“Strike up the music, Dad.”

October 14, 2013 1:34 PM

R.I.P. for the original ‘Jewish Hillbilly,’ Zeke Manners, died this date in 2000, who was buried – at his request – wearing “a baseball cap celebrating the Spice Girls, red suspenders and purple glasses from a 99-cent store. A cigar was in his pocket.” [NYT obituary]

Born Leo Ezekiel Mannes in October 1911, Zeke in the 1930s led a country music trio called the Beverly Hill Billies, decades before he sued the famous TV show for using that name. (After the trial, he ended up becoming the show’s musical director and a good friend of Jed Clampett’s, with whom he composed music.)

His recordings included Sioux City Sue, Don’t Dog Me ’Round, the wonderful I’m a Tired Cowboy, and his own composition, The Pennsylvania Polka, played repeatedly in the movie Groundhog Day.

posted by LeLiLo (6 comments total)

What a life.

was buried – at his request – wearing “a baseball cap celebrating the Spice Girls, red suspenders and purple glasses from a 99-cent store. A cigar was in his pocket

Never has it been more obvious that you go through life with the grandfather you have, not the grandfather you wanted.

Serioutly, though , I loved both my grandfathers very much.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:45 PM on October 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

I was just thinking it was time for Spice Girls nostalgia.
posted by limeonaire at 5:50 PM on October 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

I was just thinking it was time for Spice Girls nostalgia.

For some of us they never went away.
posted by bongo_x at 6:36 PM on October 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

♬♩♪♪♪♪ ♫♬

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posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:09 PM on October 14, 2013

I remember the Tired Cowboy song from hearing it as a kid, but didn't realize that Manners recorded it.

He sounds like he was a real character and a hoot to be around.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:11 PM on October 14, 2013

A cigar was in his pocket


I hate to nitpick but I'm pretty sure it was a see-gar.
posted by codswallop at 8:47 PM on October 14, 2013