race" recordings at the time, produced sides by Ted Daffan's Texans in 1942. Here is a link to two of the act's California recordings.
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