Pinky Tomlin

Who was Pinky Tomlin?

Truman "Pinky" Tomlin was a singer, songwriter, and bandleader of the 1930s and 1940s. He also acted in occasional motion pictures. He wrote and published 22 songs, several of which were in the top ten on the "Hit Parade." In 1938, a song he had written, titled "In Ole Oklahoma," was named as Oklahoma’s state song by the Oklahoma State Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Born in Eros, Arkansas, Tomlin grew up in Durant, Oklahoma. He was nicknamed Pinky because his red hair and fair complexion sunburned easily. A boyhood fascination with music soon gave him a widespread reputation as a banjoist and, at age 16 he was hired to play on a riverboat in St. Louis, with the Louis Armstrong band. During that time, Pinky learned to play the guitar, which later became an important part of his live shows, both at the Roxy Theatre in New York and at the Biltmore Bowl in Hollywood.

He can be heard as a contestant on the February 24, 1958 edition of You Bet Your Life, performing "The Object of My Affection" before the quiz.