Top knob "Double Steel Boogie"
  Left knob "It's A Sin"  -  Center knob  "Radio Off "  -  Right knob "Steel Guitar Rag"

101 Ranch Boys on WSBA 
 ABC Radio Network Show

As luck would have it, around this time Leonard was approached by a country western band called the "101 Ranch Boys" who were interested in having him play steel guitar for them.
Being too young to join the Musicians Union, he had to wait until 1945 to become a member of that group.

The original 101 Ranch Boys names are as follows; George Long, Smoky Roberts, Andy Reynolds, and Cliff Brown.
These men came to York PA. from Kansas City, Kansas.

And then Leonard T. Zinn, affectionally known to his friends as simply, LT

Their name was taken from the largest ranch and wild west show in the world, at that time, Cliff Brown suggested the name as his mother was full blooded Ponca Indian and worked on the ranch.

The 101 Ranch Boys went on to record for Columbia Records and held their own radio show on ABC World Wide Network along with Mutual Radio stations. While in this venue, he later learned,  he inspired such great steel guitar players such as; Jimmy Day, Bobby Black, Jodie Carver, Leonard is forever humbled by the thought of that.

The Ranch Boys traveled throughout the USA and other countries working shows with many famous country music bands such as; Rex Allen , Ken Maynard, Jimmy Wakely, Ken Curtis, The Cisco Kid and Poncho and on special shows with Gene Autry.
They also played a show for President Harry S. Truman at Constitution Hall in Washington DC.

After leaving the Ranch Boys in 1956 Leonard went on to play with Tex Ritter, Faron Young, Roy Rogers, Ernest Tubb, and short tours with George Morgan and Red Foley.
 

The Billboard, Issue July 16, 1949

L to R - George Long, Smokey Roberts, Cliff Brown, Leonard Zinn and Andy Reynolds




Wayne Trout, left, a former announcer for WSBA radio in York PA, stands beside
Rev. W.C. "Rocky" Riedel,  Leonard Zinn  and  Smokey Roberts