Jimmy Duncan ''(née'' James Ollie Duncan, Jr.; 25 June 1927 in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

– 9 November 2011 in Houston) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

songwriter, singer, composer, author, arranger and producer, best known for his 1957 song "

My Special Angel "My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957. It was first recorded by the Sonny Land Trio and released by them in 1957, and was a crossover hit that year for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel," which Bobby Helms record ...

," a No.1 country/western hit for

Bobby Helms Robert Lee Helms (August 15, 1933 – June 19, 1997) was an American country singer, who is best remembered for his 1957 Christmas hit "Jingle Bell Rock". Additionally, he had two other hit records from that year: " Fraulein" and "My Special Ang ...

. Duncan also co-wrote "String Along", which charted in 1960 for Fabian and in 1963 for

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...

.
Obituary: Jimmy Duncan, Jr.
''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

, November 12, 13, & 14, 2011 (posted at Legacy.com) In the late 1960s, Duncan owned a rock club in Houston named "The Living Eye"; nationally known groups such as the

Electric Prunes The Electric Prunes are an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. Much of the band's music was, as music historian Richie Unterberger described it, possessed of "an eerie and sometimes anguished ambiance." T ...

and ? and the Mysterians played there, as well as local groups such as Lemon Fog. In 1970, Duncan built a recording studio called "Soundville" in Houston and launched his own label, Soundville. Soundville Recording Studio closed under financial duress in 1972 and was sold to Bill Holford, as the new home of ACA Studios (Audiophile Custom Associates).
House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios
'' Andy Bradley and Charles Roger Wood,

University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...

, p. 132 (2010)
No Sounds at Soundville
'' ''

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

'', August 19, 1972, p. T30 He should not be confused with the British songwriter, Jimmy Duncan, who wrote "Rosalyn" and "Big City" for

The Pretty Things ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

and "Everybody Knows", a minor hit in 1964 for

Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935) is an American singer, comedian and actor, best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as " Steve and Eydie", and for his performance as Maury Sline, the manager and f ...

References

External links

* 1927 births 2011 deaths Singer-songwriters from Texas Musicians from Houston {{US-singer-songwriter-stub