Country Bear Jamboree

The Country Bear Jamboree is an attraction in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and a former attraction at Disneyland.

This attraction houses about 20 audio-animatronic singing bears singing country-and-western songs. The Country Bear Jamboree opened with Disney World and a year later Disneyland got it's own version of The Country Bear Jamboree. Tokyo Disneyland recieved their version in 1983. The Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland versions had 2 separate theaters that played the same show. The Disneyland version closed in 2001 to make way for The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh.

History
The origin of the Country Bears goes back to a never-realized Disney project in the 1960s to create a ski-resort in Mineral King Valley (now part of Sequoia National Park). In addition to the standard skiing activities, Walt Disney envisioned a variety show put on by the local ursine wildlife. When environmental concerns blocked the development of the Mineral King area, now part of Sequoia National Park, the bear show was shelved.

While the plans for Walt Disney World were being developed, the bear show concept was revived and the Country Bear Jamboree was one of the opening day attractions at the Magic Kingdom.

In 1972, the Indian Village in Disneyland's Frontierland was demolished to make way for a new land, Bear Country, which housed a duplicate version of the Country Bear Jamboree. In 2001, the attraction was closed and the show building was reused to house The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh.

Tokyo Disneyland received a version of the attaction in 1983.

Show versions
The Disneyland version of the attraction featured a so-called cartridge option. This allowed for changes in the show by replacing the master control and audio tape with a different program. The addition of costume and prop changes allowed for different versions of the occur throughout the year. Each change required the show to be shut down for a few weeks while the tapes and costumes were changed.

Aside from the original show, other versions were the "Vacation Hoedown" and a holiday show which ran during the winter holiday season from November through January.

Bears
Henry: He is the MC of the show. He wears a top hat on his head. He appears on stage left, right, and far right. His voice is done by Peter Renaday.

Wendell: He's a little bear that plays an instrument called a mandolin. Other than a bandana around his neck and a hat, he is distinguished by his huge overbite and big buck teeth. He rises on the right side of center stage. His voice is done by Bill Cole

Liver Lips McGrowl: This bear gets his name from, you guessed it, his really long lips. He is known for playing the guitar and being the bear equivalent to Elvis. He appears on stage right. Liver Lips is voiced by Van Stoneman

Gomer: This bear is the only one that does not sing. Instead just plays his piano with a honeycomb on top of it with bees living in it. He rises from the left side of center stage.

Ernest: Ernest, or "The Dude" as some call him, is a small brown bear with a bowler derby hat and a tie around his neck. Ernest's instrument of choice is a fiddle. He appears on the far left stage. Ernest has had two voice actors: From the shows opening in 1971 to 1975 his voice was done by Van Stoneman; From 1975 on, his voice was done by Randy Sparks.

Terrence: Terrence, or Shaker as he's often called, is a bear with tan fur (or gray if you're in Disneyland). He appears on stage left. His instrument is a guitar and his voice is done by Van Stoneman.

Trixie: Trixie is a big brown bear with a blue tutu and a bow on her head to match. She appears on the far right stage. Her voice is done by Cheryl Poole.

Teddi Barra: She is a brown bear with a blue hat with a pink feather on it and a boa around her neck. She is the only bear that doesn’t appear on stage but instead comes down on a swing in the ceiling. Her voice is done by Patsy Stoneman.

The Sun Bonnet Trio: Singing bears that are triplets dressed in matching blue dresses and bonnets (hence the name). All three of them rise from the center of center stage. .Bunny: Voiced by Jackie Ward, she is the bear in the center of the trio. .Bubbles: Voiced by Loulie Jean Norman, she is the bear on the left next to Gomer. .Beulah: Voiced by Peggy Clark, she is the bear on the right next to Wendell.

The Five Bear Rugs : Zeke: The leader of the Five Bear Rugs, he wears a top hat and a pair of glasses. It is said he is the only one in the band who can read music. He strums a banjo and a bangs on a dishpan. He was voiced by Dallas McKennon from 1971 to 1975, then he was voiced by Randy Sparks.

.Zeb: He is a bear with a bandana around his neck, brown fur, and a light brown chest. He plays a fiddle and is voiced by a member of the Stoneman family.

.Ted: He is a tall skinny brown bear that plays a corn jug and washboard.

.Fred: The biggest member of the band who, ironically, plays the smallest instrument which is a harmonica.

.Tennessee: A brown bear that plays a unique instrument, called the one string thang. He also wears a red bandana (blue in Disneyland).

.Little Oscar: He is a small bear cub that's a part of the band but does not play any instrument. He doesn’t talk much either. He is always seen holding his own teddy bear and is the son of Zeb.

Big Al: He is the biggest bear in the show. He is a bear with a gray chest, a tan hat, and a red vest. He appears on the far left stage. He plays the guitar and his voice is done by Tex Ritter.

Rufus: He only appears in the Christmas and Vacation Hoedown versions of the show. He is in charge of changing the scenery and the lights. He is never seen, only his loud footsteps and his heavy breathing as he climbs the stairs to fix something that has gone wrong are heard.

Other animals

Buff: The leader of the animal heads, he is the head of a buffalo performed by Thurl Ravenscroft.

Max: The head of a stag performed by Peter Renaday

Melvin: The head of a not-too-bright moose. His voice is done by Bill Lee.

Sammy: He is a raccoon that pops out of Henry’s hat during the end of the show. He is performed by Bill Cole.

Songs
The Songs in the Original are as follows:


 * "Pianjo" - Henry and Gomer
 * "Bear Band Serenade" - Henry, the Five Bear Rugs and Gomer
 * "Fractured Folk Song" - Henry,and Wendell
 * "My Woman ain't Pretty (But She Don't Swear None)" - Liver Lips McGrowl
 * "Momma Don't Whip Little Buford" - Henry and Wendell
 * "Tears Will Be The Chaser For My Wine" - Trixie (with backup by Gomer)
 * "Pretty Little Devilish Mary" - The Five Bear Rugs
 * "How Long Will My Baby Be Gone" - Terrence
 * "All The Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down" - The Sun Bonnets
 * "If Ya Can't Bite, Don't Growl" - Ernest (with backup by the Five Bear Rugs)
 * "Heart, We Did All That We Could" - Teddi Barra
 * "Blood On The Saddle" - Big Al
 * "The Ballad of Davey Crockett\Blood On the Saddle" Henry and Sammy, interrupted by Big Al
 * "Ol' Slew Foot" - Every one (Except Trixie and Ernest)
 * "Come Again (Come On In)" - Henry, Sammy, Melvin, Buff and Max