Clarence Albert Poindexter (May 4, 1905 – January 28, 1984), known best as Al Dexter, was an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

ian and songwriter. He is best known today for his most popular song, "

Pistol Packin' Mama "Pistol Packin' Mama" was a "Hillbilly"- Honky Tonk record released at the height of World War II that became a nationwide sensation, and the first "Country" song to top the ''Billboard'' popular music chart. It was written by Al Dexter of ...

", a 1943 hit which was one of the most popular recordings of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

years, and later became a hit again with a cover by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

, as well as the Andrews Sisters.

Biography

Born in Jacksonville, Texas, United States, Dexter owned a bar in the 1930s and helped popularize the style of country music known as

honky tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, honky tonk, or tonk) is either a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons or the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ...

.Russell, p. 235. He made his recording debut on November 28, 1936, for ARC Records.Russell, Pinson, p. 314. and was probably the first artist to ever use the term "honky tonk" in a country song when he recorded "Honky Tonk Blues" at his first session.La Chapelle, p. 150. His self-penned hit, "

", became the 1943 marching chorus of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. The 1943 movie of the same name, made by the

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, gave Dexter close to $250,000 in royalties. Another hit from the 1940s was " Guitar Polka", which entered ''

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 advertis ...

's'' list as the "Most Played Juke Box Folk Record" for 16 weeks running in 1946.Russell, p. 236. Other hits include " So Long Pal", "Triflin' Gal", " I'm Losing My Mind Over You" and " Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry." Dexter was the first country singer to perform on Broadway, and in 1971, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He died on January 28, 1984, in Lewisville, Texas. On August 21, 2010, Dexter was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall Of Fame, located in Carthage, Texas. Other inductees that night were

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...

along with composer Ray Winkler. Following Al Dexter's death in 1984, his family discovered 50 master tapes containing studio recordings. In 2010, Al Dexter's son, Carl Wayne Poindexter, released the three-disc CD box set entitled ''Al Dexter's Found Masters Volume 1–3'' on his independent record label, Al Dexter Estate Productions. This professionally produced collection contained digitally re-mastered studio recordings which were made by Dexter with various band line-ups and configurations.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

Bibliography

* Peter La Chapelle, ''Proud To Be An Okie'', University of California Press, 2007 * Tony Russell, ''Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost'', Oxford University Press, 2007 * Tony Russell, Bob Pinson, ''Country Music Records: A Discography 1921–1942'', Oxford University Press, 2004

External links

*
obituary for Al Dexter's son Carl Wayneobituary for Al Dexter's son-in-law Leon Dudley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dexter, Al 1905 births 1984 deaths American male singer-songwriters American country singer-songwriters People from Jacksonville, Texas King Records artists Vocalion Records artists Ekko Records artists Singer-songwriters from Texas 20th-century American singer-songwriters Country musicians from Texas 20th-century American male singers