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Chanteur et fiddler Country US né Shelby David Atchison, le 5
Février 1912 à
Rosine (Kentucky). Tex Atchison est décédé le 4 Août 1982.
A Kentucky
born and bred fiddler and vocalist, Tex Atchison was a member of the extremely
popular traditional country band the Prairie Ramblers during the '30s, but went out on his own as a sideman,
singer, and songwriter after that. His knack at writing amusing drinking songs
came in about as handy in the country music genre as lots of muscles at a body
building contest. "Sick, Sober and Sorry" was one of the Atchison titles,
written with songwriting partner Eddie Hazlewood that made for a classic bit of
honky tonk for Lefty Frizzell. The
background in the Prairie Ramblers was
certainly the right launching pad for any player with versatility fueling their
rockets. Created by four Kentucky boys — harmonica whiz Salty Holmes, bassist
"Happy" Jack Taylor, and mandolinist Chick Hurt were the other original members
— the group added female vocalist Patsy
Montana in the early '30s. "Nobody's Darlin' but Mine," with beautiful
passages from the left-handed fiddler, was a popular song during the Depression.
In her second year with the group, Montana
scored the first million-selling record ever by a female country artist: "I Want
to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." The song was typical of the cowboy infatuation
that was a big part of the group's popularity, to the point where the members
even made their entrances on horseback, probably not difficult for Shelby David
Atchison, nicknamed "Tex." Speaking of which, the Western swing style largely
associated with Texas became a big part of the Prairie Ramblers' evolving sound, and on his own Atchison triumphed at
yet another new genre sprouting out of the country corn patch: rockabilly. The
feel he had for the idiom is surprising considering that he had already
established his status as one of the great fiddlers from the pre-war era of
country music. His single of "Tennessee Hound Dog" and "Mail Man" done for the
indie Sage label in the '50s is prime rockabilly juice, featuring sweaty breaks
from Roy Lanham on lead guitar. By the time this record was cut, Atchison had
been recording sides on his own for more than a decade, working with labels such
as Crystal, King, Federal, Deluxe, and Imperial. As a fiddler he did many
sessions on the West Coast, linking up with the honky tonk crowd such as the
hilarious Johnny Bond in 1951 and expert
song storyteller Johnny Horton shortly
thereafter. During the mid-'40s and '50s, Atchison performed with the great
guitarist Merle Travis in a combo with
the silly name of Tin Ear Tanner and his Back Room Boys. Several of their
performances are available on collections of radio transcriptions from the
period, such as Cliffie Stone's Radio Transcriptions 1945-1949 on the Country
Routes label. Travis and Atchison co-wrote
the song "I'm a Natural Born Gamblin' Man." Atchison also kept his hand in at
Western swing, joining fellow fiddler Rocky Stone, and many other fine musicians
in Ole Rasmussen and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The leader of the group doesn't
sound like a Texan, but it didn't matter. He was simply a businessman who kept
the band together, proving with his hiring of Atchison that he knew talent when
he heard it. The group recorded more than two dozen sides during a two year
stint at Capitol which began in 1950. Classics such as "Sleepy-Eyed John" and a
version of the jazz toast "C Jam Blues" reveal Atchison's graceful way with the
Western swing style.
Talents : Vocals, Songwriter, Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo
Style musical : Western Swing
TENNESSEE HOUND DOG (1961)
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MAILMAN
(1961)
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Years in activity :
1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 |
DISCOGRAPHY
78 t. & Singles
1947 | 78 t. KING 573 (US) | Somebody's Rose / You Don't Do Right |
1951 | SP FEDERAL 10005 (US) | Natural Born Gamblin' Man / One Broken Heart |
1951 | SP FEDERAL 10020 (US) | I'm Beginning To Believe In You / You Gotta Quit That Chasin' Around |
1952 ? | SP DELUXE 5057 (US) | Here Comes My Heart Again / If You'd Believe In Me |
1953 | SP IMPERIAL 8182 (US) | Give Me Back Your Heart / Blame Your Eyes |
1953 | SP IMPERIAL 8215 (US) | How Could You / It's Always Darkest Before Dawn |
11/1961 | SP SAGE 45-343 (US) |
Tennessee Hound Dog
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© Rocky Productions 23/02/2005