Al Dexter

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Al Dexter ( May 4, 1905 as Clarence Alfred Poindexter in Jacksonville , Texas , † January 28, 1984 in Denton , Texas) was an American country musician and songwriter .

Life

Beginnings

Al Dexter began his musical career as a member of dance bands. In the early 1930s he formed his own band, The Troopers . A few singles were produced at a small label, the biggest success being Honky Tonk Blues . It was during these years that he began writing songs that he sold to local bands and musicians. It was the time of the economic depression after the stock market crash of 1929. In order to survive financially, he was temporarily forced to work as a painter and house painter.

Career

Pistol Packin 'Mama , 1942

In the early 1930s Dexter founded his own band called "Texas Troopers", which had a regional popularity in the eastern part of Texas, so that in 1934 Dexter received his first recording contract with the label Vocalion Records . He was discovered by a talent scout in New Orleans while Dexter was performing.

In the late 1930s, Dexter was signed to the Okeh label . In 1942 he recorded the self-written song Pistol Packin 'Mama , which was released a year later and became one of the greatest hits of the forties. More than three million singles were sold within 22 months. The song reached number 1 on the Billboard sales charts and stayed in the top 10 for 17 weeks. Numerous pop music greats, including Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra , took the song into their repertoire.

Pistol Packin 'Mama was just the beginning of a long run of number 1 hits; So Long Pal stayed at the top of the country charts for 13 weeks in 1944 and Guitar Polka for 15 weeks in 1946. Dexter received twelve gold records . Between 1944 and 1946 Dexter had seven number one hits, and a total of fourteen titles were in the top ten from 1944 to 1947. He had his last hit parade placements in 1948. He then opened his own club in Dallas , Texas, in which he himself performed frequently. He successfully invested his money in the real estate sector.

Although Al Dexter's music is more mainstream, the name of a particular style of country music, honky tonk , was borrowed from one of his songs, the honky tonk blues created in 1937 . For his services as a songwriter, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971.

Al Dexter died on January 28, 1984.

Discography (selection)

The titles published during his chart presence from 1943 to 1948. - All songs are copyrighted by Hill and Range Songs and Al Dexter Music Publishing Company, Hollywood, Cal.

The year of publication, title of the A and B sides, the chart positions (CW = country charts) and the US catalog number in brackets are given.

Singles

  • 1943 - Pistol Packin 'Mama (# 1 CW charts) / Rosalita (# 1 CW charts) - Okeh 6708, re-release Columbia 37668
  • 1944 - Too Late To Worry (# 1 CW charts) / So Long Pal (# 1 CW charts) - Okeh 6718, re-release Columbia 37404
  • 1945 - Losing My Mind Over You (# 1 CW Charts) / I'll Wait For You, Dear (# 2 CW Charts) - Okeh 6727, re-release Columbia 37037
  • 1945 - Triflin 'Gal (# 2 CW charts) / I'm Lost Without You (# 5 CW charts) - Okeh 6740, re-release Columbia 37042
  • 1946 - Guitar Polka (# 1 CW charts) / Honey, Do You Think It's Wrong? (# 2 CW charts) - Columbia 36898
  • 1946 - Wine, Women And Song (# 1 CW charts) / It's Up To You (# 3 CW charts) - Columbia 37062
  • 1947 - Kokomo Island (# 4 CW charts) / I Learned About Love - Columbia 37200
  • 1947 - Down The Roadside Inn (# 4 CW charts) / My Love Goes With You - Columbia 37303
  • 1947 - Who's Gonna Love You When I'm Gone? / Am I To Blame? - Columbia 37352
  • 1947 - Honky Tonk Chinese Dime / Sundown Polka - Columbia 37417
  • 1947 - Meet Me Down In Honky Tonk Town / All I Want Is You - Columbia 37434
  • 1947 - Who's Been Here? / Darling, It's All Over Now - Columbia 37441
  • 1947 - Maybe, Baby, It's Me / Love Lanes Of Yesterday - Columbia 37538
  • 1948 - New Broom Boogie / Remember You're Mine - Columbia 37594
  • 1948 - Jelly Roll Special / Sunshine - Columbia 37641
  • 1948 - Barrel House Boogie / Texas Rose - Columbia 38038
  • 1948 - Rock And Rye Rag (# 14 CW Charts) / I'm Leaving My Troubles Behind - Columbia 38168
  • 1948 - Calico Rag (# 11 CW charts) - Columbia 20438

album

  • 1947 - SONGS OF THE SOUTHWEST - I Waited Too Long / Why Did It Have To Be? / Pistol Packin 'Mama / Rosalita / Texas Waltz / Two Broken Hearts / I Told My Heart / Can This Love Be Real! - Columbia C-151

Remarks

  1. ↑ Stambler, Irwin / Landon, Grelun: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music . New York / London: St. Martin's Press, 1969, p. 79
  2. ↑ Shestack, Melvin: The Country Music Encyclopedia . London: Omnibus Press, 1977, p. 60
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Records 1940-1955 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, 1973, p. 19
  4. ↑ Recorded with the Andrews Sisters (Decca catalog number 23277) reached number 2 on the Billboard sales charts
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel: The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits. 1944-2006 . 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Billboard Books, 2006, p. 104
  6. ↑ The title stayed at the top of the CW charts for 16 weeks

literature

  • Laufenberg, Frank / Hake, Ingrid: Rock and Pop Lexicon. Vol. 1: ABBA - Kay Kyser . Düsseldorf / Vienna: Econ Verlag, 1994, p. 390
  • Dellar, Fred / Thompson, Roy: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Country Music . Foreword by Roy Acuff. London: Salamander Books, 1977, pp. 72f
  • Shestack, Melvin: The Country Music Encyclopaedia . London: Omnibus Press, 1977, pp. 59f
  • Stambler, Irwin / Landon, Grelun: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music . New York / London: St. Martin's Press, 1969, p. 79

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Dexter, Al
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Poindexter, Clarence Alfred (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country musician and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH May 4, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Jacksonville , Texas , USA
DATE OF DEATH January 28, 1984
Place of death Denton , Texas