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The Statler Brothers are an American country music group founded in 1955...
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The Statler Brothers are an American country music group founded in 1955 in Staunton, Virginia.
Originally, performing gospel music at local churches, the group billed themselves as "The Four Stars" and later as "The Kingsmen". In 1963, when the song "Louie, Louie" by the garage rock band also called The Kingsmen became famous, the group elected to bill themselves as The Statler Brothers. Despite the newest name, just two of its four members are brothers, and none of them are named "Statler". The band, in fact, named themselves after a brand of facial tissue (they have joked that they could have turned out to be the Kleenex Brothers. Don Reid sings lead and is the younger brother of Harold Reid, who sings bass. The other members are baritone Phil Balsley and tenor Jimmy Fortune, who replaced original Statler Lew DeWitt in the early 1980s due to the latter's ill health. DeWitt died on August 15, 1990 of heart and kidney disease, complications of Crohn's disease.
The band's style is closely linked to its gospel roots. Harold Reid said of the group's style "We took gospel harmonies and put them over in country music".
The group remained closely tied to their roots in gospel music, with a majority of their records containing at least one gospel song. They produced several albums containing only gospel music, and recorded a tribute song to the Blackwood Brothers, who influenced their music.
The Statler Brothers started their career at a performance at Lynhurst Methodist Church near their hometown of Staunton, Virginia. In 1964, they started an eight-year run with Johnny Cash as his warm-up act. This period of their career was memorialized in the song "We Got Paid by Cash."
Two of their best-known songs are "Flowers on the Wall", their first big hit, and the socially conscious "Bed of Rose's." In the 1980s, the Statlers were a mainstay on TNN, where their videos were shown regularly. Between 1991 and 1998, they hosted The Statler Brothers Show, a weekly variety show on the cable television channel The Nashville Network. The Statler Brothers Show was the No. 1-rated program on TNN for its entire run, including the single-most highest rated episode in the history of the network up to that point.
Their songs have been featured on several feature film sound tracks. These range from Smokey and the Bandit II which featured "Charlotte's Web" to "Flowers on the Wall" in the thriller Pulp Fiction.
Throughout their career, much of their appeal was related to their considerable ability for comedy and parody that they frequently interspersed into their musical act; they were frequently nominated for awards for their comedy as well as their singing. They recorded two comedy albums as "Lester Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys", and one-half of one side of the album Country Music Then and Now was also devoted to satirizing small-town radio stations' Saturday morning shows.
They earned the number one spot on the Billboard chart four times for "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?" in 1978, "Elizabeth" in 1982, "My Only Love" in 1984, and "Too Much on My Heart" in 1985.
The group performed for an annual 4th of July festival in Gypsy Hill Park in Staunton beginning in 1970. The event lasted for 25 years and included many legends from the world of country music including Mel Tillis, Charley Pride and many others. The event drew as many as 100,000 fans each year. The group also honored their hometown with the song "Staunton, Virginia" on their 1973 album Do You Love Me Tonight.
Since forming, the Statler Brothers have released over 40 albums.
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NANCY SINATRA GRABO ESTE TEMA DE " FLOWERS ON THE WALL " FLOR...
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NANCY SINATRA GRABO ESTE TEMA DE " FLOWERS ON THE WALL " FLORES EN LA PARED EN ESPAÑOL, PARA LA COMPAÑIA REPRISE RECORDS, S.A. DE C.V. EN EL AÑO DE 1966. ESTE TEMA APARECIO EN SU DISCO TITULADO " BOOTS". TODOS LOS DERECHOS RESERVADOS A SUS RESPECTIVOS PRODUCTORES, AUTORES Y DISQUERAS.
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As one of the greatest American songwriters of all times, Willie James D...
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As one of the greatest American songwriters of all times, Willie James Dixon was a bright, self-confident, determined, intelligent, and gifted man who helped the blues evolve from the 1940's through the 1980's. Born the seventh of Willie Dixonfourteen children on July 1, 1915, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Dixon was greatly influenced by his mother, Daisy, who turned everything she said into rhymes, and Willie learned to do the same. However, his first real musical influence came at the age of seven when he often left school to follow a truck pulling a band behind it starring pianist Little Brother Montgomery. (Snowden 1). As a youth, Dixon sang with the Union Jubilee singers, a gospel quartet with its own radio program.
At the age of seventeen, Dixon left his hometown of Vicksburg for the busy streets of Chicago to become a boxer. One year later he was named the Illinois State Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion. Although he had early success as a boxer, he only fought four fights during his pro career because of a money dispute with his manager, which ended whatever dreams Dixon may have had as a boxer.
After boxing, he began his musical career by forming the Five Breezes in 1940 with Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston. They recorded songs until 1941 when Willie was arrested for refusing to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. After finishing his sentence, Dixon formed a new group, the Four Jumps of Jive, which mainly performed in Chicago clubs and later recorded for Mercury (Perry 1-2).
In 1945 'Baby Doo' and Willie teamed up to form the Big Three Trio along with guitarist Benardo Dennis. The Big Three played for mainly white audiences, but they would also join Muddy Waters in late night jam sessions (Snowden). "With a repertoire of soft blues, boogie woogie, pop, and novelty numbers, the Big Three landed a recording contract first with Bullet Records and then in 1947 with Columbia Records" (Perry 2). While playing with the Big Three Trio, Dixon met Phil and Leonard Chess, two guys who had recently started Chess Records. They hired Dixon part-time, but after the Big Three Trio broke-up, he went to work for them full time.
Slay McComb, SHS biographer
A major difference between Dixon and other blues men was his ability to read, write, compose, and arrange music, which made him the mainstay of Chess Records ("Willie Dixon"). Dixon was also considered the backbone of the Chess operation. He stayed with them until 1957 when he decided to switch to Cobra Records. However, Cobra only lasted two years due to financial difficulties, so Dixon returned to Chess and stayed there throughout most of the 60's (Snowden 2).
Throughout the 70's Dixon toured regularly and released albums on the Ovation, Columbia, and Yamboo labels. In 1980 Dixon was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and in 1982 Dixon set up the Blues Heaven Foundation to help musicians and their estates claim their due (Perry 2-3, "Dixon Dodges Glare of New Recordings Spotlight"). In 1987 Dixon had bypass surgery, putting a halt on his career (Dixon 1). However, in 1988 he released Hidden Charms with Bug/Capitol, and in 1989 Dixon published his autobiography, I Am the Blues, co-authored by Don Snowden (Perry 2-3). He appeared in the films, Raw Justice (1994) .... News Crews .. aka Good Cop, Bad Cop (1994), Night of the Warrior (1991) Willie Dixon, and Rich Girl (1990) himself . He also wrote original music for the movie Ginger Ale Afternoon (1989).
Dixon's songs are considered to be the greatest body of work of any blues songwriter. They were recorded by such musicians as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and the Doors ("Jazzy Procession is Funeral for Blues Giant Willie Dixon"). Dixon died at the age of seventy-six at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank, California on January 29, 1992. Willie Dixon, blues writer and founder of the Blues Heaven Foundation, had hepatitis when he passed away. His bypass surgery in 1987 required blood transfusions. The Blues Heaven Foundation was Willie's vision and is dedicated to assisting Blues artists as well as preserving the Blues and its history.
Throughout his career he was known as a "powerhouse who set music into motion" ("A Week Just for Willie"). Not only did he write blues classics ("Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Just Want to Make Love to You" for Muddy Waters; "Wang Dang Doodle" for Koko Taylor; and "Back Door Man" for Howlin' Wolf) he also worked as a talent scout for the Chess Brothers. Rock musicians including Led Zeppelin ("Whole Lotta Love"), the Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix recorded Dixon tunes and now a blues museum in his honor has been started.
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lateshowwithbijan favorited a video
(1 week ago)
As one of the greatest American songwriters of all times, Willie James D...
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As one of the greatest American songwriters of all times, Willie James Dixon was a bright, self-confident, determined, intelligent, and gifted man who helped the blues evolve from the 1940's through the 1980's (Songwriters 11). Born the seventh of Willie Dixonfourteen children on July 1, 1915, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Dixon was greatly influenced by his mother, Daisy, who turned everything she said into rhymes, and Willie learned to do the same. However, his first real musical influence came at the age of seven when he often left school to follow a truck pulling a band behind it starring pianist Little Brother Montgomery. (Snowden 1). As a youth, Dixon sang with the Union Jubilee singers, a gospel quartet with its own radio program.
At the age of seventeen, Dixon left his hometown of Vicksburg for the busy streets of Chicago to become a boxer. One year later he was named the Illinois State Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion. Although he had early success as a boxer, he only fought four fights during his pro career because of a money dispute with his manager, which ended whatever dreams Dixon may have had as a boxer.
After boxing, he began his musical career by forming the Five Breezes in 1940 with Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston. They recorded songs until 1941 when Willie was arrested for refusing to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. After finishing his sentence, Dixon formed a new group, the Four Jumps of Jive, which mainly performed in Chicago clubs and later recorded for Mercury (Perry 1-2).
In 1945 'Baby Doo' and Willie teamed up to form the Big Three Trio along with guitarist Benardo Dennis. The Big Three played for mainly white audiences, but they would also join Muddy Waters in late night jam sessions (Snowden). "With a repertoire of soft blues, boogie woogie, pop, and novelty numbers, the Big Three landed a recording contract first with Bullet Records and then in 1947 with Columbia Records" (Perry 2). While playing with the Big Three Trio, Dixon met Phil and Leonard Chess, two guys who had recently started Chess Records. They hired Dixon part-time, but after the Big Three Trio broke-up, he went to work for them full time.
Slay McComb, SHS biographer
A major difference between Dixon and other blues men was his ability to read, write, compose, and arrange music, which made him the mainstay of Chess Records ("Willie Dixon"). Dixon was also considered the backbone of the Chess operation. He stayed with them until 1957 when he decided to switch to Cobra Records. However, Cobra only lasted two years due to financial difficulties, so Dixon returned to Chess and stayed there throughout most of the 60's (Snowden 2).
Throughout the 70's Dixon toured regularly and released albums on the Ovation, Columbia, and Yamboo labels. In 1980 Dixon was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and in 1982 Dixon set up the Blues Heaven Foundation to help musicians and their estates claim their due (Perry 2-3, "Dixon Dodges Glare of New Recordings Spotlight"). In 1987 Dixon had bypass surgery, putting a halt on his career (Dixon 1). However, in 1988 he released Hidden Charms with Bug/Capitol, and in 1989 Dixon published his autobiography, I Am the Blues, co-authored by Don Snowden (Perry 2-3). He appeared in the films, Raw Justice (1994) .... News Crews .. aka Good Cop, Bad Cop (1994), Night of the Warrior (1991) Willie Dixon, and Rich Girl (1990) himself . He also wrote original music for the movie Ginger Ale Afternoon (1989).
Dixon's songs are considered to be the greatest body of work of any blues songwriter. They were recorded by such musicians as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and the Doors ("Jazzy Procession is Funeral for Blues Giant Willie Dixon"). Dixon died at the age of seventy-six at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank, California on January 29, 1992. Willie Dixon, blues writer and founder of the Blues Heaven Foundation, had hepatitis when he passed away. His bypass surgery in 1987 required blood transfusions. The Blues Heaven Foundation was Willie's vision and is dedicated to assisting Blues artists as well as preserving the Blues and its history.
Throughout his career he was known as a "powerhouse who set music into motion" ("A Week Just for Willie"). Not only did he write blues classics ("Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Just Want to Make Love to You" for Muddy Waters; "Wang Dang Doodle" for Koko Taylor; and "Back Door Man" for Howlin' Wolf) he also worked as a talent scout for the Chess Brothers. Rock musicians including Led Zeppelin ("Whole Lotta Love"), the Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix recorded Dixon tunes and now a blues museum in his honor has been started.
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lateshowwithbijan favorited a video
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Willie Dixon - 'I ain't superstitious'
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