Herzog Studio (1945-1955) / Hank Williams at Herzog

Earl "Bucky" Herzog, a WLW radio engineer, opened Cincinnati's first commercial recording studio with his brother Charles on the second floor of 811 Race Street in 1945. Working with artists from Sydney Nathan's King Records, WLW radio musicians, and visiting performers, Herzog recorded country music before Nashville. Landmark sessions there included recordings by Flatt and Scruggs, Bull Moose Jackson, The Delmore Brothers, Pattie Page, and Hank Williams. On December 22, 1948, Hank Williams came to the studio to record with WLW's Pleasant Valley Boys, the most in-demand session musicians in country music. They cut "Lovesick Blues," which launched Hank's career into superstardom and led to his invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. After a second session on August 30, 1949, eight Hank Williams classics had been recorded at Herzog, including "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry."

Cincinnati, Ohio · United States