A local musician featured on WHOW during its country music heyday has passed away recently.

 

Ira Fielding Garner Jr., known around Central Illinois as JR Garner, recently passed away. Glenn Spain, one of JR's bandmates, remembers JR as a good friend and someone who loved playing music. Glenn Spain and JR performed together on WHOW in the Sangamon Valley Boys.

 

 

 

Spain reminisces that the Sangamon Valley Boys performed live on WHOW during the Johnny Barton days and played gigs all over Central Illinois. Spain says the band was featured on WHOW every Saturday morning for several years.

 

WHOW featured live country music from the time it went on the air in 1947 through the 1960's.