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James Wayne Stafford (born January 16, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and comedian. While prominent in the 1970s for his recordings " Spiders & Snakes", "Swamp Witch", "Under the Scotsman's Kilt", "
My Girl Bill "My Girl Bill" is a 1974 hit song written and recorded by Jim Stafford. It was the third of four U.S. Top 40 singles from his Jim Stafford (album), eponymous debut album. The lyrics in the verses are spoken, rather than sung. Premise The song is ...
", and "
Wildwood Weed "Wildwood Weed" is a 1964 country-western parody song written by Don Bowman. It was the first track on Side 1 of Bowman's debut LP, ''Our Man in Trouble..."It Only Hurts When I Laugh"'' (RCA Victor catalog numbers LSP-2831 (stereo) and LPM-2831 ...
", Stafford headlined at his own theater in
Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...
, from 1990 to 2020. Stafford is self-taught on guitar,
fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
, piano,
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
, organ, and harmonica.


Early years

Stafford was raised in
Winter Haven, Florida Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is fifty-one miles east of Tampa. The population was 49,219 at the 2020 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 estimates, this city had a population of 44,955, making i ...
. In high school, he played in a band called the Legends, along with friends
Bobby Braddock Robert Valentine Braddock (born August 5, 1940) is an American country songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit songs during more ...
, Kent LaVoie (also known as Lobo) and
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
(of the
Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining th ...
, and
The Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...
).


Career


Recording history

Stafford's first
chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tabu ...
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
was "Swamp Witch", produced by Lobo, which cracked the U.S.
top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
in July 1973. On March 2, 1974, his biggest hit, " Spiders & Snakes", peaked at number three on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
and number 14 in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Top 50 in the UK, selling over two million copies, earning a
gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
that month. Stafford continued to have moderate chart success through most of 1975 with an additional minor hit called "
My Girl Bill "My Girl Bill" is a 1974 hit song written and recorded by Jim Stafford. It was the third of four U.S. Top 40 singles from his Jim Stafford (album), eponymous debut album. The lyrics in the verses are spoken, rather than sung. Premise The song is ...
" which reached number 20 in the BBC Top 50 chart a year earlier in 1974.


Television work

Stafford's first televised appearance was in 1974 on a show called ''Rock Concert'' that aired in the United Kingdom. ''The Jim Stafford Show'' was a six-week summer variety series shown on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
from to . It featured
Valerie Curtin Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter. Personal life Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin ...
,
Richard Stahl Richard Stahl (January 4, 1932 – June 18, 2006) was an American actor who mostly appeared in comic roles on television and in films. Early life Born in Detroit, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. In the 1950 ...
,
Deborah Allen Deborah Allen (born Deborah Lynn Thurmond on September 30, 1953) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Since 1976, Allen has issued 12 albums and charted 14 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. She recorded the 1 ...
, Cyndi Wood, and
Gallagher Gallagher may refer to: Places United States * Gallagher Township, Pennsylvania * Gallagher, West Virginia, an unincorporated place People * Gallagher (comedian) (1946–2022), American stand-up comedian * Gallagher (surname) Fictional characte ...
, and was co-produced by
Tony Scotti Anthony Joseph Scotti (born December 22, 1939) is an American actor, television and film producer, and co-founder of Scotti Brothers Records. He is married to French singer Sylvie Vartan. Early life Scotti and his brother Ben both played footb ...
. Stafford,
Rod Warren Rod Warren (real name Rodney Warnken) (1931 – 22 October 1984) was an American screenwriter, producer, and actor. He was the youngest of three children of Belle and Robert Warnken Sr. of New Jersey. He had one surviving sister Martha Butle ...
,
April Kelly April Kelly (born April Kalinowski) is an American television writer and producer, who co-created '' Boy Meets World'' and ''Girl Meets World'' with Michael Jacobs. Career She was a writer on the shows ''Happy Days'' and ''Mork & Mindy''. She ...
, and
Pat Proft Pat Proft is an American comedy writer, actor, and director. Born in Minnesota in 1947, Proft began his career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis in the mid 1960s. He went on to perform as a one-man comedy act in the late 1960s. I ...
were among the writers on the series. In 1976, Stafford guest-starred in two episodes of '' Gemini Man'', which were later combined into a TV movie titled ''Riding with Death''. He also guest-starred in the episode "The Understudy" on ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
''. Stafford appeared numerous times on music specials, variety shows, and talk shows. He was a frequent guest on ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
''. He co-hosted ''
Those Amazing Animals ''That's Incredible!'' is an American reality television show that aired on the ABC television network from 1980 to 1984. In the tradition of ''You Asked for It'', '' Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' and ''Real People'', the show featured people ...
'' with
Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...
and
Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley ( Wagner, changed by adoption to Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the former wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley ...
, from 1980 to 1981, and also hosted 56 episodes of ''Nashville on the Road''. Stafford was credited with being the supervising writer for ''
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was sched ...
'' revival show, which aired on CBS in 1988.


Songwriting

Stafford contributed to several movie soundtracks. He received a gold record for his work on the Disney movie ''
The Fox and the Hound ''The Fox and the Hound'' is a 1981 American animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. The 24th Disney animated feature film, the film tells the st ...
''. He wrote "Cow Patti" for the Clint Eastwood movie ''
Any Which Way You Can ''Any Which Way You Can'' is a 1980 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis (actor), Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith (actor), William Smith, and Ruth G ...
'' and appeared in the movie. His work has been
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
and
Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...
. His second classical guitar album, ''Somewhere in Time'', appeared in March 2002. His most recent comedy album was ''Don't Tell Mama I'm a Guitar Picker, She Thinks I'm Just in Jail''. In 2010, he produced and recorded his first Christmas album, ''A Guitar for Christmas''.


Live performances

Stafford operated and performed at the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri, beginning in 1990. His children, Sheaffer and GG, would accompany him on stage. The theatre ceased performances in spring 2020, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans to re-open within weeks. However, it was announced in 2021 that the theatre would be razed, and in October 2021 a "pre-demolition auction" of theatre items and personal memorabilia was held and it was expected then that the demolition would take place within 60 days. The famous "guitar neck" in front of the theater, regarded as a beloved Branson landmark, was saved in an effort by
preservationists Preservationist is generally understood to mean ''historic preservationist'': one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects, or sites from demolition or degradation. Historic preservation us ...
and fans.


Personal life

In the late 1970s, Stafford was married briefly to singer-songwriter
Bobbie Gentry Bobbie Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is a retired American singer-songwriter, who was one of the first female artists in America to compose and produce her own material. Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Sou ...
, and they have a son, Tyler Gentry Stafford.Weisbard, Eric. ''Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music''. New York: 2007,
Duke University Press Books Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 Du ...
, Stafford was also married to Ann Britt Stafford for 24 years. She co-owned the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson until December 2013.


Filmography

*'' Gemini Man''/''Riding with Death'' (1976) – Buffalo Bill *''
Any Which Way You Can ''Any Which Way You Can'' is a 1980 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis (actor), Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith (actor), William Smith, and Ruth G ...
'' (1980) – Long John *''E.S.P.'' (1983) *''Kid Colter'' (1984) – Bill Colter *'' Bloodsuckers from Outer Space'' (1984) – Buford *''
Gordy ''Gordy'' is a 1994 American family comedy-drama film directed by Mark Lewis, about a livestock piglet named Gordy who searches for his missing family (who are taken away to a slaughterhouse in Omaha, Nebraska). He experiences the lives of others ...
'' (1995) – Branson performer


Discography


Albums


Singles


References


Bibliography

*Roland, Tom. (1998). "Jim Stafford." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music.'' Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York:
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
. p. 500,


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stafford, Jim 1944 births American country singer-songwriters People from Winter Haven, Florida American male singer-songwriters Living people People from Branson, Missouri Place of birth missing (living people) Singer-songwriters from Florida Singer-songwriters from Missouri Comedians from Missouri Country musicians from Florida Country musicians from Missouri