Joe Lyons
Musician
Best known for
Songwriter
Joe Lyons was one of the three members of the Vagabonds, the Grand Ole Opry vocal trio whose 1931 arrival broke the show’s string-band-only booking policy. He co-wrote “When It’s Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley” (1932) with Herald Goodman and Sam C. Hart; the Vagabonds introduced the song on the Opry that year, and it has since become a country and bluegrass-gospel standard.
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- One of the three members of the Vagabonds — with Herald Goodman and Dean Upson — who joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1931.
- Co-wrote “When It’s Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley” with Herald Goodman and Sam C. Hart.
- The Vagabonds first sang the song on the Opry in 1932 and recorded it in 1933.
- The song has since been recorded by the Carter Family, Roy Acuff, Hank Locklin, the Stanley Brothers, and many others.
- Helped co-found Nashville’s first dedicated country-music song publisher, Old Cabin Music.
