Lee Dresser
Lee Dresser (born May 22, 1941 in Washington, DC - † April 24, 2014 ) was an American singer, composer and musician. Dresser's repertoire ranged from rock 'n' roll to pop to country . With his band, the Krazy Kats , he was one of the most active bands in the Midwest for decades.
Life
Lee Dresser was born in Washington, DC in 1941 to a government official and a ballerina. However, he lost his parents early, so that Dresser was brought to his grandparents in Moberly, Missouri , as a child , where he also grew up. At the age of 14 he taught himself to play the guitar and later learned the harmonica .
In 1957, Dresser founded the Krazy Kats with his school friends Willie Craig and Fred Fletcher . In 1958 and 1959 the band played a few songs, but they were not released. In 1960, their first single Beat Out My Love / Thinkin '' Bout Your Love followed for Vic Damon's label Damon Records in Kansas City. In 1964, two singles for the Robin label and the band's first album, Movin 'Out! that was first published by Damon and again in 1965 by Robin.
In the mid-1960s, Dresser was drafted into the army and sent to Vietnam as a soldier. His friend and band member Willie Craig had been called up a year earlier. During his military service, Dresser performed solo as a singer-songwriter. After his release he moved to Los Angeles , where he worked as a guitarist and harmonica player for Danny Thomas, Dolly Parton , Merle Haggard and the Oak Ridge Boys . In 1969 Dresser recorded the live album El Camino Real , from which the title song was decoupled as a single and became his most famous piece. An original copy of the single El Camino Real is worth $ 150 to $ 300 among collectors, and some of his earlier records are worth almost $ 1,000.
After another album in the mid-1970s, Dresser signed with Capitol Records , but did not make it into the charts. His compositions have been recorded by artists such as Pat Boone , Bobby Sherman , Ray Price , Trini Lopez and The Osmonds . In 1980 the Krazy Kats got back together and started playing concerts in Missuori. During this time, Dresser traveled back and forth between California and Missouri until he settled back in Missouri in 1985.
Dresser and the Krazy Kats toured the American Midwest until Dresser's death in 2014. In 2012 Dresser also played at the Hemsby Rock'n'Roll Weekend in Great Britain , where he should have performed again in 2014. However, Dresser died of leukemia beforehand.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dresser, Lee |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer, composer and musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 22, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Washington, DC |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 24, 2014 |