Webb Pierce ~ Sweet Lips (original version ~ 1961)

Webb Pierce: 8/8/1921 ~ 2/24/1991

Webb Pierce was one of the most popular and successful honky-tonk vocalists of the '50s in a competitive arena that included such greats as Ray Price, Hank Williams, Carl Smith, Marty Robbins, Faron Young, Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold. His success was reflect in his Billboard chart activity as Pierce racked up sixty one Top-20 hits between 1952 and 1962.

Webb Pierce was born on August 8, 1921 in West Monroe, Louisiana and grew up with the music of Jimmie Rodgers, Gene Autry, western swing bands of Texas and Oklahoma, and the Cajun bands of his native state. He enlisted in the US Army and in 1942 married Betty Jane Lewis that year. After he was discharged, the couple moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he found work on KTBS.

In late 1949, Pierce accepted a spot on the Louisiana Hayride (KWKH). Building a band around himself with such future legends as Floyd Cramer (piano), Tillman Franks (manager and bass), Jimmy Day (steel guitar), Tex Grimsley (fiddle), Teddy and Doyle Wilburn and Faron Young (vocals), Webb was soon the hottest act on the Hayride. With Hayride producer Horace Logan, Pierce launched a record label, Pacemaker, which featured several Hayride acts in addition to Pierce himself, who was by then also recording for California's Four Star Records.

In 1951, Pierce got out of his 4 Star contract and was signed by Decca Records. His debut chart single, "Wondering," became his breakthrough hit, climbing to No. 1 in January 1952. After the single became a hit, Pierce left Louisiana for Nashville, where he met and married his second wife, Audrey Greisham. Pierce had his second No. 1 single, "That Heart Belongs to Me" in June. In September, the Grand Ole Opry needed to fill the vacancy left by the firing of Hank Williams, so they invited Pierce to join the cast. After Williams' death (1/1/1953), Pierce became the most popular singer in country music for the period 1953 ~ 1959.

For the next five years, every single he released hit the Top 10, with a total of eleven reaching number one, including "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "Slowly" (1954), "More and More" (1954), and a song that is ranked No.3 All-time in country music "In the Jailhouse Now" (1955). That song stayed at the top of the Billboard chart for 21 weeks. Pierce left the Opry in 1955 and began appearing on Ozark Jubilee, a television program on the ABC network. He left Ozark Jubilee in 1956 and returned to the Opry but left for good the following year.

After "I'm Tired (No.3, 1957)," "Honky Tonk Song" (No. 1, 1957) and "Tupelo County Jail" (No. 7, 1958), his run on top ten records continued until 1964. His final top 10, "Fool, Fool, Fool," charted in 1967, though his singles regularly charted until 1972. Pierce left Decca Records in 1975, making a handful of records for Plantation Records (1975 ~ 1976), but with little chart success. Pierce continued charting until 1982. That year, Willie Nelson asked Pierce to sing with him on a remake of "In the Jailhouse Now." It was Pierce's ninety-sixth and last charted record.

Pierce died of pancreatic cancer on February 24, 1991. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame posthumously in 2001. Webb Pierce's career stands as one of the most successful in the history of country music.

RJB: Country Music Historian, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Category:

Music

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• Country
• music

[workonitm8]

Didn't Webb record a song called "Fool, Fool, Fool" in early to mid 60's? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Wish someone would post it.

[flashbell]

@workonitm8 , yes he did. I have the original recording.

[countryclassicsnews]

When they played this song, my old AM radio sounded so good. Not so much any more....

[the215renaissanceman]

@Plymouthfury1000 You said it. Check out the lineup on that album. DAMN!!!

M.K.

[jamieelvisfan]

Love his songs......does anyone know where to find let The children Pick The Flowers?

[Plymouthfury1000]

It just doesn't get any better then this.

[1950fuzzy]

love this music keep up the good work. THANKS

[pastorgeorgem]

always flashbell has the best vids to the great originals 

[MrFudgeIt]

No 3 on the country charts in 1961.

[kibblebits54]

i am another who admired webb pierce as a young kid. thanks for posting this oldie