biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1936–88)
|
| biography:
| Country-pop singer and songwriter, born in Vernon, Texas, USA. He began playing in public at the age of eight on local radio stations, and was discovered in his early teens by the record producer Norman Petty. Moving to the Sun record label, he had his first minor success in 1956, then spent four years writing for other artists. He re-emerged with the hit single ‘Only The Lonely’ (written for Elvis Presley) in 1960, and this was followed by a succession of smash hits inluding ‘Cryin'’ (1961), ‘Blue Bayou’, ‘In Dreams’ (both 1963), and ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ (1964). The death of his wife in a motorcycle accident (1966), and of two of his sons in a fire (1968), coincided with a 10-year low period in his career, but a series of revivals of his songs by other artists, and the patronage of a younger generation of musicians, helped to reverse his fortunes. Tributes to his music continue long after his sudden death from a heart-attack. |
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