Doug Bragg

Doug Bragg (born Douglas Clifton Bragg on April 13, 1928 in Gilmer , Texas , † March 13, 1973 ) was an American country and rockabilly musician . Bragg gained great popularity primarily through his appearances in the Big D Jamboree .

Life

Childhood and youth

Doug Bragg was born in the small town of Gilmer in eastern Texas and was one of four children to married couple Bonnie and James Claude Bragg. Bragg attended the local school in Gilmer and developed an interest in music in his youth. He married his first wife, Pinkie, early; he had five children with her, but they divorced again in 1953.

Career

In the late 1940s, Bragg began performing in Tyler , Texas, and in the early 1950s he joined the Dallas Big D Jamborees ensemble . In addition to the Big Jamboree, Bragg also took on the leadership of the famous Louisiana Hayrides and made him appear on the show several times. Although Bragg was already semi-professionally active in the music business, he continued to work as a butcher in Dallas during the day. In the evening he then appeared in bars or other events, while the Saturday evenings were reserved for concerts in the Big D Jamboree or the Louisiana Hayride.

1955 was released on Coral Records Braggs first single with the Johnny Hicks song The Texas Special , with which he had moderate success. Another record followed at Coral. From 1955, Bragg was occasionally heard in the Cowtown Hoedown in Fort Worth , Texas.

In 1958, rock 'n' roll found its way into the music scene, and country music was not spared either. The Big D Jamboree was able to record high ratings in the wake of this popularity and Bragg began to include rockabilly in his repertoire. In March 1958, Bragg's first rockabilly single Red Rover / Lovin 'On My Mind was released on Dixie Records , followed by Pretty Little Thing / Jerry in May. These tracks are - along with a few other recordings - the only ones from Bragg that were later re-released on CD.

In mid-1958, Bragg founded his own band, The Drifters , which consisted of Earl Martin ( guitar ) and Frank White ( pedal steel guitar ), among others . In October 1958, Bragg moved to Pappy Daily's new label D Records , where some singles appeared. Due to the success of these singles, Bragg decided to quit his job and went on tour with the Drifters. Daily had booked him for many different performances, so that there was no more time for the Big D Jamboree. Bragg moved to Brownsboro in the late 1950s , but he was still touring quite a lot.

1959 followed a last single on the small Skippy label before Bragg decided to give up his career in 1961. Despite great popularity and touring, he never managed to land a hit or achieve a national breakthrough. He spent the rest of his life quietly in Texas with his second wife and now seven children. He only performed occasionally in the Brownsboro area.

In the last years of Bragg's life he often struggled with chest pain. On the evening of March 12, 1973, he suffered a heart attack . Doug Bragg died the following day in a Tyler hospital at the age of 44. Bragg's son Monte also started a career as a country musician.

Discography

year	title	Label #
1955	Daydreamin '/ The Texas Special	Coral 61364
1956	Tiger Lilly / Barbed Wire Love	Coral 61716
1958	Red Rover / Lovin 'On My Mind	Dixie 45-2002
1958	Pretty Little Thing / Jerry	Dixie 45-2004
1958	If I Found My Dream Girl / Daydreaming Again	D 1018
1959	Calling Me Back / I'm All Alone	D 1045
1959	Whirlwind / I'm All Alone	D 1045
1959	Unfinished Castle / When The Blues Came Walking In	D 1087
1959	Juvenile Baby / Teen-Age Feeling (with Cheri Robbins)	Skippy S-106 / 7-59
Unpublished titles
	Don't do that again If I Find My Dream Girl (old. Version)	D.

Web links

• Doug Bragg on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
• Discography with audio samples