Cowboy copas
Lloyd Estel "Cowboy" Copas (born July 15, 1913 in Blue Creek , Adams County , Ohio ; † March 5, 1963 near Camden , Tennessee in a plane crash) was an American country singer who in the 1940s and 1960s -Years of numerous hits like Candy Kisses , Alabam and Flat Top .
Life
In the early years of his career, Copas worked with the Fiddler Natchee, the Indians , and performed as a cowboy copas himself . However, he didn’t sing cowboy or western songs , but honky tonk and ballads. He made a laborious living by appearing on radio stations. In the early 1940s he put together his own band, the Gold Star Rangers . In 1943 he replaced Eddy Arnold at Pee Wee Kings Golden West Cowboys . The entry into the professional music business was done.
In 1946 he signed a record deal with the newly founded King Records label. His first single, the romantic song Filipino Baby , became a hit. In the same year he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry ensemble . For almost two decades he was one of their most famous stars. A series of top 10 and top 20 hits followed, including Signed, Sealed and Delivered , Tennessee Waltz , I'm Waltzing With Tears in My Eyes, and Candy Kisses .
In the 1950s, like many others, he was ousted by all-dominant rock 'n' roll . His straight honky tonk was no longer in demand. A change to rockabilly with Circle Rock on Dot Records could not bring any new success. He lost his record contract and switched to the Starday label in 1960 after a break of several years . A little later he made an unexpected comeback when his single Alabam reached number one on the country charts and was able to maintain this position for twelve weeks.
Several top 20 hits followed, the best known being Flat Top from 1961. Cowboy Copas was back in business when he was killed in a plane crash on March 5, 1963 while returning from a benefit concert. With him, Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins died . His final single, Goodbye Kisses , was released posthumously and peaked at number 15 on the country charts.
Discography
Albums
| year | title | Label | annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Cowboy Copas Sings His All-Time Hits | King | |
| 1959 | Favorite Sacred Songs | King | |
| 1960 | Tragic Tales Of Love & Life | King | |
| 1960 | Broken Hearted Melodies | King | |
| 1963 | The Country Gentleman Of Song | King | published posthumously |
| 1963 | As You Remember Cowboy Copas | King | published posthumously |
| 1963 | In Memory Cowboy Copas & Hawkshaw Hawkins | King | published posthumously |
| 1963 | The Legend Of Cowboy Copas & Hawkshaw Hawkins | King | published posthumously |
| 1964 | Cowboy Copas Hymns | King | published posthumously! |
literature
- Irvin Stambler, Grelun Landon: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music. St. Martin's Press, New York / London 1969, pp. 65 f.
- Melvin Shestack: The Country Music Encyclopaedia. Omnibus Press, London 1977, p. 47.
- Fred Dellar / Roy Thompson: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Country Music. Foreword by Roy Acuff. 2nd edition Salamander Books, London 1979, p. 59.
- Walter Fuchs: History of Country Music. Centers, styles, resumes. Gustav Lübbe Verlag, Bergisch Gladbach 1980, p. 228.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Newspaper report on the plane crash cf. Tennessee Plane Crash Kills Three Singers And Pilot . In: New York Times , March 7, 1963, p. 5. For the crash and the details, see Rick Everitt: Falling Stars. Air Crashes That Filled Rock And Roll Heaven . Harbor House Books, Augusta / Georgia 2004, pp. 24-44
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Copas, cowboy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Copas, Lloyd Estel (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 15, 1913 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Blue Creek , Adams County, Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 5, 1963 |
| Place of death | near Camden , Tennessee |