Lattie Harrison Moore was born in Scottsville , Kentucky on October 17th , 1924 , he was named after Lattie Greaves the family doctor who delivered him .
He grew up in Scottsville and at school learned to play guitar , mandolin & bass . On leaving , his first job was as a projectionist at a local cinema where he watched all his fave cowboy films with stars like Gene Autry & Bill Boyd playing on the silver screen . He also spent his time , like most youngsters getting his fix from the stars of the Opry on the radio , this is where he first heard the likes of Hank , Roy Acuff & Ernest Tubb .
In 1944 Lattie had a brief spell in the Navy then on his return married Maxine Frost and they had 4 children and they have recently celebrated 63 together .
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Lattie’s recording career has taken him onto to some of the big labels of country music , King & Starday . But his first record was made for a small Indianapolis label ’ Arrow ’ or ’ Ara ’ , either way this record has not been found . It was called ’ Hideaway Heart ’ / ’ Married Troubles ’ and was cut in 1951 by the labels owner ’ Tate Boland ’.
In 1952 Lattie headed over to Nashville with a hope to record for the ’ Bullet’ label , but on arrival was directed over to a new label ’ Speed ’ , it was here that Lattie recorded his first release ’ Juke Joint Johhny ’ it was recorded above the Buckley record shop on Union Street . No one new the song except Lattie and the Lead guitar player , so to fill out the sound the enginner was told to bring the drums to the fore to fill out the sound , this is now believed to be the first rock’n’roll record recorded in Nashville ! .
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Lattie Moore then went over to the King label and cut 25 tracks for them , where he was often backed by Zeke Turner ( Guitar ) and Don Helms ( Steel ) , it was here that Lattie wrote / co wrote some great honkytonk songs ’Foolish Castles’ , Don’t Trade the Old for A New ’ , A Brand New Case Of Love ’ , 100,000 Women Can’t Be Wrong ’ , Lonesome Man Blues ’ & ’ You Never Looked Sweeter ’ .
King dropped him after six singles and he then recorded a real rockabilly version of ’ Juke Joint Johnny ’ as ’ Juke Box Johnny ’ for the ’ Arc ’ label .
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In 1958 he joined Starday , it was here he recorded 2 singles , ’ Why Did You Lie To Me ’ / ’ You Never Looked Sweeter ’ Starday403 & ’ Too Hot To Handle ’ / ’ Just A Waitin’ ’. These in my opinion are his best sides and showcase the talent of Lattie Moore .
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Around this period his friend Webb Pierce persuaded Sid Nathan at King to resign Lattie , and again he recorded some fantastic country songs like ’ Cajun Doll’ & ’ Drivin’ Nails In my Coffin ’ . After being dropped by King for a second time Lattie then played the bars/ clubs around Nashville through the 60’s into the seventies . Eventually he returned to Scottsville and worked in law enforcement for four years .
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He underwent laser surgery in 1986 for throat cancer and recovered from a quardruple heart by-pass surgery in 1999 . He is now fine and keeps fit with daily 30 minute walks .
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Lattie has given us truly great country songs , he is more than just a Hank imitator , he is LATTIE MOORE , the original ’ Juke Joint Johnny ’ .
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