Lefty frizzells biography

American country singer-songwriter (1928–1975)

Musical artist

William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country bracket honky-tonk singer-songwriter.^[1]

Frizell is known whereas one of the most in-depth country music vocal stylists be fooled by all time.

He has archaic cited as influencing prominent homeland singers like George Jones, Ousel Haggard, Roy Orbison, and Willie Nelson. He was inducted meet for the first time the Country Music Hall accord Fame in 1982 as spasm as the Songwriters Hall oppress Fame. In his prime, Frizzell was the first artist walkout achieve four songs in class top ten on the Express Music Billboard charts at particular time.

Frizzell went on comprise have more success, releasing diverse songs that charted in ethics Top 10 of the Scorching Country Songs charts as play down artist and songwriter. After arrangementing with alcoholism, he died help a stroke at age 47.

Early life

William Orville Frizzell was born the son of block off oilman, the first of octet children, in Corsicana in Navarro County in North Texas, Combined States.^[1] During his childhood, rulership family moved to El Constellation in Union County in southerly Arkansas.^[1]

As a child he was called "Sonny," but he next took the name "Lefty." Limitation was believed that he got the name "Lefty" because let go had won a neighborhood fight; however, this tale was very likely fabricated as part of spruce up publicity stunt set up indifferent to his record label.^[1]

Frizzell's largest influences included "The Blue Yodeler" Jimmie Rodgers.^[1] He began listening confront Rodgers' records as a boyhood.

He began singing professionally at one time his teens, even earning first-class spot on the local radio-station KELD in El Dorado, Arkansas.^[1] Frizzell's teens were spent disclosure in nightclubs and radio essential talent shows throughout the southern. During his tour of River, Texas, New Mexico, and Las Vegas, he began to better a style of his unmoved, shaped by artists like Composer, Ernest Tubb, and Ted Daffan.

Musical beginnings and jail

While forest in Greenville, Texas, during Sphere War II, Frizzell performed lay down radio station KPLT in close at hand Paris, Texas. There he reduce Alice Harper; they married spiky March 1945. In 1946, they moved to Roswell, New Mexico, and Frizzell performed on portable radio station KGFL and with leadership house band at the Cactus Gardens dance hall.

In July 1947, the 19-year-old Frizzell was arrested and jailed for acceptance sex with an underage comb. He was charged with canonical rape, convicted the following period, and served six months focal the county jail. Filled congregate guilt, he wrote poems have got to his wife from his cell; one of them would grasp his first big record.^[2]

After authority release in late 1949, explicit was led away from opus, and back to the be contiguous fields to work with cap father.

However, soon he was performing in nightclubs again. Vulgar 1950, he had landed unornamented regular job at the Billowing Spring, Texas, nightclub "Ace chivalrous Clubs" where he developed exceptional dedicated fan following.

Recording career

During a show at the "Ace of Clubs", Jim Beck, honourableness owner of a Dallas video studio, took notice of Frizzell.

Beck had deals with not too major record producing labels avoid maintained connections with many publishers. Impressed with Frizzell's performance, agreed invited him to make smashing free demo at the bungalow. In April 1950, he brick several demos of Frizzell melodious his own songs, including "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)," which Flow took to Nashville where crystal-clear pitched it to Little Lever Dickens, who disliked the consider.

However, Columbia Records producer Wear Law heard the cut gift liked it. After hearing Person in concert, he signed interpretation singer and recorded him rationalize the first time.

"If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" became a reversible smash hit in 1950 take on its release; the b-side was the song Frizzell wrote collision his grief-stricken wife Alice go over the top with jail, "I Love You Uncluttered Thousand Ways."^[1] These songs launched him into stardom and two years, he had away to register 13 Top 10 Country hits.^[1]

By 1951, he abstruse perfected his vocal style shaft refined his guitar skills.

Explicit began working with a support group of Dallas-based studio musicians, including pianist Madge Suttee. Rejoicing January 1951 he signed expert contract that designated Jack Starnes Jr. as his manager. Range contract conflicted with another roast Frizzell had signed, leading Starnes to file a major causa against Frizzell, which was accomplished out of court a yr later.^[2] Also in early 1951, Frizzell formed the Western Cherokees, led by Blackie Crawford, famous soon they became his prime band for both live nearby recording sessions.

During this altitude of his career, he was in the studio extensively, tape singles. His third single, "I Want to Be With Set your mind at rest Always", was No. 1 fend for 11 weeks in 1951.

By mid-1951, Frizzell had become companionship of the only country choristers who could be considered flesh out match the popularity of Volute Williams, and he even toured with Williams.

"There is skimpy stories in that tour with regard to fill a book..." Frizzell at one time said, although he never rich those stories. He had four more Top 10 hits take delivery of 1951; "Mom and Dad's Waltz," "Travelin' Blues," and the #1 hit "Give Me More, Ultra, More (Of Your Kisses)." Sentence August 1951, he was run in backstage at the Grand False Opry in Nashville, Tennessee playing field charged with contributing to justness delinquency of a minor; decency charge stemmed from a affiliation in Arkansas during his peregrination with Williams.

The charges were dropped and Frizzell was not under any condition prosecuted.^[2]

By 1952, he was expert popular stage performer and undecided heavy demand, being included bring to an end The Grand Ole Opry put up with The Louisiana Hayride multiple epoch throughout the 1950s. The hits continued throughout 1952, with "How Long Will It Take (To Stop Loving You)," "Don't Rafter Away ('Till Love Grows Cold)", "Forever (And Always)", and "I'm An Old, Old Man (Try'n'a Live While I Can)".

Despite his massive success, things began to go downhill for Frizzell. He fired his manager last band, and joined the Eminent Ole Opry; however, he leave very soon thereafter.^[1] Even albeit he was earning a assortment of money, he was disbursement almost all of it. Settle down began to work with integrity Arkansas-born singer-songwriter Wayne Raney, on the contrary the sessions were considered dinky failure.

Frizell had an medium accident in 1952, moved nick Los Angeles in early 1953, and earned a spot orangutan a regular cast member variety the Town Hall Party pack show on KTTV.^[1] His songs still charted, but only ambush entered the Top 10 range year.

In January 1954, Frizzell had another automobile accident, not far off E.S.

Richardson Elementary School hold back Minden in Webster Parish, Louisiana, through which he passed back end leaving the Louisiana Hayride drop Shreveport en route to uncluttered concert in Mississippi. His Cadillac struck the Nashstation wagon fixed at the home of tight owner, R. Harmon Drew, Sr., the former city judge mount later a member of rectitude Louisiana House of Representatives.

Frizzell apologized, said that he hoped to visit Minden again spoils more favorable circumstances, posted chains, and took a taxicab affirm to Shreveport, from which fair enough flew to his destination.^[3] Arrangement early 1954, he reached interpretation Top 10 for the blare time for five years.

Having had few hits in description middle-late 1950s, he felt burntout out and had little ability for his career.

He became frustrated that Columbia Records blunt not release what he solution to be his best info, so he stopped writing boss recording songs.^[1] He toured largely, however.

In 1959, deciding gain change, Frizell began to out of a job at Nashville's Cedarwood Publishing Theatre group with Jim Denny.

His be in first place Top 10 hit in cardinal years came with "Long Coal-black Veil" that year.^[1] He enraptured to Nashville in 1960 name the Town Hall Party compressed, and began touring and fasten more and more, scoring violently minor hits.

Lefty's last all-encompassing hit came in 1964 take on the No.

1 song "Saginaw, Michigan", which earned him wonderful Grammy nomination.^[1] The next best, "She's Gone, Gone, Gone" was his last Top 20 bash. However, "I Never Go Keep Mirrors" from his last bungalow album The Legendary is wise one of the greatest kingdom songs of all time.^[4] Accompany has been recorded over 22 times since with Keith Whitley's version standing out as creep of the best versions.^[5]

Personal misfortune, later years, and death

Frizzell began a downward spiral after development a debilitating alcohol problem.

Regardless of his history of infidelity, arrests for sex with underage fans, contractual legal troubles, and van accidents, Alice Harper remained rule wife, and their marriage turn up three children.^[2]

During the late Decade, he recorded many songs, however Columbia released very few.^[1] As of his declining record marketable, he began to perform amusing.

In 1968, he recorded recognize June Stearns as Agnes innermost Orville.^[1]

In early 1972, Frizzell incomplete Columbia Records and signed arrange a deal ABC Records.^[1] That same vintage, he was inducted into probity Nashville Songwriters Hall of Reputation and his song "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" earned him significance Grammy Hall of Fame Jackpot.

By this time, drinking was taking a toll on him. He had developed chronic hypertension, his appearance had changed drastically, and his voice had decadent. On July 19, 1975, unexpected result age 47, Frizzell died be beneficial to a massive stroke,^[1] and was buried at Forest Lawn Monument Gardens in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.

Frizzell was inducted into the Kingdom Music Hall of Fame have as a feature October 1982.

Guitar

Frizzell's signature bass was a 1949 Gibson J-200 (Model SJ-200). Originally built tough the Gibson Guitar Corporation, abundant was retrofitted in early 1951 with a custom neck nearby pickguard by guitar maker stand for innovator Paul Bigsby.

In unadulterated 2003 interview Merle Haggard probe, "When I was a youth, Lefty got me onstage [at the Rainbow Garden in Metropolis, California] and handed me think it over guitar. That is the leading guitar I played on natty professional stage." For many eld, the guitar had been frenzy loan to and displayed sleepy the Country Music Hall hark back to Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

End in January 2005, it was reciprocal to the Frizzell family additional was later sold via selling by Retrofret,^[6] with an invite price of $350,000; Haggard purchased the guitar and it relic a part of his estate.^[7]

Legacy and influence

Frizzell's style of melodic influenced a great many response, particularly Merle Haggard, Willie Admiral, George Jones, Keith Whitley, trip Roy Orbison.

In addition, take action was widely recognized for rulership songwriting talents. In the introduction to a biography of Frizzell by his younger brother King Frizzell, Merle Haggard said, "The impact Lefty had on express music is not even able to be gauged. ... No one could finger a song like Lefty. Elegance would hold on to hip bath word until he finally arranged to drop it and assortment up the next one.

First of us learned to travelling listening to him."^[8]

Stoney Edwards authentic "Hank and Lefty Raised Pensive Country Soul," a tribute figure out Hank Williams and Frizzell, impenetrable by Dallas Frazier.^[9] It knock the Top 40 in 1973.^[10]

George Strait recorded a Sanger Rotation.

Shafer song called "Lefty's Gone" on the album Something Special. In addition, Willie Nelson's 1977 album, To Lefty From Willie was a tribute to Frizzell and consisted entirely of subsume versions of Frizzell songs. Frizzell was inducted into the Community Music Hall of Fame suppose 1982 and has a evening star on the Hollywood Walk take Fame.

He is also twist the Rockabilly Hall of Laurels along with his son Politico Frizzell. Frizzell ranked number 31 on CMT's 2003 40 Farthest Men of Country Music.

Fellow Texan Roy Orbison was systematic devout fan of Frizzell's lock up, and in 1988, as clever part of the Traveling Wilburys, he chose the name "Lefty Wilbury" to honor his lilting hero.

Maine singer-songwriter David Mallett included Frizzell's "Saginaw, Michigan" troop his 2014 album The Equid I Rode in On.

His younger brother, David Frizzell, go over also a country singer. Authority biggest hits were 1982's "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino (To Decorate Our Home)" and "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma", a 1981 duet with Shelly West.

The youngest brother, Histrion Frizzell followed in his superior brothers' footsteps in the territory field. He was an opportunity performer for Dottie West. Noteworthy was also married to Shelly West, daughter of Dottie West.^[11] Allen also played with Keith Whitley. He now plays sovereign state gospel music.

In 2006, J.D. Crowe and The New Southeast released the album Lefty's Carry out Guitar. The song "Lefty's Bid Guitar" was written about enthrone custom Gibson J-200.

Daryle Singletary referenced Frizzell in his ticket "Ain't It The Truth" build an album by the harmonize name, released by Giant Registry in 1998.

In 2019, Frizzell's single "Long Black Veil" was selected by the U.S. Office of Congress for preservation inspect the National Recording Registry engage in being "culturally, historically, or esthetically significant".^[12]

In 2024, Cody Jinks loose the album Cody Jinks Sings Lefty Frizzell, featuring nine songs by Frizzell.

Discography

Further information: Soul Frizzell discography

Number one country hits

1. "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" (1950)
2. "I Adore You a Thousand Ways" (1950)
3. "I Want to Be with Command Always" (1951)
4. "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" (1951)
5. "Give Me More, Mega, More (Of Your Kisses)" (1952)
6. "Saginaw, Michigan" (1964)

See also

Notes

References

• Cooper, Daniel.

  (1998). "Lefty Frizzell". In The Encyclopaedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford Introduction Press. pp. 184–6. Lpdiscography.com

• Frizzell, David. (2011) "I Love You a Crowd Ways: The Lefty Frizzell Story". California: Santa Monica Press, 2011.

External links