Dr. Elmo Schropshire of Novato, who has appeared many times with his band “Wild Blue” on NCBS stages over the years, will be featured on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” program this Saturday morning, December 12. The segment will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the unusual Christmas record “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” by the then Bay Area bluegrass act Elmo & Patsy & The Homestead Act.

The program will include film shot this past week in the Bay Area with Elmo and other local participants in the recording and promotion of the song, some with a merry view…but others not so merry. The program will appear on Channel 7 in the Bay Area.

RIGHT: Patsy & Elmo Schropshire in 1984.

The story behind the best selling holiday tune of all times is Bay Area bluegrass history at its zaniest and worth reading up on if you haven’t yet. Here are some fun current articles about the unlikely, but meteroic rise of “Grandma” to the top of the charts a quarter of a century ago:

SF Chronicle “Wayback” Column “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer At No. 1,”  December 6, 2009.  (The band story)

SF Chronicle “Radio Waves” Column (halfway down) “Good Morning Grandma,” December 11, 2009. (The radio story)

Vanderbilt Magazine “Southern Journal” Column “All I Want For Christmas Is Another Grandma,” December, 2009. (The songwriter story)

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12/12/09 Update: The Good Morning America Weekend segment (under “GMA Hot List”).

Posted Dec 11th, 2009 by Michael Hall in Bluegrass By the Bay, Events |