On this day (July 19) in 1975, Lefty Frizzell died after suffering a stroke at the age of 47. He wrote and recorded a string of hits in the 1950s. His vocal delivery, inspired by Jimmie Rodgers, had a massive impact on generations of singers who came after him. George Jones, George Strait, Randy Travis, Merle Haggard, and Roy Orbison were among those who looked to this superb vocal stylist for inspiration.
Frizzell proved such an inspiration to Orbison that the music icon honored his musical hero by adopting the name “Lefty Wilbury” during his time with the Traveling Wilburys—considered “perhaps the biggest supergroup of all time.”
By the time Frizzell was 12 years old, he knew he wanted to be a country singer. He didn’t wait long to start chasing the dream. His first public performance was at a high school program. It didn’t take long for his career to start picking up steam.
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Frizzell began performing on the Paris, Texas-based KLPT during World War II. That’s when he met Alice Harper. In 1945, when Frizzell was 17, they tied the knot. The following year, they relocated from Greenville, Texas to Roswell, New Mexico. He landed a regular gig on a local radio station and a spot in the house band at the Cactus Gardens dancehall.
In 1947, when he was 19 years old, Frizzell was convicted of statutory rape after having sex with an underage fan. He was sentenced to six months in jail. While there, he wrote several poems for his wife, who stuck with him through the ordeal. One of those poems later became the song “I Love You a Thousand Ways.”
Lefty Frizzell Goes to Nashville
It was late 1949 before Lefty Frizzell was once again a free man. He didn’t jump directly back into music, though. Instead, he joined his father, working on the oilfields in Texas. Before long, though, he was once again playing in nightclubs. This is where Jim Beck, who owned a recording studio in Dallas, heard Frizzell singing. Impressed by his songwriting, he invited the young singer to record some demos in his studio.
Beck took those demos to Nashville to pitch them. Columbia Records producer Don Was heard them and was impressed with Frizzell’s voice. After seeing him live, Was offered the singer a record deal. He released his debut single, “If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time)” backed with “I Love You a Thousand Ways” in September 1950.
Both sides of the disc topped the country charts. “Look What Thoughts Will Do” followed, peaking at No. He continued to release hits throughout the decade, landing in the top 10 a total of 17 times. Five of those went to No. 1.
His chart success dwindled in the following decade. His only top 10 hit in the 1960s was “Saginaw, Michigan,” which went to No. 1 in 1964.
Lefty Wrote Classics
Lefty Frizzell wrote and co-wrote some of the most memorable songs in the history of country music. Some of those songs became hits for other artists. Others didn’t need chart success to go down as classics. Below is a short list of highlights.
- “Always Late (With Your Kisses)”–Dwight Yoakam (No. 9)
- “I Never Go Around Mirrors”–Keith Whitley
- “I Love You a Thousand Ways”–Willie Nelson(No. 9)
- “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time”–Willie Nelson (No. 1)
- “Mom and Dad’s Waltz”–George Jones
- “That’s the Way Love Goes”–Merle Haggard (No. 1)
Featured Image by Gilles Petard/Redferns
The post On This Day in 1975, Country Music Lost the Singer Who Inspired Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Jones, and “Perhaps the Biggest Supergroup of All Time” appeared first on American Songwriter.
Go To Source | Author: Clayton Edwards
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