Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards (* 3. February 1929 in Senath , Missouri , as James Wiley Bullington ) is an American rockabilly musician and songwriter . Edward's most famous track is Love Bug Crawl .
Life
Childhood and youth
Edwards was born in Missouri, where he grew up on a farm near Cardwell. As a child he sang regularly on jamborees in Columbus , Missouri, and later took a course in music theory at Arkansas State College. After spending two years in the US Air Force , Edwards moved to Flint , Michigan , where he worked as a truck driver.
Career
In 1957, Edwards had the opportunity to play two of his songs - Love Bug Crawl and Honey Lovin ' - to radio host Bill Lamb, who worked for WBBC and also owned a small studio. Edwards played a version of Love Bug Crawl together with The Way To My Heart , which was released on the small Wednesday label. It's not clear whether the label belonged to Edwards, Bill Lamp, or both. The single was released under Edward's real name "Jim Bullington".
The song caught the attention of Jim Minor and Bob Cloud of Mayflower Music, who had distributed the song. Minor quickly got an eye on Edwards and became his manager. He let Edwards Love Bug Crawl together with the other Edwards song Honey Lovin ' again in Nashville , Tennessee , record with professional session musicians and sold the masters to Mercury Records , which brought the single back on the market in October 1957. Billboard gave the song a good chance and in 1958 Love Bug Crawl broke into the national top 100 charts. He stayed at the bottom of the charts for three weeks. The title lasted six weeks in the country charts and reached number 12.
Because of his success, Edwards got an engagement at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport , Louisiana , one of the most famous country shows in the USA at the time. He also went on a tour with Paul Anka , the Everly Brothers and the Crickets . For a short time Edwards was a star, but the subsequent singles like My Honey and Do That Again could not repeat the success. He lost his contract with Mercury and moved to RCA Victor . But even here he found no success. Although he managed to write some hits for Charley Pride , he failed to gain a foothold in the music business.
Edwards retired to Flint, where he worked in a car factory. His hit Love Bug Crawl was covered by British rock and roll singer Marty Wilde in 1957 and was later recorded by Wee Willie Harris and the Kentucky Headhunters .
Discography
| year | title | Record company |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Love Bug Crawl / The Way To My Heart | Wednesday Records |
| 1957 | Love Bug Crawl / Honey Lovin ' | Mercury Records |
| 1958 | My Honey / Golden Ruby Blue | Mercury Records |
| 1958 | Do That Again / Wedding Band | Mercury Records |
| 1959 | Your Love Is A Good Love / A Favor For A Friend | RCA Victor |
| 1960 | Rosie Lee / Live and Let Live | RCA Victor |
| 1960 | Silver Slippers / What Do You Want From Me? | RCA Victor |
Remarks
- ↑ The single (catalog number Mercury 71209) reached number 78; compare Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Ltd., 1994, p. 190.
- ↑ The placement was achieved in the country jockey charts; compare Joel Whitburn: The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. 1944-2006 . Billboard Books, New York 2006, p. 115
literature
- Bob Millar: That'll Flat Git It! - Rockabilly from the Vaults of Mercury Records . Liner Notes. Bear Family Records, 1998
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Edwards, Jimmy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bullington, Jim; Bullington, James Wiley (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly musician and songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 3, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Senath , Missouri , Missouri |