Homer & Jethro

Country music parody and comedy duo. Homer (Henry Doyle Haynes Jr., July 27, 1920 - August 7, 1971, Knoxville, TN) and Jethro (Kenneth Charles Burns, March 10, 1920 - February 4, 1989, Conasauga, TN) met at the age of 12 when both showed up in separate bands for an amateur contest at Knoxville's WNOX radio station. They were hired by the station after being disqualified from the contest for sounding too professional. A show's MC forgot their names and introduced them as "Homer and Jethro," giving them their stage names. Their parodies earned them a BMI award, a gold record, and a 1959 Grammy, and their popularity caused Kellogg's to feature them in a series of commercials for Corn Flakes. The partnership continued until Homer's death from a heart attack while preparing for a concert in August, 1971. Jethro continued as a respected jazz and country mandolinist until his death from cancer in February 1989.