Truck Driving Man - Terry Fell (1954)

TERRY FELL
Born 13 May 1921, Dora, Alabama

Although Terry Fell's name appears only once in the Billboard country charts, he staked his claim to fame by being not only the writer of "Truck Driving Man" but also the original recorder of the song. In 1930, he swapped his pet groundhog for a guitar, although it was to be three years before anyone showed him how to play it, or the mandolin that he also acquired. At 16, he hitch-hiked his way to California, spending some time with the Civilian Conservation Corps. He eventually returned home but he and his widowed mother finally relocated to the Los Angeles area. In 1943, while working for Tru-Flex tyres, he began to play bass with Merle Lindsey's Nightriders. Around 1945, he joined Billy Hughes, made his first recordings for Fargo and began to write songs for the American Music Company. In 1954, after further recordings for Memo, Courtney and 4-Star, he joined RCA-Victor Records, making his first recordings on their subsidiary "X" label. "Truck Driving Man" appeared as the B-side of his first "X" single, in April 1954. The A-side, "Don't Drop It", became a # 4 country chart hit (his only one) and although "Truck Driving Man" failed to chart for Fell, it went on to become a country standard. It has since been charted by both George Hamilton IV and Red Steagall (as late as 1976!) and recorded by countless other artists, including Buck Owens, who was managed by Fell early in his career. "Don't Drop It" also spawned its share of covers, both for the country and the pop markets, including versions by Wilbert Harrison (Savoy) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Sun). Fell made further recordings and worked as an artist for a few years, until the lack of further hits and throat problems saw him lose interest in performing. In 1962, he relocated to Nashville, where he wrote songs and worked for several publishing companies, until he eventually retired. In 1993, Bear Family Records issued a CD containing all 24 of his RCA masters, two previously unissued. Fell also co-wrote "You're The Reason", a US country and pop Top 12 hit for Bobby Edwards in 1961, also recorded by Hank Locklin and Joe South (and many others since then). Terry Gordon's RCS website claims that Fell died in 1998, but this is probably incorrect.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• terry
• fell
• truck
• driving
• man

[nozecone]

Holy smoke - anyone know who's playing that harmonica? ... Been singing this song for thirty-forty years, but never heard the original before - love it! Great singing - wild fiddling ....

[RealGoneIgnax]

@nozecone Terry Fell on harmonica and guitar!! :)

[haunter112]

Buck Owens played rhythm guitar and sang harmony on this song.

[RealGoneIgnax]

@haunter112 no, rhythm guitar played by terry fell, wesley tuttle & Jack Rivers.

Buck Owens is not present.

[nozecone]

@RealGoneIgnax Thanks for the quick response. Man, this Terry Fell is great - "the real thing"; makes the rest of them (I won't mention any names) sound like pansies. I wonder if he wasn't 'slick' enough - i.e., watered-down enough - to get more attention?

[MrJrryhy460]

I appreciate you posting this video. It reminds me of my dad.

[largelester]

Best Version!

[haunter112]

Is this not the original Terry Fell recording?

Buck Owens (a studio musician at the time) played rhythm and sang harmony on the original recording by Terry Fell.

[glipzik]

This song never made the charts in 1954 but it got a lot of play on late night country stations. It probably ranks today as the all time truck driving classic.