James Elton Baker, known professionally as Elton Britt, was born on July 27, 1913, in Marshall, Arkansas. He was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician who was best known for his western ballads and yodelling songs. He learned to play guitar and developed his yodeling skills inspired by Jimmie Rodgers' records. He began his musical career in the early 1930s with the Beverly Hill Billies, releasing his first single "Chime Bells". His breakthrough came during World War II with the patriotic hit "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere", which sold over four million copies and earned him an invitation to perform at the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Throughout his career, he released numerous albums including Yodel Songs (1956) and The Wandering Cowboy (1959). He died on June 22, 1972, following a heart attack. Posthumously, he was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame in 1990 and America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
