By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
This week we’re celebrating the sounds of the Erie County Fair.
Local country music legend Ramblin’ Lou Schriver played the Erie County Fair for an unbelievable 51 straight years.
He started pickin’ at barn dances, and started entertaining on the radio in 1947, playing live and recorded music as a disc jockey.
Milk for Health sponsored Ramblin Lou’s wholesome family radio shows through eight different decades. He even played on stage sitting on a specially painted old-fashioned milk can.
That can, and Ramblin’ Lou’s “Nudie Suit,”with his famous blue jacket emblazoned with an image of Niagara Falls crafted out of sequins by famous County & Western tailor Nudie Cohn, has been one of the most popular displays at the Fair’s Heritage and History Center.
Elvis, Gene Autry, Hank Williams– all regularly wore suits crafted by Nudie Cohn.
Ramblin’ Lou Schriver died at the age of 86 in 2015, but he’s still at the fair in spirit, as the Ramblin’ Lou family band continues to perform daily at the Avenue of the Flags stage.
