Chanteur Country US né le 3 mars 1922 à Taylor (Texas). Jimmy Heap, à la tête de ses "Melody Masters", fit ses débuts en 1949 chez Imperial Records et obtiendra un premier Hit Country en 1955 chez Capitol. Jimmy, cowboy, guitariste et chanteur occasionnel, à la voix chevrotante, enregistra également pour Fame (57), D (59), Dart (59) et Winston Records (61). Il fut un chanteur régulier sur la radio KTAE de Taylor (Texas). Jimmy Heap est décédé le 4 décembre 1977.

Western swing bandleader Jimmy Heap led the Melody Masters for over three decades and contributed one country classic to the genre, "The Wild Side of Life," covered by Hank Thompson, Burl Ives and Grady Martin, Freddy Fender, and more recently, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. Heap's "Release Me" also provided Esther Phillips and Engelbert Humperdinck with their first Top Ten popular hits, in 1962 and 1967 respectively.
James Arthur Heap was born on March 3, 1922, in Taylor, TX. He formed the Melody Masters just after his service in World War II, with sidemen Arlie Carter, Louie Rincon, Bill Glendining, and Horace Barnett. A continuing spot on local radio gave the Melody Masters a bit of renown around central Texas, and Imperial Records signed the band in 1949. Some time before the initial recordings, Heap — who played only lead guitar — hired Houston "Perk" Williams (born 1926) to provide vocals along with his fiddling duties. Though Williams had never sung before, his good performance on their debut release, "Today, Tonight, and Tomorrow," guaranteed him the spot ever after. Another song, "Haunted Hungry Heart," was covered by Slim Whitman, but it was "The Wild Side of Life" that provided Jimmy Heap & the Melody Masters with their big break. Hank Thompson & the Brazos Valley Boys took it to number one in March 1952, and the single spent 15 weeks there.
But even before Thompson had borrowed the biggest hit of his career, the country star had advised Capitol Records to sign Heap. Over five years the Melody Masters recorded 32 sides for Capitol, including their big hit "Release Me," which charted in the Top Five in January 1954. No other Capitol singles charted, and Heap left the label in the mid-'50s to form Fame Records. The Melody Masters recorded for Fame throughout the 1950s and '60s and even integrated rock & roll inspirations. Heap disbanded the group in July 1977 but drowned in a boating accident before the year was over.

Talents : Singer, Guitar, Leader

Style musical : Western Swing, Honky Tonk, Rockabilly

SEBBIN' COME ELEBBIN

Années en activité :

DISCOGRAPHY

Singles

1949	SP IMPERIAL 8064 (US)	That's My Baby / Today, Tonight And Tomorrow
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8066 (US)	Bermuda Grass Waltz / Snakes In My Boots
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8069 (US)	You Were Meant To Ruin My Dreams / There's A Broken Pane In The Window Of My Heart
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8074 (US)	Mean Old Buddies / Haunted Hungry Heart
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8077 (US)	Love For Sale / The Yegua Waltz
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8082 (US)	A Million Tears / If Mama Wasn't Here
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8084 (US)	Sunset Send A Sorrow / I Hope You're Satisfied
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8089 (US)	Ethyl In My Gas Tank / My Heart's Turned To Stone
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8090 (US)	I've Got A Cause To Be Lonesome / The Woods Are Full Of Them
1950	SP IMPERIAL 8093 (US)	Honk Your Horn / Carbon Copy
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8098 (US)	Don't Steal My Dreams / It's One Think To Forgive, Another To Forget
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8103 (US)	Butter Ball Bounce / Drop In The Bucket
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8105 (US)	Wild Side Of Life (Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS) / When The Operated On Papa, They Opened Mama's Male
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8112 (US)	Honky Tonkin' Woman / Curtain Of Tears
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8122 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS - Somebody's Blue / More Than Friends
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8129 (US)	That's That / Till Death Do You Part
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8133 (US)	My Angel Isn't On My Christmas Tree / God Is On Our Side
1951	SP IMPERIAL 8136 (US)	Easy Way Out / If Tomorrow Would Be Yesterday
1952	SP CAPITOL F1958 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS - Lifetime Of Shame / True Or False
1952	SP CAPITOL F2035 (US)	Girl With A Past / You're In Love With You
1952	SP CAPITOL F2142 (US)	One That I Won / You Don't Kiss Me
1952	SP CAPITOL F2294 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS - Heartbreaker / That One I Won
1953	SP CAPITOL F2425 (US)	Let's Do It Just Once / This Night Won't Last Forever
1953	SP CAPITOL F2518 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS - Release Me / Just To Be With You
1953	SP CAPITOL F2636 (US)	Cat 'n' Around / Make Me Live Again
1954	SP CAPITOL F2767 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS - Cry Cry Darling / Then I'll Be Happy
1954	SP CAPITOL F2866 (US)	Ethyl In My Gas Tank / You Oughta Know
1954	SP CAPITOL F2990 (US)	Sharp Shooter / I Told You So
03/1955	SP CAPITOL F3071 (US)	Sebbin Come Elebbin (Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS) / That's All I Want From You (Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS)
06/1955	SP CAPITOL F3156 (US)	Go Ahead On (Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS / Vocal by Jimmy HEAP) / Love Can Move Mountains (Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS / Vocal by Perk WILLIAMS)
1955	SP CAPITOL F3252 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS - Rovin' Girl / Riches Or Rags
1955	SP CAPITOL F3253 (US)	Just For Tonight / My First Love Affair
02/1956	SP CAPITOL F3333 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Perk WILLIAMS - Butternut (instr.) / It Takes A Heap Of Lovin'
1956	SP CAPITOL F3434 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS - Heap Of Boogie / Conscience I'm Guilty
1956	SP CAPITOL F3543 (US)	This Song Is Just For You / Mingling
12/1957	SP FAME 501 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS - I'm One Of Those / Alone At The Phone
03/1959	SP D 1050 (US)	Jimmie HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS - Someone Else Is Filling My Shoes / Born To Love You
12/1959	SP DART 119 (US)	Jimmie HEAP & His ORCHESTRA - Meanwhile (instr.) / Gismo (instr.)
1960	SP IMPERIAL 8325 (US)	Wild Side Of Life / When They Operated On Papa
10/1960	SP FAME 509 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS - Summit Ridge Rock (instr.) / Night Cap (instr.)
06/1961	SP WINSTON 1058-45 (US)	Is It Wrong / Little Bluebird
06/1961	SP FAME 510 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS - Go Get "Em" / Wild Side Of Life
11/1961	SP FAME 511 (US)	Jimmy HEAP & The MELODY MASTERS with Kenny FRAZIER, Guitarist - Flint Rock (instr.) / Forever Yours (instr.)
1962	SP FAME ? (US)	I Love You Only / ?

Albums

1966	LP 12" FAME 1003 (US)		LAUGH POTION
1967	LP 12" FAME ? (US)		LAUGH FUNTIER
1967	LP 12" FAME ? (US)		LAUGH-O-RAMMER
1968	LP 12" FAME ? (US)		LAUGH CLINIC
1992	CD BEAR FAMILY BCD 15617 (D)		JIMMY HEAP & THE MELODY MASTERS - Release Me / Love In The Valley / Just To Be With You / (I Wanna Go Where You Go) Then I'll Be Happy / Heartbreaker / You're In Love With You / Just For Tonight / Girl With A Past / Lifetime Of Shame / You Don't Kiss Me 'cause You Love Me / The One That I Won / Ethyl In My Gas Tank (No Gal In My Arms) / My First Love Affair / Love Can Move Mountains / Conscience I'm Guilty / This Song Is Just For You / You Oughta Know / I Told You So / Butternut / Long John / Mingling / Heap Of Boogie / You're Nothing But A Nothin' / That's All I Want From You / I'll Follow The Crowd / It Takes A Heap Of Lovin' / Cry Cry Darling / You Didn't Have Time / Let's Do It Just Once / This Night Won't Last Forever

© Rocky Productions 11/09/2008