Floyd Tillman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Floyd Tillman | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 1914 Ryan, Oklahoma |
| Origin |   San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Died | December 22, 2003 (aged 89) Bacliff, Texas |
| Genre(s) | Country music, Western swing, Honky tonk |
| Occupation(s) | musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1938-2004 |
| Label(s) | Decca, Musicor, RCA Victor, Columbia, Heart of Texas |
Floyd Tillman (8 December 1914 – 22 August 2003) was a country musician who, in the 1930s-40s, helped create the western swing and honky tonk styles of music. Tillman was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.
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[edit] Early life
Tillman grew up in the cotton-mill town of Post, Texas as a sharecropper's son. One of his early jobs was with Western Union as a telegraph operator. In the early 30s He played mandolin at local dances and eventually took up the guitar.
[edit] Musical career
Floyd moved to San Antonio played lead guitar with Adolph Hofner, a western swing bandleader and soon developed into a songwriter and singer.
He then took a job with Houston pop bandleader Mack Clark in 1938, with western swing groups fronted by Leon “Pappy” Selph and Cliff Bruner. He also worked with Ted Daffan and singer-piano player Moon Mullican.
Tillman recorded as a featured vocalist with Selph’s Blue Ridge Playboys in 1938 and that same year Floyd scored his first major songwriting hit, "It Makes No Difference Now," giving him his own Decca recording contract. Jimmie Davis purchased the song from Floyd for $300, the rights to which he got back 28 years later.
Floyd's only number one song as a singer was "They Took The Stars Out of Heaven." It reached the top of the charts in 1942.
His 1944 hit, "Each Night At Nine," struck a chord with lonely servicemen during World War II. Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose played it heavily to encourage desertion.
A big hit for Floyd and also for Jimmy Wakely was 1948's "I Love You So Much It Hurts". His 1949 "Slippin' Around," one of the first country western "cheating" songs, was a hit for Tillman as well as Ernest Tubb, Texas Jim Robertson and the duo of Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely. Tillman had another successful song with his own answer, "I'll Never Slip Around Again," as did the Whiting/Wakely duo.
Floyd slowed down on his performing in the early 1950's.
Floyd's final album recorded in 2002-2003 titled "The Influence" paired Floyd with some Country Music artists that were influenced by his style and performing. Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Leona Williams, Dolly Parton, Justin Trevino, Ray Price, Frankie Miller, Hank Thompson, Connie Smith, Lawton Williams, Mel Tillis, Darrell McCall, Johnny Bush and George Jones recorded some of Floyd Tillman's hit songs with him. The project, released in April of 2004, features liner notes by Dr. Bill Malone, Bill Mack, Hank Thompson and Willie Nelson. It was produced by Justin Trevino on Heart of Texas Records.
[edit] Selected works
| Title | Master no | Artists | Recorded | Original issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Precious Memory | 65158 | Floyd Tillman | 6 March 1939, Houston | Decca 5696 |
| Why Do I Love You | Floyd Tillman | 6 March 1939, Houston | Decca 5696 | |
| I'm Always Dreaming of You | 66327 | Floyd Tillman | 29 August 1939, Houston | Decca 5801 |
| Don't Be Blue | 66328 | Floyd Tillman | 6 March 1939, Houston | Decca 5741 |
| Maybe I'll Get By Without You | 66330 | Floyd Tillman | 6 March 1939, Houston | Decca 5801 |
| I Love You So Much It Hurts | Vic Damone, Floyd Tillman and Connie Smith, Red Foley, Ernest Tubb, Ray Charles, Ray Price, Mickey Gilley, Andy Williams, Marie Osmond, Eddy Arnold, Floyd Tillman, Jimmy Wakely | RCA Victor 20-7157 A-side | ||
| Slipping Around | Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely, Ernest Tubb, Floyd Tillman, Texas Jim Robertson, Marion Worth and George Morgan, Roy Drusky and Priscilla Mitchell, Mack Abernathy, Floyd Tillman and Dolly Parton, Ray Anthony | RCA Victor 20-7157 B-side | ||
| I Gotta Have My Baby Back | Floyd Tillman, Justin Tubb, Ray Price, Floyd Tillman and Ray Price, Rex Allen, Red Foley, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Glen Campbell | |||
| I Am Music (Song of Music) | Skeets McDonald | |||
| It Makes No Difference Now Co-writer: Jimmie Davis |
Eddy Arnold, Bing Crosby, The Supremes, Gene Autry, Ray Charles, Jimmie Davis, Willie Nelson, Hank Snow, Ray Pennington, Buddy Emmons, Hank Thompson, Merle Haggard, Burl Ives | Musicor 1355 A-side | ||
| The Stars Fell Out Of Heaven | 93739 | Floyd Tillman | 30 April 1941, Dallas | Decca 6090 |
| This Cold War With You | Floyd Tillman | Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Ray Price, Rex Allen, Columbia 20615 | ||
| Why Do You Treat Me This Way? | Floyd Tillman | 30 April 1941, Dallas | Decca 6090 | |
| Each Night At Nine | Floyd Tillman | 20 April 1944, New York City | Decca 6104 | |
| G.I. Blues | Floyd Tillman | |||
| Some Other World | Floyd Tillman | Columbia 20026 | ||
| Daisy May | Ernest Tubb, Floyd Tillman | 11 April 1940, Houston | Decca 5845 | |
| Please Don't Pass Me By | Floyd Tillman | |||
| I'll Never Slip Around Again | Floyd Tillman, Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely, Doris Day | Columbia 20615 |
[edit] References & External links
- Nashville Songwriters Foundation. Floyd Tillman.
- Country Music Hall Of Fame
- Floyd Tillman. Floyd Tillman.
- Hillbilly Music. Floyd Tillman.
