▁Aut ry ' s ▁Mel ody ▁R anch ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁performed ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁group , ▁the ▁Red ▁River ▁Valley ▁Boys . ▁ ▁The ▁Encyclopedia ▁of ▁Country ▁Music ▁says ▁that ▁the ▁Bond - W ak ely - Har rell ▁tri o ▁" p ul led ▁a ▁clever ▁musical ▁sc am " ▁by ▁recording ▁for ▁two ▁companies ▁under ▁different ▁names : ▁the ▁Jimmy ▁W ak ely ▁T rio ▁( for ▁De cca ▁Records ) ▁and ▁Johnny ▁Bond ▁& ▁the ▁C imar ron ▁Boys ▁( for ▁Columbia ▁Records ). ▁ ▁Bond ▁also ▁acted ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁films , ▁beginning ▁with ▁S aga ▁of ▁Death ▁Valley ▁( 1 9 3 9 ) ▁and ▁including ▁Wilson ▁and ▁D uel ▁in ▁the ▁Sun . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁Bond ▁and ▁Tex ▁Ritter ▁were ▁hosts ▁of ▁the ▁synd ic ated ▁country ▁music ▁television ▁series ▁Town ▁Hall ▁Party , ▁which ▁last ed ▁seven ▁years . ▁ ▁Rec ording ▁ ▁Bond ' s ▁first ▁solo ▁record ings ▁came ▁with ▁Columbia ▁Records ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁He ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁hit ▁" Div or ce ▁Me ▁C . O . D .", ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁seven ▁top ▁ten ▁hits ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁country ▁charts . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁at ▁age ▁ 5 0 ▁he ▁scored ▁the ▁biggest ▁hit ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁with ▁the ▁com ic ▁" T en ▁Little ▁B ott