Claude King

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Claude King (born February 5, 1923 in Shreveport , Louisiana , † March 7, 2013 there ) was an American country singer .

Musical career

King grew up on a farm near the place where he was born. He became enthusiastic about music at an early age, and when he was twelve he built himself a guitar. During his school days he excelled at baseball and football, then he formed the three-man band The Rainbow Boys , which performed around Shreveport. In 1942 he was drafted into the Navy and took part in World War II . After the end of the war he attended a business college, after which he worked in a construction company. In addition, he brought his old band back to life, which in 1947 managed to record their own record with the small record company President.

From 1949, King began recording solo singles . His first record company was the small label Pacemaker from his hometown Shreveport. This was followed by the Gotham and Specialty labels until 1953 and, after a break of four years, a single on the Texan label Dee-Jay. While all of these records were unsuccessful, King was more successful as a songwriter during this time and helped Webb Pierce, among others, to a number one hit in the country charts with the title That Heart Belongs To Me in 1952. In addition, he played several tours in his closer home, where he also appeared together with his friend Johnny Horton .

After Johnny Horton's death, Tillman Franks, who had previously worked with Claude King on the Rainbow Boys, became King's manager in 1961. He helped him to a recording contract with the large record company Columbia Records . The very first Columbia record was a success, because with the title Big River, Big Man King came seventh on the Billboard country charts. By 1972 King was in the country charts with 28 consecutive titles. His greatest success was the song Wolverton Mountain , which he wrote himself and which topped the country charts in 1962 and reached sixth place on the Billboard Hot 100 . The record was sold over three million times and was awarded a gold record in Canada .

After more than 30 single releases and five long-playing records ran out in 1973 King's record deal with Columbia. A few more releases followed with smaller labels until King withdrew from the music business in the mid-1980s. In addition to his numerous record releases, two film roles in the strips Swamp Girl (1971) and Year of the Wahoo (1972) belong to his career. He spent his old age again in Shreveport, where he died in his house in 2013 at the age of 90. He was married to his wife Barbara for 67 years and had three sons.

Discography

Albums

published title Catalog no.
1962 Meet Claude King Columbia CS 8610
1965 Tiger Woman Columbia CS 9215
1968 The Best Of Claude King Harmony HS 11300
1969 I remember Johnny Horton Columbia CS 9790
1970 Friend Lover Woman Wife Columbia CS 1024
1971 Chip'n Dale's Place Columbia CS 30804
1989 American Originals Columbia FC 45075
1994 More Than Climbing That Mountain Bear Family
1999 Wolverton Mountain Collectables
2003 Cowboy in the White House Sun Record
2007 Claude King Live! Goliath

Singles

released From page Catalog no.
Pacemaker
1949 A Million Mistakes / Why Should I HB 1010
Gotham
1950 Beer and Pinballs / Fifty-One Beers 411
Specialty
1952 She Knows Why / She's My Baby 705
1952 Take It Like a Man / So Close to Me 708
1953 Got the World by the Tail / Slow Thinking Heart 711
1953 I Think of You and Me / Now That I Love You 716
Dee-Jay
3.1957 Run Baby Run / Not Sure ff You 1248
Columbia
6.1961 Big River, Big Man / Sweet Lovin ' 4-42043
10.1961 I Can't Get Over The Way You Got Over Me / The Comancheros 4-42196
3.1962 Wolverton Mountain / Little Bitty Heart 4-42352
9.1962 The Burning of Atlanta / Don't That Moon Look Lonesome 4-42581
11.1962 I've Got the World By The Tail / Shopping Center 4-42630
2.1963 Sheepskin Valley / I Backed Out 4-42688
5.1963 Building a Bridge / What Will I Do 4-42782
8.1963 Hey Lucille / Scarlet O'Hara 4-42833
1.1964 That's What Makes The World Go 'Round / A Lace Mantilla and a Rose of Red 4-42959
7.1964 Sam Hill / Big Ole Shoulder 4-43083
10.1964 This Land of Yours And Mine / Whirlpool 4-43157
4.1965 Tiger Woman / When You Gotta Go 4-43298
10.1965 Little Buddy / Come on Home 4-43416
1.1966 Catch a Little Raindrop / Hold That Tiger 4-43510
6.1966 The Juggler / I Won't Be Long in Your Town 4-43714
10.1966 Right Place at The Right Time / Little Things That Ever Girl Should Know 4-43867
3.1967 The Watchman | That's the way the wind blows 4-44035
8.1967 Laura (What He's Got I Ain't Got) / Goodbye My Love 4-44237
12.1967 Yellow Haired Woman / Ninety Nine Years 4-44340
4.1968 Parchman Farm Blues / Birmingham Bus Station 4-44504
9.1968 The Power of Your Sweet Love / Beertops and Teardrops 4-44642
12.1968 Sweet Love on My Mind / Four Roses 4-44749
4.1969 I Remember Johnny / All for the Love of a Girl 4-44833
10.1969 Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife / The House of the Rising Sun 4-45015
3.1970 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight / It's Good to Have My Baby 4-45142
9.1970 Mary's Vineyard / Johnny Valentine 4-45248
3.1971 Chip 'N' Dale's Place / Highway Lonely 4-45340
8.1971 When You're Twenty-One / Heart 4-45441
11.1971 Darlin 'Raise the Shade / Sweet Mary Ann 4-45515
5.1972 The Lady Of Our Town / Just As Soon As I Get Over Loving You 4-45614
9.1972 He Ain't Country / This Time I'm Through 4-45704

Chart placements

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
Country Country
1969 I remember Johnny Horton Country24 (10 weeks)
Country
1971 Chip 'N' Dale's Place Country45 (2 weeks)
Country

More albums

  • 1965: Tiger Woman
  • 1968: The Best of Claude King
  • 1970: Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife

Singles

year Title
album
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
US US Country Country
1961 Big River, Big Man
Meet Claude King
US82 (5 weeks)
US
Country7 (16 weeks)
Country
The Comancheros
Meet Claude King
US71 (7 weeks)
US
Country7 (15 weeks)
Country
1962 Wolverton Mountain
Meet Claude King
US6 (16 weeks)
US
Country1 (26 weeks)
Country
The Burning of Atlanta
US53 (6 weeks)
US
Country10 (7 weeks)
Country
1963 I've Got the World by the Tail
- Country11 (9 weeks)
Country
Sheepskin Valley
- Country12 (9 weeks)
Country
Building a Bridge
- Country12 (5 weeks)
Country
Hey Lucille!
- Country13 (5 weeks)
Country
1964 That's What Makes the World Go Around
- Country33 (7 weeks)
Country
Sam Hill
- Country11 (18 weeks)
Country
1965 Whirlpool (Of Your Love)
- Country47 (3 weeks)
Country
Tiger Woman
Tiger Woman
- Country6 (18 weeks)
Country
1966 Little Buddy
Tiger Woman
- Country17 (11 weeks)
Country
Catch a Little Raindrop
Tiger Woman
- Country13 (15 weeks)
Country
Little Things That Every Girl Should Know
- Country50 (12 weeks)
Country
1967 The Watchman
- Country32 (10 weeks)
Country
Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)
- Country50 (10 weeks)
Country
Yellow Haired Woman
- Country59 (2 weeks)
Country
1968 Parchman Farm Blues
- Country67 (3 weeks)
Country
The Power of Your Sweet Love
- Country48 (6 weeks)
Country
1969 Sweet Love On My Mind
- Country52 (7 weeks)
Country
All for the love of a girl
- Country9 (15 weeks)
Country
Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife
- Country18 (10 weeks)
Country
1970 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Chip 'N' Dale's Place
- Country33 (10 weeks)
Country
Mary's Vineyard
Chip 'N' Dale's Place
- Country17 (15 weeks)
Country
1971 Chip 'N' Dale's Place
Chip 'N' Dale's Place
- Country23 (13 weeks)
Country
When You're Twenty-One
- Country54 (5 weeks)
Country
1972 Darlin 'Raise the Shade (Let the Sun Shine In)
- Country57 (6 weeks)
Country
He ain't country
- Country48 (8 weeks)
Country
1977 Cotton Dan
- Country94 (3 weeks)
Country

swell

  1. a b Chart sources: US

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