Lefty Frizzell
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William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer-songwriter and
honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...
singer. He was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...
in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that charted in the Top 10 of the
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
charts. His success did not carry on into the 1960s, and after becoming an alcoholic, he died at age 47.


Life and career


Early life

William Orville Frizzell was born the son of an oilman, the first of eight children, in
Corsicana Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 56 miles northeast of Waco, Texas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County, and an important Agri-business ...
in Navarro County in
North Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wo ...
, United States. During his childhood, his family moved to El Dorado in Union County in south
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
. As a child he was called "Sonny," but later took the name "Lefty." It was believed they called him "Lefty" because he had won a neighborhood fight; however, it turned out that this tale was a part of a fake publicity stunt set up by his label. Frizzell's largest influences included the blues yodeler
Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...
. He began listening to Rodgers' records as a boy. He began singing professionally before his teens, even earning a spot on the local radio-station KELD El Dorado. Frizzell's teens were spent singing in nightclubs and radio and talent shows throughout the south. During his tour of Arkansas, Texas,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, and
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, he began to develop a style of his own, shaped by artists like Rodgers,
Ernest Tubb Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, " Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), ...
, and
Ted Daffan Theron Eugene "Ted" Daffan (September 21, 1912 – October 6, 1996) was an American country musician noted for composing the seminal "Truck Driver's Blues" and two much covered country anthems of unrequited love, " Born to Lose" and "I'm a Fo ...
.


Jailing and musical beginnings

In 1947, the 19-year-old Frizzell was arrested for having sex with an underage fan. He had been married only a year, and filled with guilt, he wrote poems to his wife from his cell; one of them would become his first big record. After his release in late 1949, he was led away from music, and back to the oil fields with his father. However, soon he was performing in nightclubs again. By 1950, he had landed a regular job at the Big Spring, Texas, nightclub "Ace of Clubs" where he developed a dedicated fan following. During a show there, Jim Beck, owner of a Dallas recording studio, was starting to take notice of Frizzell. Beck had deals with several major record producing labels and maintained connections with the many publishers. Impressed with Frizzell's performance, he invited him to make a free demo at the studio. In April 1950, he cut several demos of Frizzell singing his own songs, including "
If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time) "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" is a debut song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Lefty Frizzell, released on September 14, 1950. The song is the second song recorded by Lefty Frizzell during his first session ...
," which Beck took to Nashville where he pitched it to
Little Jimmy Dickens James Cecil Dickens (December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015), better known by his stage name Little Jimmy Dickens, was an American country music singer and songwriter famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size (4'11" 50 cm, and h ...
, who disliked the song. However,
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
producer
Don Law Donald Firth Law (February 24, 1902 – December 20, 1982) was an English–American record producer and music business executive. He produced Robert Johnson's only recordings, and as head of Columbia Records' country music division later work ...
heard the cut and liked it. After hearing Lefty in concert, he signed the singer and recorded him for the first time. "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" became a two-sided smash hit in 1950 upon its release; the b-side was the song Frizzell wrote to his grief-stricken wife from jail, "I Love You A Thousand Ways." The songs launched him into stardom and within two years, he had gone to register 13 Top 10 Country hits. By 1951, he had perfected his vocal style and refined his guitar skills. He began working with a core group of Dallas-based studio musicians, including pianist Madge Suttee. At the beginning of 1951, he formed the Western Cherokees, led by Blackie Crawford, and soon they became his primary band for both live and recording sessions. During his early career, Lefty was in the studio extensively, recording singles. His third single, " I Want to Be With You Always", was No. 1 for 11 weeks. By mid-1951, Frizzell had become one of the only people that could be considered to match the popularity of Hank Williams; he had even toured with Williams. "There is enough stories in that tour to fill a book..." Frizzell once said, although he never told those stories. He had three more Top 10 hits in 1951; "Mom and Dad's Waltz, "Travelin' Blues," and the #1 hit "Give Me More, More, More (Of Your Kisses)." By 1952, he was a popular stage performer and in heavy demand, being included on
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 (AM), WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment ...
and The Louisiana Hayride multiple times throughout the 1950s. The hits continued throughout 1952, with "How Long Will It Take (To Stop Loving You)," "Don't Stay Away ('Till Love Grows Cold)", "Forever (And Always)", and "I'm An Old, Old Man (Try'n'a Live While I Can)".


Personal troubles and later years

Despite his massive success, things began to get worse for Frizzell. He fired his manager and band, and joined the Grand Ole Opry; however, he quit very soon thereafter. Even though he was earning a lot of money, he was spending almost all of it. He began to work with
Wayne Raney Wayne Raney (August 17, 1921 – January 23, 1993) was an American country singer and harmonica player. Biography Raney was born on a farm near Wolf Bayou, Cleburne County, Arkansas, United States, the youngest of five children of William Fran ...
, but the sessions were considered a failure. He had an automobile accident in 1952, moved to Los Angeles in early 1953, and earned a spot on the
Town Hall Party ''Town Hall Party'' was an American country music program, firstly broadcast on radio and then television The first radio broadcast was in Autumn 1951 by stations KXLA-AM in Pasadena, California and KFI-AM in Los Angeles, California The televis ...
. His songs began to chart worse, only having one song enter the Top 10 that year, and in early 1954, he reached the Top 10 for the last time for five years. In 1954, Frizzell had another automobile accident near E.S. Richardson Elementary School in
Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...
in
Webster Parish Webster Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Webster'') is a parish located in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. As of the 2010 census, the Webster Parish population was 41,207. In 2018, the p ...
, Louisiana, through which he passed after leaving the
Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the ...
in Shreveport en route to a concert in
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. His
Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
struck the Nash
station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
parked at the home of its owner, R. Harmon Drew, Sr., the former city judge and later a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Frizzell apologized, said that he hoped to visit Minden again under more favorable circumstances, posted
bond Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Chemical bond, the attraction of atoms, ions or molecules to form chemica ...
, and took a
taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choi ...
back to Shreveport, from which he flew to his destination. Having had few hits in the middle-late 1950s, he felt burnt out and had little energy for his career. He became frustrated that
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
did not release what he thought to be his best material, so he stopped writing and recording songs. He toured extensively, however. Deciding on change, he began to work at Nashville's Cedarwood Publishing Company in 1959 with Jim Denny. Frizzell's first Top 10 hit in years came with "
The Long Black Veil "Long Black Veil" is a 1959 country ballad, written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell. It is told from the point of view of a man falsely accused of murder and executed. He refuses to provide an alibi, ...
" in mid-1959. He moved to Nashville in 1960 after the Town Hall Party closed, and began touring and recording more and more, scoring some minor hits. Lefty's last big hit came in 1964 with the No. 1 hit "
Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
" and earned him a Grammy nomination. The next year, " She's Gone, Gone, Gone" was his last Top 20 hit. Frizzell began a downward spiral after developing a debilitating alcohol problem. He recorded many songs, but Columbia released very few. Because of his declining record sales, he began to perform less. In 1968, he recorded with June Stearns as Agnes and Orville. In early 1972, he left Columbia Records and signed with ABC Records. He eventually developed
chronic hypertension Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...
. His appearance changed drastically and his voice had deteriorated. In 1972, Frizzell was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is u ...
and his song "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" earned him the
Grammy Hall of Fame Award The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
. On July 19, 1975, at age 47, Frizzell died of a massive stroke, and was buried at
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens is a cemetery noted for the number of musicians' graves located within it. It was established in 1960, and is located at 1150 Dickerson Pike in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville. One area of the ceme ...
in
Goodlettsville, Tennessee Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties, Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 15,921 and in 2020 the ...
. Frizzell was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...
in October 1982.


Guitar

Frizzell's signature guitar was a 1949
Gibson J-200 The Gibson J-200 (formerly the Gibson SJ-200 or Super Jumbo 200), is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. History Gibson entered into production of this model in 1937 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, ini ...
(Model SJ-200). Originally built by the
Gibson Guitar Corporation Gibson Brands, Inc. (formerly Gibson Guitar Corporation) is an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company was forme ...
, it was retrofitted in early 1951 with a custom neck and pickguard by guitar maker and innovator
Paul Bigsby Paul Adelburt Bigsby (1899–1968) was an American inventor, designer, and pioneer of the solid body electric guitar. Bigsby is best known for having been the designer of the Bigsby vibrato tailpiece (also mislabeled as a tremolo arm) and prop ...
. In a 2003 interview
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
recalled, "When I was a teenager, Lefty got me onstage t_the_Rainbow_Garden_in_Bakersfield,_California.html" ;"title="Bakersfield,_California.html" ;"title="t the Rainbow Garden in Bakersfield, California">t the Rainbow Garden in Bakersfield, California">Bakersfield,_California.html" ;"title="t the Rainbow Garden in Bakersfield, California">t the Rainbow Garden in Bakersfield, Californiaand handed me that guitar. That is the first guitar I played on a professional stage." For many years it had been on loan to and displayed at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. In January 2005 it was returned to the Frizzell family. It was later sold at auction by Retrofret, with an asking price of $350,000. Merle Haggard purchased the guitar and it remains a part of his estate.


Legacy and influence

Frizzell's style of singing influenced a great many singers, particularly
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
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", ...
, Keith Whitley, and Roy Orbison. In addition, he was widely recognized for his songwriting talents. In the foreword to a biography of Frizzell by his younger brother
David Frizzell David Frizzell (born September 26, 1941) is an American country music singer. He is the younger brother of country musician, Lefty Frizzell. His career started in the late 1950s, but his biggest success came in the 1980s. Biography Frizzell wa ...
, Merle Haggard said, "The impact Lefty had on country music is not even measurable. ... No one could handle a song like Lefty. He would hold on to each word until he finally decided to drop it and pick up the next one. Most of us learned to sing listening to him." Stoney Edwards recorded "Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul," a tribute to Hank Williams and Frizzell, written by
Dallas Frazier Dallas Frazier (October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022) was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s. Life and career Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma, on October 27, 1939, but was raised in Bakersfi ...
. It hit the Top 40 in 1973.
George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...
recorded a
Sanger D. Shafer Sanger D. Shafer (October 24, 1934 – January 12, 2019),
- at Something Special''. In addition, Willie Nelson's 1977 album, ''
To Lefty From Willie ''To Lefty From Willie'' is the 21st studio album by country music, country singer Willie Nelson. Recorded in 1975, the album sat in the vaults of Columbia Records until 1977. This album is Willie Nelson's tribute to fellow country music, country ...
'' was a tribute to Frizzell and consisted entirely of cover versions of Frizzell songs. Frizzell was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...
in 1982 and has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
. He is also in the
Rockabilly Hall of Fame The Rockabilly Hall of Fame is an organization and website launched on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relating to the artists and personalities involved in rockabilly. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennesse ...
along with his son Crockett Frizzell. Frizzell ranked number 31 on CMT's 2003 ''40 Greatest Men of Country Music''. Fellow Texan Roy Orbison was a devout fan of Frizzell's sound, and in 1988, as a part of the
Traveling Wilburys The Traveling Wilburys were a British-American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Originating from an idea discussed by Harrison and Lynne during the sessions for Harrison's 1987 album ...
, he chose the name "Lefty Wilbury" to honor his musical hero. Maine singer-songwriter David Mallett included Frizzell's "Saginaw, Michigan" on his 2014 album ''The Horse I Rode in On''. His younger brother,
David Frizzell David Frizzell (born September 26, 1941) is an American country music singer. He is the younger brother of country musician, Lefty Frizzell. His career started in the late 1950s, but his biggest success came in the 1980s. Biography Frizzell wa ...
, is also a country singer. His 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, Allen Frizzell followed in his older brothers' footsteps in the country field. He was an opening performer for
Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...
. He was also married to Shelly West, daughter of Dottie West. Allen also played with Keith Whitley. He now plays country gospel music. In 2006, J.D. Crowe and The New South released the album ''Lefty's Old Guitar''. The song "Lefty's Old Guitar" was written about his custom Gibson J-200.
Daryle Singletary Daryle Bruce Singletary (March 10, 1971 – February 12, 2018) was an American country music singer. Between 1995 and 1998, he recorded for Giant Records, for which he released three studio albums: '' Daryle Singletary'' in 1995, '' All Because ...
referenced Frizzell in his song "Ain't It The Truth" on an album by the same name, released by
Giant Records In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
in 1998. In 2019, Frizzell's single "Long Black Veil" was selected by the U.S.
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
for preservation in the
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservati ...
for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


Discography


Number one country hits

# "
If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time) "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" is a debut song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Lefty Frizzell, released on September 14, 1950. The song is the second song recorded by Lefty Frizzell during his first session ...
" (1950) # "I Love You a Thousand Ways" (1950) # " I Want to Be with You Always" (1951) # " Always Late (With Your Kisses)" (1951) # "Give Me More, More, More (Of Your Kisses)" (1952) # "
Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
" (1964)


See also

* Jim Beck


Notes


References

*Cooper, Daniel. (1998). "Lefty Frizzell". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 184–6. Lpdiscography.com *Frizzell, David. (2011) "I Love You a Thousand Ways: The Lefty Frizzell Story". California: Santa Monica Press, 2011.


External links

*
Lefty Frizzell's GuitarFrizzell in the Country Music Hall of Fame
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frizzell, Lefty 1928 births 1975 deaths American male singer-songwriters American country singer-songwriters Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Singer-songwriters from Texas Grand Ole Opry members Columbia Records artists People from Corsicana, Texas People from El Dorado, Arkansas 20th-century American singers Singer-songwriters from Arkansas Alcohol-related deaths in Tennessee Country musicians from Texas Country musicians from Arkansas 20th-century American male singers