He and his sister sang in choirs and took part in local talent contests, and he grew up listening to rhythm and blues as well as country music.
He graduated from high school in Ludlow, Kentucky, in 1940, and married the same year, before starting work installing PA systems in nearby Cincinnati.
He learned the guitar, and began writing songs, performing regularly on radio station WLOU and in clubs as leader of a country trio.
Later in 1953, Logsdon joined station WHAS-TV, and hosted and performed, with his band the Golden Harvest Boys, on its country music show.
[4] For his next recording for Roulette, "I Got a Rocket in My Pocket", also co-written with McAlpin, he used the pseudonym Jimmy Lloyd, recognising that country fans did not appreciate him singing rock and roll, particularly a song with lyrics of which some disapproved.