Billy Barton (country musician)
William "Billy" Barton (born November 21, 1929 in London , Kentucky , † October 8, 2011 in Nashville , Tennessee ) was an American country and rockabilly musician . Barton recorded songs with Johnny Horton throughout his long career and also wrote songs for Benny Martin and Rose Maddox .
Life
Billy Barton was born in 1929 in Kentucky as "John Grimes". He started his professional music career with the KXLA radio station in Pasadena , California . Barton made his first recordings in 1952 at Abbott Records together with the then unknown Johnny Horton , who had numerous hits from 1956. Barton, however, continued his career in obscurity. In 1954 he married the singer Wanda Wayne , with whom he occasionally recorded duets.
A year later Barton signed with King Records and in 1958 released his first rockabilly single on the small Fire label. In the next few years he took on other rockabilly-style titles, including Crazy Lover (1959), Monkey Business (1961) and as "Laurel London" Don't Knock The Rock (1962). As a songwriter, Barton appeared for Benny Martin and Rose Maddox, among others, who recorded his titles. His most famous composition, however, remained the classic A Dear John Letter . In 1964 and 1965, Barton recorded two singles for his cousin Russell Sims' label, but then disappeared from the music business. After a short time in Nashville , Tennessee , Barton settled in Florida .
More recently, Barton has been rediscovered by a British label. Old tapes of his had been found and contact with Barton through cousin Russell Sims, but he was unwilling to contact.
Discography
| year | title | Label # |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Rhythm in My Baby's Walk / Betty Lorraine (with Johnny Horton) | Abbott 108 |
| 1952 | Somebody's Rockin 'My Broken Chair / Bawlin' Baby | Abbott 109 |
| 1952 | Strange Affection / She's A Good Ole Gal | Abbott 110 |
| 1952 | No Interest (Nothing But a Girl) / Never Satisfied | Abbott 111 |
| 1953 | My Darlin 'Liza Lou / You Made Me Love You | Abbott 113 |
| 1953 | Blues in Blue of Night / You Will Always Be In My Heart | Abbott 117 |
| 1954 | What's The Matter With Me / I Cried My Eyes Out Over You (B-side by Wanda Waye) | Abbott 155 |
| 1955 | The Song You Just Played / Why Don't They Leave Hear Alone | King 45-1440 |
| 1955 | Pardon Me, Old Buddy / What God Has Put Together Let No Man Tear Apart | King 45-1457 |
| 1955 | Do You Love Me, Do Love Me / I'm Turning Over A Brand New Leaf | King 45-1478 |
| 1957 | No Tomorrow / Ten Wheels | Stars 547 |
| 1958 | Doorway To Heaven / The Devil, My Conscience and I. | Radio 117-45 |
| 1959 | Day Late and a Dollar Shot / Crazy Lover | Billy Barton 1007 [1] |
| 1961 | Monkey Business / Blue Lover (as Billy Boy Barton) | Gulf 1001 |
| 196? | Monkey Business / Blue Lover (as Billy Boy Barton) | Gulf Reel 1001 |
| 1962 | Don't Knock The Rock / My Conscience and I (as Laurel London) | Gulf Reel 1007 |
| 1964 | Even Steven / Remembering | Sims 176 |
| 1964 | After The Boy Gets The Girl / Backstreet Affair | Sims 209 |
| 1965 | Letter To a Fool / Arms of a Children (with Janet McBride) | Sims 244 |
[1] There is no label name on the record, only the title and artist.
Web links
- Billy Barton (country musician) on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Obituary for Mellow's Log Cabin , retrieved on June 1, 2017.
- ↑ obituary on Musicrow ; accessed June 1, 2017.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Barton, Billy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Barton, William; Grimes, John (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country and rockabilly musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 21, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London , Kentucky |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 8, 2011 |
| Place of death | Nashville , Tennessee |