Arlie Duff

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Arlie Duff (born March 28, 1924 in Jacks Branch , Texas , as Arleigh Elton Duff , † July 4, 1996 ) was an American country musician . His biggest hit was Y'All Come from 1953.

Life

Childhood and youth

Arlie Duff was born in Texas in 1924 and played basketball professionally during high school . His father Adolphus taught him to sing and together with him and his sister Lois he performed in church services. After serving three years in the US Navy , Duff studied at Stephen F. Austin State College in Nacogdoches , Texas and continued to play basketball professionally.

Career

Then Duff worked as an English teacher, which later gave him the nickname "The Singing School Teacher". In addition, Duff had written a few songs, but never seriously considered starting a career as a musician. His friend Gordon Baxter was a DJ and advised him to try his hand at music. Duff then played a few times with Blackie Crawford and shortly afterwards became a member of his band, the Western Cherokees .

In 1953 Duff recorded his song You All Come for the Texan label Starday Records . The title rose to number seven on the Billboard Country Charts and opened the doors to fame for Duff. Duff was suddenly heard in shows such as the Louisiana Hayride , Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee , the Saturday Night Shindig and also in the Grand Ole Opry . The title of his hit changed over time to Y'All Come and was chosen as the theme song by the Houston Hometown Jamboree . Bill Monroe used the song from then on to close his concerts and also other well-known stars such as Bing Crosby , Patti Page , Bobby Bare , Faron Young , Grandpa Jones , George Jones , Bobby Vinton , Minnie Pearl , Glen Campbell , Buck Owens , Porter Wagoner , Gene Pitney and Little Jimmy Dickens recorded their version of the song.

On October 10, 1954, Duff married Nancy White live during a show by the Louisiana Hayrides. In 1955 Duff moved from Starday to Decca Records , where he had another chart success with the self-written rockabilly song Alligator Come Across . However, he was denied further hits. As the singer of Y'All Come , he remained extremely popular in the USA and had among other things also as a songwriter of hits like It's the Little Things ( Sonny James , George Jones, Marie Osmond), Bulding Memories (Sonny James), Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Sonny James), Til I Heart it From You (George Jones) and Another Story ( Ernest Tubb , Leon Redbone ) success. In 1953 Duff had received a BMI Award for Y'All Come , which he received again in 1968 for It's The Little Things .

Since success had left Duff, he decided to leave the music business to take care of his family and focus on radio work. While working on a radio station in Colorado Springs , he made some minor records for the small Smartt label. In 1963 he returned to Texas and worked in Austin and at KKAS in Beaumont . Eventually he settled in Houston .

In 1983 Duff published his autobiography Y'All Come and moved to Woodbury, Connecticut a few years later. Arlie Duff died in Waterville in 1996 while playing golf. He left behind his wife and nine children.

Discography

year title # Remarks
Starday Records
1953 Y'All Come / Poor Ole Teacher 45-103
1953 A Million Tears / Stuck In The Mud Hole 45-106
1954 Country Singing (Along The Road) / When The Saints Go Marching In 45-127 with the Duff Trio
1954 Let Me Be Your Salty Dog / Back To The Country 45-132
1955 Courtin's Here To Stay / Fifteen Cents A Stop 45-176
1957 What a Way To Die / You've Done It Again 45-302 with the Duff Family
Decca Records
1953 Courtin 'In The Rain / She's A Housewife, That's All 9-29243
1955 I Dreamed Of a Hillbilly-Heaven / Lie Detector 9-29428
1955 Take It Easy On Me / Pass The Plate of Happiness Around 9-29589
1956 Home Boy / Oh How I Cried 9-29866
1956 Alligator Come Across / So Close and Yet So Far 9-29987
Smartt Records
1958 Send Me An Angel / You're The One For Me 1001/1002
1958 A Dark Night, A Lonely Street / Mama, You've Had Your Day 1003/1004
Musicor Records
1967 Best of Everything / Money Hungry 1240
1967 Speak of the Devil / Touch of Loneliness 1276
Salvo Records
In The Big Woods / Croppo Le Blanc 2861

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Duff, Arlie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Duff, Arleigh Elton (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country musician
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Jacks Branch, Texas
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 1996
Place of death Waterville, Connecticut