Jimmy Sweeney
The R&B years
By Marv Goldberg
© 2026 by Marv Goldberg
Jimmy Sweeney has always been one of my favorite singers. In spite of that, I've been putting off writing about him for years. He sang with two groups (the 5 Bars and the Varieteers; actually the one became the other), but only one member, besides Jimmy, was ever named. For all I know, the membership could have constantly changed. On top of that, from 1947-1955, I could only find two venue ads for the 5 Bars, one for Jimmy Sweeney, and none for the Varieteers (at least not for any Jimmy Sweeney Varieteers).
Part of the problem seems to be that Jimmy (and possibly the others) didn't treat singing as a job, just a kind of hobby. Up until 1955, not a single engagement seemed to be for more than a single day.
Unfortunately, both "5 Bars" and "Varieteers" (especially the latter) were very common group names. (And, I'll bet you have no idea how many sales there were on 5 bars of soap.)
And, to top it off, later on, Jimmy changed his style, tending towards Country & Western. Therefore, this article will only treat the R&B years, up to mid-1955 (although I'll list the rest of them in the discography).
NOTE: almost all his appearances were in Nashville during this period. Unless I specify otherwise, assume the venue is there.
James Sweeney, Jr. was born in Nashville, on March 15, 1922. His parents were James Sweeney, Sr. and Carrie Watson.
Jimmy had a lot of siblings. You can find him called both the second and third oldest of thirteen children, but neither is correct. He was the third oldest of fourteen. If you're interested, they were: Katherine (1916-1990), Jannie Lee (1919-2009; also seen as Janie), the mysterious Sarah (born around 1923 and only in the 1940 census), Dorris Thomas (1927-1996), Dorothy (1927-1929; probably Dorris' twin), Thomas Howard (1929-2003), Robert (1932-2001), Carrie (1933-2018), Orlando (1935-2002), Owsley (1938-2022), Billy (1939-2013), Peggy (1940-2023), and Lettie Jean (1942; I believe she's still alive in 2025).
Nothing spectacular in the 1940, census; the family was in Nashville. (Note that I can't find the family in 1930). There were a lot of kids to support and, since James, Sr. was a janitor in a county school, others had to work. Wife Carrie was a "day worker" in a private home; Jannie Lee was a cook in a county school; and Jimmy was working for a tent and awning company.
In January, 1941, Jimmy married Elsie Eugenia Bell. They would stay married for the rest of his life and have five children: Edgar Mallory, James III, Dorris Thomas (a son), Eugenia JoAnn, and David Earl.
On June 30, 1942, Jimmy registered with the draft. However, his birth year was recorded as 1923 instead of 1922. He was still working for that tent and awning company.
Jimmy was drafted into the U.S. Army on April 3, 1943, but, for some reason, only served for less than 6 months (until September 24).
After that, he joined the 5 Bars. Nothing says if they were already in existence or if they formed in late 1943. They made few appearances, being essentially a radio group. I'll sum up their Nashville radio career here:
On WSIX from December 13, 1943 to March 11, 1944
On WLAC from March 21, 1944 to January 13, 1945
On WLAC from July 18, 1947 to June 30, 1948
After that, they became the Varieteers. However, they still occasionally called themselves the 5 Bars, through February 1949.
Switching careers, Jimmy Sweeney was in the 1944 city directory as a waiter.
To make my life a true joy, there was a Varieteers group on station WSM from May 30 to October 10, 1946. Was this them? I have no idea. The 5 Bars certainly became the Varieteers, on WSM, in 1948, but this seems too early. The only explanation I can come up with is that they were playing with both names and, since they weren't on WLAC in 1946, they went to another station under a different name.
The only other member of the 5 Bars ever named was Jimmy Osborne, a blind pianist. His name was in the September 12, 1947 Nashville Tennessean:
By the way, we recommend "The Five Bars", a quintet of singing Negroes from the Northside, led by piano-playing blind Jimmy Osborne.
James Bostic "Jimmy" Osborne had been blind since the age of seven. He'd had an orchestra in Nashville from early 1943 to Nov 1944. In June 1948, he was part of the Three Maniacs, and in July, there was an ad for Blind Jimmy's Trio, which probably had the same personnel. Interestingly, at the same time, there was another blind pianist named Jimmy Osborne, a youngster from England, brought over to Massachusetts by some soldiers impressed with his talent.
Either in the summer or early fall of 1947, the 5 Bars made their first recordings. These were for Jim Bulleit's Bullet label, from Nashville. The four songs were: "I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart", "To Make A Long Story Shorter", "Deep In My Heart", and "Bar's Boogie".
The first two were released in October 1947. "I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" has Jimmy in the lead. It was a very popular tune that was also recorded by Peggy Lee, Buddy Clark, Alan Dale, Russ Morgan, Eddie Howard, and several others. "To Make A Long Story Shorter" is mostly unison singing; the solo part isn't by Jimmy. Both have nice whistling.
The next number on Bullet seems to be "Deep In My Heart" and "Bar's Boogie". There are some listings for it, but I can find neither labels nor sound files.
Two other songs recorded for Bullet were "You Don't Move Me No More" and "I'll Try To Forget I've Loved You". We'll meet them again in a bit.
The November 21, 1947 Tennessean said, in its Top O' The Mornin' column:
This column first to plug the "Five Bars" (local Negroes, led by blind Jimmy Osborn [sic]) when they aired over WLAC . . . . They have recorded two discs and New York critics [unnamed, of course] compare their work with Ink Spots.
On December 5, 1947, the 5 Bars appeared at Pearl High School to celebrate the opening of the 1947-8 basketball season. On December 10, they performed at a dinner dance at the Richland Country Club.
Finally, a real gig. On December 15, 1947, they appeared, along with Roosevelt Sykes and his Original Honey Drippers, at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium. There were only two shows that day.
There was a photo of the Varieteers appearing at the Legion Hall in Danville, Virginia on December 18. However, they were, as the ad pointed out, from Newark, New Jersey.
On December 22, the 5 Bars were at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, in a revue called "3 Nights Before Christmas". The December 14 Tennessean said that they were "... a young Negro male quintet who have recorded their first song for Bullit [sic] records...."
On February 7, 1948, the 5 Bars appeared, with Brooklyn Dodgers' "Rookie Of The Year" Jackie Robinson, for two shows at the War Memorial Auditorium. The Tennessean of that date said that they were a "local singing group which has gained fame through records and personal appearances...." Note that not one of these personal appearances was for more than one or two performances on a single day.
Sometime in 1948, M-G-M purchased a couple of 5 Bars' songs from Bullet: "You Don't Move Me No More" and "I'll Try To Forget I've Loved You". This would have been during the 1948 musicians' strike, when companies bought up pre-1948 masters. However, they wouldn't be released until 1951.
The February 29, 1948 Tennessean had this:
The faculty and students of Bridgeforth High School at Pulaski [a Tennessee city some 75 miles from Nashville] are sponsoring the "Five Bars", radio artists, featuring tenor soloist, Sweeney and blind Jimmy Austin [sic] the pianist, along with other members of the group, tomorrow night at 8 o'clock. The proceeds will mark one of many efforts to purchase a baby grand piano....
Since this is the only time Jimmy Sweeney is mentioned as being part of the 5 Bars, we can forgive them for getting Jimmy Osborne's name wrong. It's strange that he's only referred to as "Sweeney". That either says that he was some mysterious figure whose first name wasn't known or that he was so popular that it wasn't necessary to give his first name. At least we now know that the rest of the group was comprised of "other members".
Soon after this, Jimmy Osborne left the 5 Bars and formed a trio called the 3 Maniacs. He, along with Dave Gardner (drums) and Johnny Ramon (trumpet), were appearing at the Plantation Club in June.
On May 8, 1948, the 5 Bars, along with Johnny Osborne's orchestra, appeared at the Brentwood Club. Is "Johnny Osborne" a misspelled Jimmy Osborne? No. There was a bassist named Johnny Osborne, who had had a band from around 1940.
The 5 Bars had been on WLAC from July 18, 1947 through June 30, 1948. After that, the Varieteers show up. Here's the Varieteers' radio schedule:
On WSM from June 19, 1948 through June 2, 1951
On WSIX from June 22, 1951 to October 26, 1951
On WSOK from February 2, 1952 to February 17, 1952
On WSOK from January 11, 1953 to July 12, 1953
The Varieteers appeared (June 30, 1948) on Appointment With Music, an NBC show hosted by Snooky Lanson, originating on WSM. They sang "I’m All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart", "Where The Apple Blossoms Fall", and "Sunny Side Of The Street". That was the last day the 5 Bars were listed on WLAC.
On September 10, the 5 Bars appeared at the Club Alert. Again, it was for only two shows on a single night.
On February 15, 1949, the 5 Bars ("local artists of radio and stage") appeared in the auditorium of the Meigs Junior High School. Note how they bounce back and forth between 5 Bars and Varieteers.
March 27 found the 5 Bars at a "Pre-Easter Fashion Revue And Musicale" in the War Memorial Auditorium. On April 25, they were once again at Pearl HS in a "Musical Extravaganza".
The March 4, 1950 Cleveland Call And Post had a photo of the Varieteers, saying that their radio show had gotten a sponsor. However, that was a local Cleveland gospel group
Around March 1950, Jimmy Sweeney recorded four songs for Nashville's Tennessee label (owned by Alvin and Reynolds Bubis, with Ted Jarrett as head of A&R): "I Gotta Leave This Town", "Boogie-Woogie Jockey", "Tobacco Road", and "The Song Of The Wind". All four tunes were released in April.
"Boogie-Woogie Jockey" was about Gene Nobles, a WLAC DJ, whose voice appears on the tune; it was paired with "I Gotta Leave This Town". Note that there's no group on either side. "Tobacco Road" was then coupled with "The Song Of The Wind". The former has, per the label, a "choir"; the latter has a female chorus. Both records were reviewed in the May 20 Billboard:
Boogie-Woogie Jockey (70): Easy, soft-spun boogie, in a "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine" vein, is dedicated to a jockey named "Gene". Pleasant, unexciting side.
I Gotta Leave This Town (76): The blues-ballad crooner comes on with some sweet tenor phrasing in an attractively plaintive piece.
Tobacco Road (68): Sweet-voiced warbler is aided by a choir in a classy production of some rich standard-type material.
The Song Of The Wind (69): Pleasant production of some pleasant-enough material with a tropical flavor.
The 1950 census shows Jimmy and Elsie, with their three sons: Edgar, James III, and Dorris Thomas. Jimmy is a carpenter (and would continue as such, at least through the 1958 City Directory).
The 5 Bars appeared at a benefit for handicapped children, at the Bijou Theater on July 22, 1950. I wonder how they kept track of whether they were the 5 Bars or the Varieteers on any given day.
On October 2, 1950, the Varieteers ("male vocal quartet") competed on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program. I have no idea if this is them, but most probably not.
1951 began with M-G-M issuing those 1947 5 Bars' masters they'd purchased from Jim Bulleit back in 1948. I guess M-G-M kept up with the times: they were released as the "Varieteers". "I'll Try To Forget I've Loved You" has a bass part; "You Don't Move Me No More" starts with the bass; Jimmy does the bridge. They were reviewed in the January 27 Cash Box:
A new harmonizing group turns in a grand job on a slow ballad ["Forget"]. Done in the style of a vocal solo with the group chiming in, the boys put a lot of feeling into the number on the upper level. The bottom half is done in similar manner again showing the group's abilities. Ops [juke box owners] will want to hear this.
On April 25, Jimmy was one of many, many acts who auditioned, at WSIX, to appear on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. Another was Kathy Copas, daughter of famed C&W singer Cowboy Copas. Jimmy didn't make it into the finals; she did.
The Varieteers appeared, with Amos Milburn, on June 24, 1951, at the War Memorial Building auditorium. Auditioning for Milburn, the article in the June 21 Nashville Banner said, was a local singer named Helen Foster (who'd just made her first recordings for Tennessee). The article concluded with:
Another local group appearing on the Milburn bill will be "The Varieteers", a WSM blues singing quartet, featuring Jimmy Sweneey [sic].
While it's nice that they named Jimmy as lead, they had recently (June 2) left WSM and had just started on WSIX a couple of days previously.
In late 1951, Jimmy did some more recording for Tennessee: "It's Goodbye Again" and "(It's) Needless". On these, he was backed up by the Dinning Brothers.
Who were the Dinning Brothers? Wade Dinning (bassist) and Vernon Kermit "Ace" Dinning (guitar, sax, clarinet), from Bowling Green, Kentucky, were brothers of the more famous Dinning Sisters, and usually advertised themselves that way. (Another brother, Max Edward Dinning, is better known to you as "Mark Dinning", who had a hit record with "Teen Angel".) Other members of the "Dinning Brothers" were Billy Vaughn (piano) and Wilfred "Wink" Wright (drums).
The Dinning Brothers were in the studio that day to record "The Senator From Tennessee", a song honoring Estes Kefauver, who'd soon be running for president. The master numbers from that session were contiguous with Jim Sweeney's. I first thought that, since they were around when he came to record, they were thrown in behind him. However, "Vaughn" is the composer of "(It's) Needless"; "Dinning" is composer of the flip side. So, somehow, they'd hooked up prior to the session. It was a good paring; they do a nice job, but there's no indication that Jimmy ever appeared with the Dinning Brothers. Billy Vaughn would end up in the Hilltoppers and go on to be a successful orchestra leader.
There was a Varieteers at the Apollo the week of December 14, 1951. Apollo owner Frank Schiffman called them "Four struggling amateurs. Do not have a good act." Don't worry, it's not them.
The two tunes were released, on Tennessee, in March 1952, as "Jim Sweeney And The Dinning Brothers". Note that "It's Goodbye Again" was mangled to "It's Goodby Again" on the label.
On Sunday March 23, 1952, there was a listing for Jimmy Sweeney on WSOK (Nashville) from 5:45 to 6:00. He was also there on March 30 and April 6; only three Sundays. The 5 Bars (not the Varieteers) were on WSOK from December 21, 1952 to July 24, 1953. How did their fans keep this straight?
Sometime in 1952, the Varieteers (or maybe the 5 Bars) recorded a couple of tunes for Tennessee: "Memories Of You" and "When Did You Leave Heaven". It would be a while before they were released.
On February 8, 1953, Jimmy Sweeney appeared at the Mamba Lounge as a singer with the Johnny Shaw Trio. The ad said "Starting Sun., Feb 8th - Nightly Except Monday", but there was only a single ad. (Actually, that was also the only ad ever for the Mamba Lounge.) Therefore, I have to ask if the appearance actually happened. On March 1, Johnny Shaw was announced as a new DJ on WSOK, playing gospel. He was said to be leader of the Blue Sky Trio.
In May 1953, Jimmy recorded a couple of songs for Republic Records, a subsidiary of Tennessee: "Believe In Me" and "Desire"; they were released around October. Once again, he was recording on his own. The label for "Believe In Me" says it's a "Vocal Duet"; Jimmy was overdubbed singing with himself.
Beats me why, but both the 5 Bars and the Varieteers had concurrent radio shows on WSOK in 1953: the 5 Bars from January 4 to July 17 and the Varieteers from January 11 to July 12.
There were, as I've said, many Varieteers groups at the same time. They included ones in Cleveland; Chicago; New York; Oakland; Greensboro, NC; Newport News; northern Minnesota; Los Angeles; Lancaster, PA; Morristown, NJ; and Baltimore.
For example, in early October 1953, the Varieteers were at Ciro's in Hollywood, performing in the intermissions between sets of Xavier Cugat's orchestra. There was a Varieteers at L.A.'s Stadium Club at the same time; however, their singer was Kay Brown, who was white. Another different group.
Around January 1954 Jimmy and the Varieteers did some recording for Roy Acuff and Fred Rose's Hickory label: "I've Got A Woman's Love", "Deep Blues" and "I Pay With Every Breath". The first two were released in February and reviewed in the March 6 editions of Billboard and Cash Box:
I've Got A Woman's Love (BB; 62): Sweeney bows on the new label with a sweet recording of a pretty and sentimental tune. He is backed by The Varieteers. Tune could get action in the r.&b. field as well as pop.
Deep Blues (BB; 62): Mild blues effort receives a warm vocal from Sweeney and a vocal group. Sweeney has a mighty smooth style. Both sides could use more excitement.
I've Got A Woman's Love (CB; B): Jimmy Sweeney and the Varieteers team up on a touching number given a feelingful reading by the boys. Lovely tune and terrific crew.
Deep Blues (CB; C+): The talented artists rhythm through a solid jumper with a spiritual flavor. Great sound.
Considering that "Deep Blues" has always been one of my favorite recordings, I want my subscription money back.
And now we come to a recording that I wish I could avoid. In 1954, Jimmy made a demo recording of a song called "Without You". While the song and the demo are real, there are many fanciful stories about it. He may or may not have made it for Sun records, but Sun's owner, Sam Phillips, ended up with the demo disc (which didn't have Sweeney's name on the label). Phillips may or may not have played it for Elvis Presley, who may or may not have wailed that he could never sound like that. The story has been called both true and a myth. You can read dozens of write-ups about it on the Internet. Once again, the demo record was definitely real. Other than that, I'll let others argue over it.
From June 11 to August 21, 1954, the Varieteers appeared at Danny's in West Memphis, Arkansas. However, this was Houston Stokes & the Varieteers, not ours.
The June 22, 1954 Elizabethton, Tennessee Star talked about the Varieteers entertaining at a Lions Club officer installation meeting. However, this batch was a female trio. I really wish they'd picked a better name.
In the summer of 1954, Jimmy and the Varieteers recorded three more songs for Hickory: "If You And I Could Be Sweethearts", "Minnie, Come Home", and "Call My Gal, Miss Jones". In August, Hickory released "If You And I Could Be Sweethearts" (unison singing, only credited to the Varieteers), paired with the older "I Pay With Every Breath" (with Jimmy's name on the label). They were reviewed (both "C+") in the September 4 Cash Box:
If You And I Could Be Sweethearts: The Varieteers have an interesting sound that comes over well on this catchy rhythm number. Piece jumps.
I Pay With Every Breath: Jimmy Sweeney takes the vocal spotlight against the smooth backdrop of the Varieteers as they ease through a ballad.
In November 1954, Republic issued a couple of old Tennessee masters, which had been recorded in 1952 as the Varieteers: "Memories Of You", backed with "When Did You Leave Heaven?". However, instead of the 5 Bars or the Varieteers, these were credited, for unknown reasons, to the "4 Bars". They were reviewed in the March 5, 1955 Billboard:
Memories Of You (70): Lead singer in this group has a voice with style and flexibility. Nice sound to the disk.
When Did You Leave Heaven (65): "Will they miss you? Can you get back in?" In heaven, that is. It's a slow-paced ditty. Good diction, but unexciting.
The last Varieteers record was issued on Hickory in May 1955: "Call My Gal, Miss Jones", backed with "Minnie, Come Home". "Minnie" features unison singing, along with their unknown bass. They were reviewed in the May 28 issues of both Billboard and Cash Box:
Call My Gal, Miss Jones (BB; 74): Humorous hunk of material is given a gay ride. There's some spin potential here, with the appeal likely to be as strong in pop and r.&b. areas.
Minnie, Come Home (BB; 70): Rhythmic group chant by the boys figures to please the dancers.
Call My Gal, Miss Jones (CB; B): The Varieteers offer a quick beat novelty reading of a cornball pretty. Good voice blend and polished performance. Solid juke box possibilities.
Minnie, Come Home (CB; B+): Quick beat bouncer effectively projected by the Varieteers. Group gets off a solid reading and the deck could get good action both r&b and pop. Two good sides.
For some reason, Cash Box reviewed the disc again on June 11, this time giving "Minnie" a "B" and "Call" a "C+". Go figure.
However, before all this happened, Jimmy Sweeney had jumped ship. In April 1955, he'd had a release on the Hidus label (from Springfield, Tennessee), as "Jimmy Destry with the Rhythm Rockers": "Danny Boy" and "You're Gonna Be Sorry" (which Jimmy wrote). I've never heard either, but the May 14 Billboard review referred to "You're Gonna Be Sorry" as "hillbilly material". The Varieteers and 5 Bars were never heard of again.
This marks the end of my research into Jimmy Sweeney. He'd continue to have releases into 1966, with a couple credited to "Jimmy Bell". Most were in the C&W field, a couple, like "Tica Boo" and "Bongo Olay" were kind of calypso. As I said, you'll find the list in the discography.
Around 1962, his carpentering days behind him, Jimmy started working for the Post Office.
Aside from being a singer, Jimmy Sweeney was a songwriter. Of the songs I've talked about, he wrote "Boogie-Woogie Jockey", "I Gotta Leave This Town", "The Song Of The Wind", "Believe In Me", "I Pay With Every Breath", "If You And I Could Be Sweethearts", "Call My Gal, Miss Jones", and "Minnie, Come Home". He'd go on to write for Marty Robbins.
Jimmy Sweeney passed away, from cancer, on October 3, 1992, still in Nashville. His obituary named loads of relatives, but said nothing about his singing career.
As I said in the beginning, Jimmy Sweeney is high on my list of favorite singers. I've tried my best to unravel his 5 Bars and Varieteers, but it looks like they'll always remain mystery groups.
BULLET (5 Bars)
1009 I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart / To Make A Long Story Shorter - 10/47
1010 Deep In My Heart / Bar's Boogie - 47
Does the above record even exist?
TENNESSEE (Jimmy Sweeney)
714 Boogie-Woogie Jockey / I Gotta Leave This Town - 4/50
715 Tobacco Road / The Song Of The Wind - 4/50
M-G-M (Varieteers; masters purchased from Bullet in 1948; recorded in 1947)
10888 I'll Try To Forget I've Loved You / You Don't Move Me No More - 1/51
TENNESSEE (Jim Sweeney & Dinning Brothers)
809 It's Goodby [sic] Again / (It's) Needless - 3/52
REPUBLIC (Jimmy Sweeney; subsidiary of Tennessee)
7054 Believe In Me / Desire - ca. 10/53
HICKORY (Varieteers)
1004 I've Got A Woman's Love / Deep Blues - 2/54
Above as Jimmy Sweeney & Varieteers
1014 I Pay With Every Breath / If You And I Could Be Sweethearts - 8/54
Above as "The Varieteers, Vocal by Jimmy Sweeney" / "The Varieteers"
REPUBLIC (4 Bars; 1952 Tennessee masters)
7101 Memories Of You / When Did You Leave Heaven? - 11/54
HICKORY (Varieteers)
1025 Call My Gal, Miss Jones / Minnie, Come Home - 5/55
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LATER EFFORTS (tending towards C&W)
HIDUS (Jimmy Destry with the Rhythm Rockers)
2009 Danny Boy / You're Gonna Be Sorry - 4/55
CHIC (Jimmy Sweeney)
1002 The Question / These Tears - 12/56
1007 Tica Boo / Bongo Olay - ca. 3/57
DATE (Jim Sweeney; subsidiary of Columbia)
1001 The Midnight Hour / Till The Right One Comes Along - 1/58
COLUMBIA (Jim Sweeney)
4-41201 Sick, Sick, Sick / Gonna Find My Sweetheart - 6/58
4-41262 It Wouldn't Be The Same / Afraid - 11/58
4-41454 (Where You Lead Me) I'll Follow You / The Buzzard And The Owl - 8/59
HICKORY (as Jimmy Bell)
1115 Prayin' For Someone To Love/ What'cha Gonna Do About Me - 2/60
1136 She Wears My Ring / Going Down To The River - 11/60
1146 Lunch In A Bucket / (Yes) Here I Go Again - 4/61
1156 The Poorest Boy In Town / Honey Bee - 10/61
1168 Tomorrow Is A-Comin' / Your Skies Of Blue - 62
BUCKLEY (Jimmy Sweeney; reissues of Hickory sides)
1101 She Wears My Ring / What'cha Gonna Do About Me - 7/62
PARTHENON (Jimmy Sweeney)
P 1800 Endless / Beloved - ca. 66
