It’s 1948 and a Song Called ‘I’m My Own Grandpa’ Is Selling 4 Million Copies. Who Are Those Guys?

If your Dad or Granddad (or maybe your Great Granddad!) was on the planet in 1948, they were happy that the second World War had ended just three years ago. They were living in a United States that had a man named Harry Truman as President, although many of them called him 'Give 'em hell, Harry'. The New York Yankees were either loved or hated for winning what seemed like every World Series.

And while they milked those ten cows or plowed that quarter section of land, they turned up the radio and sang along to a beautiful tune called 'I'm My Own Grandpa'.

Huh? Well, think of it like this: Take one part Weird Al Yankovic and mix in a dose of 'Hee Haw', then add some of the finest pickin' you ever heard and there you had it.

Lonzo and Oscar.

'I'm My Own Grandpa sold over 4 million copies. That's right, 4 million! And believe it or not, RCA Records originally offered the song to Country Music Hall of Famer Eddy Arnold. He was good friends with Lonzo and Oscar and decided to pass on the song (Can you imagine the smooth vocals of Eddy Arnold on 'I'm My Own Grandpa'?).

And so the legend of Lonzo and Oscar began. OK, so who were Lonzo and Oscar?

Well, throughout their long career, 'Lonzo' was actually three different people. Lloyd George was Lonzo until 1950, then Johnny Sullivan took over the Lonzo role until 1967, followed by David Hooten until the act essentially retired in 1985. Kentucky born Rollin Sullivan was 'Oscar' for the entire run of the act. And yes, Johnny and Rollin were indeed brothers.

If you watched Lonzo and Oscar through the years (or remember them through great videos), you love the, what many would call, corn pone humor. But don't miss the excellent musicianship too! These guys, and the people around them, were world class pickers and grinners!

So whatever happened to Lonzo and Oscar?

Well, original 'Lonzo', Lloyd George passed away in 1991 at 67. Second 'Lonzo' Johnny Sullivan passed away from a heart attack in 1967. Rollin Sullivan, the only 'Oscar', passed away in September 2012. He was 93 years old.