Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight To Feature Lefty Frizzell

Join me at 11 a.m. on Sunday, December 1st for Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight featuring Lefty Frizzell.  The Country Classic Show kicks off at 9 a.m.

William Orville Frizzell was born on March 31, 1928 in Corsicana, Texas.  His dad was an oil field worker and Lefty grew up in and around the oil towns of Arkansas, East Texas and Louisiana.

He is considered one of the most influential performers in country music history, having burst to stardom in 1950.  In June of that year Lefty signed with Columbia Records.  He recorded a song he wrote, If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time. The song soared to number one and stayed there for three weeks.

He married Alice Harper in March of 1945 and moved to Roswell, New Mexico in 1946.  Tragedy struck in July of 1947 when he was charged with statutory rape.  He was convicted and served six months in the county jail.

In 1951 he saw the release of several of his most memorable records, Always Late With Your Kisses, which stayed at #1 for twelve weeks.  His stay at the top of the charts with  13 Top Ten hits ended after two years in 1953. He recorded his last #1 hit, Saginaw, Michigan in 1964 and was nominated for a Grammy.

Lefty was a heavy drinker most of his adult life and he died of a stroke July 19, 1975 in Nashville.  He earned nicknamed "Lefty" during his amateur boxing career.

In October 1982, he was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  His two brothers David and Allen Frizzell are also country singers.  Allen was married at one time to Shelley West, daughter of Dottie West.  David had a string of country duets with Shelley West.

Join me for the Country Classic Show on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.