David Houston (musician)
David Houston (born December 9, 1938 in Shreveport , Louisiana , † November 30, 1993 ) was an American country singer who had some number 1 hits in the country charts in the 1960s.
Life
Beginnings
David Houston, a descendant of Southern Generals Robert E. Lee and Sam Houston , grew up in a musical environment. His godfather, Gene Austin , was one of the most successful pop singers of the 1920s. As a child, David already mastered several instruments. At the age of twelve he made his first appearance on the Louisiana Hayride Show, which was an important stepping stone for young musicians. After graduating from high school and some college semesters, he worked for a time as a construction worker and insurance agent.
Career
In 1963, Houston concluded a record deal with the new Epic label through the mediation of songwriter Tillman Franks. His first single, Mountain Of Love , was already in the top 10. The next releases all flopped. It was only when he was looked after by producer Billy Sherrill from 1965 onwards that he was able to build on his initial success. Livin 'In A House Full Of Love peaked at number three on the country charts. In 1966 he made his first number 1 hit with the sentimental ballad Almost Persuaded . The song, composed by Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton, won two Grammys .
A year later he topped the country charts three times in a row, including with the duet My Elusive Dreams sung with Tammy Wynette . In May 1968, his track Have A Little Faith reached number 1 on the country charts. The follow-up single Already It's Heaven also reached the top of the country charts in August 1968. His last number one hit came in January 1970 when he took first place for four weeks with the title Baby, Baby (I Know You're A Lady) . This was followed by a long series of top 10 and top 20 successes that lasted into the 1970s. In 1972 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry . With the young singer Barbara Mandrell he played a few duets, the best known in 1970 After Closing Time . In the middle of the decade his sales figures collapsed, he changed labels several times, but was only able to occupy the lower ranks of the charts.
David Houston died on November 30, 1993 of a cerebral haemorrhage.
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1966 | Almost persuaded |
US57 (20 weeks) US |
Country1 (29 weeks) Country |
|
| 1967 | A Loser's Cathedral | - |
Country12 (15 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| My Elusive Dreams | - |
Country12 (18 weeks) Country |
Epic, with Tammy Wynette
|
|
| You Mean The World To Me | - |
Country3 (18 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1968 | David Houston's Greatest Hits | - |
Country20 (14 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| Already It's Heaven | - |
Country9 (30 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1969 | Where Love Used To Live / My Woman's Good To Me | - |
Country27 (13 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| David |
US143 (5 weeks) US |
Country14 (22 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1970 | Baby baby |
US194 (2 weeks) US |
Country7 (29 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| The World of David Houston | - |
Country35 (7 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| Wonders of the Wine |
US170 (3 weeks) US |
Country13 (16 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1971 | A Woman Always Knows | - |
Country22 (11 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| David Houston's Greatest Hits, Volume II | - |
Country21 (8 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1972 | The Day Love Walked In | - |
Country14 (19 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| A perfect match | - |
Country38 (5 weeks) Country |
Epic, with Barbara Mandrell
|
|
| 1973 | The Many Sides of David Houston | - |
Country45 (2 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| Good things | - |
Country17 (14 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
More albums
- 1964: New Voice From Nashville (Epic)
- 1965: David Houston Sings Twelve Great Country Hits (Epic)
- 1975: A Man Needs Love (Epic)
- 1976: What A Night (Epic)
- 1977: David Houston (Starday)
- 1978: Best (Gusto)
- 1979: From the Heart of Houston (Derrick)
- 1980: Next Sunday I'm Gonna Be Saved (Excelsior)
- 1981: From Houston to You (Excelsior)
Solo singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1963 | Mountain Of Love New Voice From Nashville |
- |
Country2 (18 weeks) Country |
|
| 1964 | Passing Through New Voice From Nashville |
- |
Country37 (6 weeks) Country |
|
| Chickashay New Voice From Nashville |
- |
Country17 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| One If For Him, Two If For Me New Voice From Nashville |
- |
Country11 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| Love Looks Good On You New Voice From Nashville |
- |
Country17 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| 1965 | Sweet, Sweet Judy A Loser's Cathedral |
- |
Country18 (17 weeks) Country |
|
| Livin 'in a House Full of Love Almost Persuaded |
- |
Country3 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| 1966 | Sammy |
- |
Country47 (2 weeks) Country |
|
| Almost Persuaded Almost Persuaded |
US24 (15 weeks) US |
Country1 (25 weeks) Country |
||
| Where could I go? (But To Her) A Loser's Cathedral |
- |
Country14 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| A Loser's Cathedral A Loser's Cathedral |
- |
Country3 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| 1967 | With One Exception A Loser's Cathedral |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
|
| You Mean The World To Me You Mean The World To Me |
US75 (7 weeks) US |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| 1968 | Have A Little Faith Already It's Heaven |
US98 (2 weeks) US |
Country1 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| Already It's Heaven Already It's Heaven |
- |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| Where Love Used To Live Where Love Used To Live / My Woman's Good To Me |
- |
Country2 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| 1969 | My Woman's Good To Me Where Love Used To Live / My Woman's Good To Me |
- |
Country4 (17 weeks) Country |
|
| I'm Down To My Last 'I Love You' A Woman Always Knows |
- |
Country3 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| Baby, baby (I know you're a lady) baby, baby |
- |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| 1970 | I Do My Swinging At Home Wonders of the Wine |
- |
Country3 (17 weeks) Country |
|
| Wonders of the Wine Wonders of the Wine |
- |
Country6 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| After Closing Time Wonders of the Wine |
- |
Country6 (14 weeks) Country |
with Barbara Mandrell
|
|
| 1971 | A Woman Always Knows A Woman Always Knows |
- |
Country2 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| Nashville David Houston's Greatest Hits, Volume II |
- |
Country9 (13 weeks) Country |
||
| Home Sweet Home Good Things |
- |
Country32 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| Maiden's Prayer Good Things |
- |
Country10 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| 1972 | The Day That Loved Walked In The Day That Loved Walked In |
- |
Country18 (13 weeks) Country |
|
| Soft, Sweet & Warm Good Things |
- |
Country8 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| I Wonder How John Felt (When He Baptized Jesus) |
- |
Country41 (9 weeks) Country |
||
| Good Things, Good Things |
- |
Country2 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| 1973 | She's All Woman Good Things |
- |
Country3 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| The Lady of the Night |
- |
Country22 (11 weeks) Country |
||
| 1974 | That Same Ol 'Look Of Love A Man Needs Love |
- |
Country33 (12 weeks) Country |
|
| Ten Commandments of Love A Man Needs Love |
- |
Country14 (16 weeks) Country |
with Barbara Mandrell
|
|
| Can't You Feel It A Man Needs Love |
- |
Country9 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1975 | A Man Needs Love A Man Needs Love |
- |
Country36 (10 weeks) Country |
|
| I'll Be Your Steppin 'Stone What A Night |
- |
Country40 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| Sweet Molly What A Night |
- |
Country69 (6 weeks) Country |
with Calvin Crawford
|
|
| The Woman on My Mind What A Night |
- |
Country35 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| 1976 | What A Night What A Night |
- |
Country51 (9 weeks) Country |
|
| Come On Down (To Our Favorite Forget-About-Her Place) |
- |
Country24 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| 1977 | So Many Ways David Houston |
- |
Country33 (9 weeks) Country |
|
| Ain't That Lovin 'You Baby David Houston |
- |
Country68 (6 weeks) Country |
||
| The Twelfth of Never David Houston |
- |
Country98 (1 week) Country |
||
| It Started All Over Again Best |
- |
Country56 (9 weeks) Country |
||
| 1978 | No Tell Motel Best |
- |
Country72 (5 weeks) Country |
|
| Waltz of the Angels From the Heart of Houston |
- |
Country51 (9 weeks) Country |
||
| Best Friends Make the Worst Enemies From the Heart of Houston |
- |
Country46 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| 1979 | Faded Love and Winter Roses From the Heart of Houston |
- |
Country33 (10 weeks) Country |
|
| Let Your Love Fall Back on Me From the Heart of Houston |
- |
Country57 (9 weeks) Country |
||
| Here's to All the Too Hard Working Husbands (In the World) From the Heart of Houston |
- |
Country60 (8 weeks) Country |
||
| 1980 | You're the perfect reason |
- |
Country64 (7 weeks) Country |
|
| Sad Love Song Lady |
- |
Country78 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| 1981 | Texas Ida Red From Houston to You |
- |
Country69 (6 weeks) Country |
|
| 1989 | A Penny for Your Thoughts Tonight Virginia |
- |
Country85 (2 weeks) Country |
|
More solo singles
- 1965: Rose Colored Glasses
- 1976: Lullaby Song
- 1981: My Lady
Collaborations
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1967 | My Elusive Dreams My Elusive Dreams |
US89 (5 weeks) US |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
with Tammy Wynette
|
| 1968 | It's All Over My Elusive Dreams |
- |
Country11 (14 weeks) Country |
with Tammy Wynette
|
| 1971 | We've Got Everything but Love A Perfect Match |
- |
Country20 (12 weeks) Country |
with Barbara Mandrell
|
| 1972 | A perfect match A perfect match |
- |
Country24 (13 weeks) Country |
with Barbara Mandrell
|
| 1973 | I Love You, I Love You A Perfect Match |
- |
Country6 (16 weeks) Country |
with Barbara Mandrell
|
| 1974 | Lovin 'You Is Worth It A Perfect Match |
- |
Country40 (12 weeks) Country |
with Barbara Mandrell
|
literature
- Stambler, Irwin / Landon, Grelun: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music . New York / London: St. Martin's Press, 1969, pp. 143f.
- Shestack, Melvin: The Country Music Encyclopaedia . London: Omnibus Press, 1977, pp. 106f.
- Dellar, Fred / Thompson, Roy: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Country Music . Foreword by Roy Acuff. 2nd edition London: Salamander Books, 1979, pp. 118f.
swell
- ^ Text and music by Billy Sherill and Glenn Sutton, produced by Billy Sherill; US catalog number: Epic 10291
- ↑ For more information on the title see: Roland, Tom: The Billboard Book Of Number One Country Hits . New York City / New York: Billboard Books; London: Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1991, p. 7
- ^ Text and music by Billy Sherill and Glenn Sutton, produced by Billy Sherill; US catalog number: Epic 10338
- ^ Roland, Tom: The Billboard Book Of Number One Country Hits . New York City / New York: Billboard Books; London: Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1991, pp. 11f
- ↑ Text and music by Norro Wilson and Alex Harvey, produced by Billy Sherill; US catalog number: Epic 10539
- ^ Roland, Tom: The Billboard Book Of Number One Country Hits . New York City / New York: Billboard Books; London: Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1991, p. 33
- ↑ a b c Chart sources: US
Web links
- Works by and about David Houston in the catalog of the German National Library
- David Houston on hillbilly-music.com
- Biography on cmt.com
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Houston, David |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 9, 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Shreveport , Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 30, 1993 |