Chanteur Rockabilly US né Samuel Todd Lawmaster le 18 Juillet 1930 à Sasakawa (Oklahoma). Johnny Todd est décédé le 8 Mars 2013.

Famed in rockabilly fan circles for cult classics like "Rockin' Red Wing," singer Sammy Masters was born in Sasakawa, OK, on July 18, 1930. The son of an oil field worker, Masters was something of a prodigy, and at the age of 12 made his radio debut on Tulsa's KTUL alongside his idol, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. When Masters was 16, his family relocated to California, where he played with a series of country bands in and around Los Angeles -- most notably, he served briefly behind Western swing ne'er-do-well Spade Cooley, followed by an 18-month stint with Ole Rasmussen & His Nebraska Cornhuskers. Masters cut his debut solo single, "Lost Little Nickel in the Big Juke Box," for the Cormac label in 1950. Upon his completion of the follow-up, "Crazy River," the U.S. Army shipped him to Korea, where he regularly performed for his fellow troops. Upon returning to California in 1954, Masters signed to Pasadena-based 4-Star Publishing, writing and recording demos for the firm -- although his "Turn the Cards Slowly" would become a minor hit for Patsy Cline, he was far more interested in resuming his performing career, galvanized by the commercial ascent of the rockabilly sound.
For the early 1956 sessions that yielded his 4-Star label singles "Pink Cadillac" and "Whop-T-Bop," Masters teamed with six-string wizard Jimmy Bryant -- neither was a hit, but both are rightfully revered by latter-day rockabilly buffs. A year later, 4-Star licensed the master for "Pink Cadillac" to Modern Records, which overdubbed drums, erased Masters' name in favor of the alias "Johnny Todd," and issued the song to similarly scant attention. The singer's next effort, the ballad "Angel," appeared on 4-Star, but despite appearances on television's The Jack Benny Show and Town Hall Party along with a relentless live schedule, Masters could not break through to radio -- his fourth and final 4-Star single, "Jodie," proved to be yet another commercial disappointment, although its flip side, "If I Could See the World (Through the Eyes of a Child)," was also covered by Cline in late 1957. After leaving 4-Star he worked for several years as a staff writer for American Music before signing to the Lode imprint to cut 1960's "Rockin' Red Wing." When the record caught on in L.A., Warner cut a deal to handle national distribution, and the single went as high as number 64 on the Billboard pop charts. Although the follow-up, "Golden Slippers," was licensed to Dot, it failed to match its predecessor's success, and when the subsequent "Pierre the Poodle" also tanked, Masters again found himself without a recording contract.
In 1961 Masters befriended singer/songwriter Willie Nelson, and when Cline agreed to cut Nelson's "Crazy," she also agreed to cover Masters' "Who Can I Count On?" as the B-side. "Crazy" went on to sell five million copies, and "Who Can I Count On?" enjoyed the spoils of its massive success, with singers spanning from Bobby Darin to Wayne Newton recording their own renditions. Also in 1961 Masters founded his own label, Gallahad. While largely a vehicle for other acts, Gallahad was also home to his 1964 gospel LP, May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You, as well as little-heard singles like "Stick Around Joe," "All Alone in San Antone," and "A Big Man Cried." For a time, he and Johnny Horton co-hosted a 15-minute weekly television series on L.A. station KCOP, and during the late '60s and 1970s TV production was Masters' primary focus. At one point, he was helming six weekly series at the same time, including Jukebox Saturday Night and Country Music Time. Buoyed by a resurgence of interest in rockabilly across Europe and Japan, Masters signed to the Dionysus label to cut 1997's Everybody Digs Sammy Masters -- recorded in collaboration with Deke Dickerson and Ray Campi, it was his first new material in over three decades, and was followed by a series of acclaimed live appearances overseas.

http://topshelfoldies.org/sammy_masters.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Masters

Talents : Vocals, Guitar

Style musical : Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll

http://youtu.be/GyNSTSfVUK8

PINK CADILLAC (1956)

Some Like It Hot (1956)

WHOP-T-BOP (1956)

FLAT FLEET (1956)

2 Rock-A-4 (1956)

ROCKIN' RED WING (1959)

Years in activity :

1910 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2000 10 20

DISCOGRAPHY

Singles & EP

03/1951 SP CORMAC CRC-1171 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Lost Little Nickel / May I Call You Darling?
03/1951 SP CORMAC CRC-1172 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - I‘m Gonna Cry An Ocean Full Of Tears / Her Soul Was Fumm Of Hope
1955 SP CALICO OP-227 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Yount Tong Foo Chow (The Chinese Davy Crockett) / The Big Black Sombrero
05/1956 SP 4 STAR 1695-45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS & His ROCKING RHYTHM - Pink Cadillac   / Some Like It Hot
10/1956 SP MODERN 45x1003 (US) . Johnny TODD - Pink Cadillac / What's Up
10/1956 SP 4 STAR 1697-45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS & His ROCKING RHYTHM - Whop-T-Bop / Flat Feet
11/1956 SP 4 STAR 1697-45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS & His ROCKING RHYTHM - Whop-T-Bop / 2 Rock-A-4
06/1957 SP 4 STAR 1707x45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS & His ROCKIN' RHYTHM - Angel / My Heart Is A Hobo
08/1957 SP DECCA 9-30402 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Tall Grow The Sycamores / The Drifter
1957 EP SAMMY MASTERS SM-EPF-17 (US) Sammy MASTERS - Tall Grow The Sycamores The Drifter / Angel / My Heart Is A Hobo
10/1958 SP 4 STAR 1727x45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Jodie / If I Could See The World
1958 SP MOONGLOW 5015x45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS & His ROCKIN' RHYTHM - Whop-T-Bop / 2 Rock-A-4
1958 SP MOONGLOW 5018x45 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Pink Cadillac / Some Like It Hot
1958 EP 4 STAR EP-26 (US) Sammy MASTERS - Pink Cadillac / Stop The World / A Wonderful Time Up There / Tall Grow The Sycamores
10/1959 SP WARNER BROS. 9-5102 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Rockin' Red Wing / Lonely Weekend
02/1960 SP LODE 108 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Rockin' Red Wing   / Lonely Weekend
07/1960 SP LODE 109 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Charolette (In The Pink Corvette) / Golden Slippers
08/1960 SP DOT 45-16123 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Charolette (In The Pink Corvette) / Golden Slippers
11/1961 SP LODE 114 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Never / Pierre The Poodle And The Puppy Dogs
06/1962 SP GALAHAD G-506 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Stick Around Joe / Remind Me Baby
1963 SP GALAHAD G-526 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - On Tour In Heaven / Lord Is My Shepherd
1963 SP GALAHAD G-533 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - A Big Man Cried / I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)
09/1964 SP KAPP K-613 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - I Fought The Law / A Big Man Cried
12/1964 SP KAPP K-638 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Louisiana Jane / Barcelona Baby
1965 SP GALAHAD G-537 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - All Alone In San Antone / Roses Remind Me Of You
1965 SP GALAHAD G-538 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Little Ben / Letter
1966 SP GALAHAD G-540 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Say Yes Or No / When Fools Get Together
1966 SP DOT 45-16865 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - All Alone In San Antone / Dream Chaser
1966 SP GALAHAD G-600 (US) . Sammy MASTERS - Carnival Is Over / Let's Take A Walk
19?? SP D&R 109 (US) . You Can Have Her (Ron RUSSELL / Sammy MASTERS BAND) / You Can Have Her (instr.) (Sammy MASTERS BAND)
1985 SP Ace ‎PROMO 6 (UK) (promo)

Pink Cadillac (Johnny TODD) / Lookin' For Money (Al URBAN)

1998 EP ECCO-FONIC EF-1012 (US) Sammy MASTERS - Twin Pipes And Pin Striper (1957 demo) / Lost little Nickel (Cormac version) / Gone Man Gone (1955 demo) / Rockin' Red Wing (alt. 1959)












Unissued Tracks

1955 Unissued track (Ecco-Fonic EP 1012 (#3)) Sammy MASTERS - Gone Man Gone
1957 Unissued track (Buffalo Bop CD 55184 (#20) / Ecco-Fonic EP 1012 (#1)) Sammy MASTERS - Twin Pipes And Pin Stripes
1959 WARNER BROS. unissued (Ecco-Fonic EP 1012 (#4)) Sammy MASTERS - Rockin' Red Wing [alt. vers.]

Albums

1968 LP 12" GALAHAD ? (US) GOSPEL ALBUM - May The Lord Bless You & Keep You / Farther Along / Step By Step / Precious Memories / If I Could See The World / It Is No Secret / Old Rugged Cross / Gospel Boogie / Softly & Tenderly / The Place Where I Worship / Just A Closer Walk With Thee / What A Friend We Have In Jesus
1988 LP 12" HYDRA BLK7708 (GER)

ROCKIN' RED WING / SAMMY MASTERS - Pink Cadillac / Some Like It Hot / Whop-T-Bop / Flat Feet / Rock-A-4 / Angel / My Heart Is A Hobo / Pink Cadillac / Tall Grows The Sycamore / The Drifter / Jodie / Rockin' Red Wing / Lode / Stick Around Joe Galahad / Louisiana Jane

02/1998 LP 12" & CD DYONISUS 123355 (US) EVERYBODY DIGS SAMMY MASTERS - Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone / True Life Blues / Telephone Baby / Slippin' Around / Four Walls / Funny How Time Slips Away / Sag, Drag, And Fall / Who Can I Count On / Money To Burn / Help You Dream / Real Rock Drive
2006 CD Jukebox CDR 8265102 (UK) Rockin' Red Wing - SAMMY MASTERS - Pink Cadillac / Some Like It Hot / Whop-T-Bop / Flat Feet / 2 Rocka 4 / Angel / My Heart Is A Hobo / Rockin' Red Wing / Lonely Weekend / Tall Grows The Sycamore / The Drifter / Jodie / May I Call You Darling / Lost Little Nickel / Twin Pipes And Pin Stripes / Gone Man Gone / Rockin' Red Man (demo) / Stop The World / A Wonderful Time Up There / Golden Slippers / Charolette / Never / Pierre The Poodle / Stick Around Joe / Louisiana Jane / I Fought The Law / A Big Man Cried / All Alone In San Antone / Roses Remind Me Of Ruby / Let's Take A Walk / Dream Chaser

© Rocky Productions 18/10/2015