Duane Dee is an American country singer known for his many guest appearances at the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

and also for a series of minor hits on the country charts, sometimes with songs that went on to be major hits for other artists. Born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, Dee signed a contract with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

, and his second single was "

Before the Next Teardrop Falls ''Before The Next Teardrop Falls'' is an album by Freddy Fender. His first album, it was released in 1974. The album includes the number-one hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights". It peaked at No. 20 on the ...

", which spent several months on the country charts before reaching #44 in early 1968. (In 1975 Freddy Fender's version topped the pop and country charts.) Later in 1968 Dee's original version of "

True Love Travels on a Gravel Road '' True Love Travels on a Gravel Road'' is a song written by the Frazier-Owens songwriting team and popularized by Elvis Presley. It was originally recorded by Duane Dee in 1968, and was a very minor hit, reaching #58 on the country charts. Elvis ...

" reached #58 on the country charts;

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's 1969 version is probably now better known. Moving to

Cartwheel Records Cartwheel Records was a record label located in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was responsible for the start of the country music career of Billy "Crash" Craddock. He had his first No. 1 country hit on the label with "Knock Three Times". Backgr ...

, Dee had more minor country hits in 1971 with "I've Got to Sing" (#71) and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" (#36; a country version of a #1 hit by The Bee Gees). In 1972 he recorded "Sweet Apple Wine" (#64). Moving to

ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels befo ...

, Dee had one more minor hit in 1974 with "Morning Girl" (#88).MusicVF listing for Duane Dee
/ref> Dee now lives in Bradenton,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dee, Duane Musicians from Milwaukee American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters Grand Ole Opry Year of birth missing Possibly living people Singer-songwriters from Wisconsin