Larry Arthur Edwards

Larry Arthur Edwards, age 91, passed away December 29, 2022, at Marion General Hospital in Marion, Ohio. He was born March 26, 1931, to the late William and Minnie Edwards

Larry started singing at the age of four and half. His first song was “Old Shep” which he sang at family gatherings and school functions. As a teenager he learned how to play the guitar. His first professional job was in a bar, at the age of 15, which meant one of his parents had to be always with him.

In 1951, he joined the U.S. Navy, he spent the next four years as a Naval Aviation Metalsmith.

After returning to Marion, he formed the band “The Dude Ranch Boys”, which consisted of his brother Chilly, who played the steel guitar, and his distant cousin Jack Kerwood, who played the fiddle. A few months later they added bass to their band, played by his older brother, Foryst, who was known as “Rosebud” on stage. They played for various amateur shows, radio gigs for the fair, and at dances. In the spring of 1959, he took a tape of one of their performances to audition for the Ohio Jamboree, which had recently started under the management of Clay Eager. Clay was a former member of the Midwestern Ride, and then a DJ on WMNI Radio in Columbus, Ohio. The Dude Ranch Boys became regulars on Clay’s show. He cut his first record soon after, a song called “World of Make Believe”, which is included on his 2008 Greatest Hits Album. They then moved to a similar show in Marion, Ohio called the Marion County Jamboree. Throughout the 1960’s he made several more records for various labels. He recorded eight songs in 1964 and 1966, two of which were released under the Starday Record label. One hit the national charts. Some of the others became hits in different local spots throughout Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan. In 1974, he moved to Phoenix. He was out of the music business for a few years but returned as a bass player and band leader. His band has had various names throughout the years, mostly back east as The Dude Ranch Boys and locally known in Phoenix as “The Country Tradition.”

He is survived by three daughters; Eileen (Ray) Bullock, Alpine, TX, Elaine (Jay) Greenawalt, Marion, OH, and Arlene (Dave) Thomas, Green Valley, WV. One son Roger (Kathy) Edwards, Marion, OH, one brother Carnie (Chilly) Edwards, and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his wife Pat Edwards, his parents William and Minnie Edwards, a son Ricky Edwards and a daughter Annette Elliot, brother Foryst Edwards, and sisters Bonnie and Violet.