Merl Lindsay

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Merl Lindsay (born December 12, 1915 in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , as Merle Lindsay Salathiel , † October 12, 1965 ) was an American country musician . Lindsay was a well-known representative of western swing in Oklahoma and California and led his own band, the Oklahoma Night Riders .

Life

Childhood and youth

Merl Lindsay was born in Oklahoma City in 1915 as one of eight children. Lindsay grew up in a musical family; his parents played instruments and several of his siblings later became professional musicians as well. His father, CE Salathiel, owned a dance hall in Oklahoma City, where Lindsay played with his father from 1936.

Career

Two years later, Lindsay formed his own band, the Barnyard Boys , with whom he moved to California in 1941. There he changed his name from Merle Salathiel to Merl Lindsay and renamed his band the Oklahoma Night Riders . On the west coast he was able to increase his popularity considerably and quickly became a fixture in the local country scene. In Compton , California, he performed regularly in his own dance hall and was heard on KMTR ( Los Angeles ) and KXLA ( Pasadena ). Lindsay also appeared in some westerns by the musician and actor Jimmy Wakely . In February 1946, Lindsay and the Oklahoma Night Riders played their first records for 4 Star Records in Hollywood . Another session for 4 Star followed in June 1946. While Lindsay was working in California, musicians like Jimmy Pruett ( piano ) and Terry Fell ( double bass ) were members of his band.

Picks and Bows , 1960

In 1947, Lindsay moved his base back to Oklahoma City, where he could be heard with the Oklahoma Night Riders on WKY and initially also performed in his father's dance hall. When it burned down that same year, he could be seen in various other halls in the area before opening his own Lindsay Land Ballroom . Shortly after arriving in Oklahoma City, Lindsay made further recordings for Bullet Records with the Oklahoma Night Riders . In addition to radio appearances, he also got his own television show. In 1957 Lindsay and his band were hired by Red Foley for his show Ozark Jubilee as a house band, whereupon Lindsay renamed the band Ozark Jubilee Boys . Records were also played over and over again - in 1957 on Hu-Se-Co Records and 1961 on D Records , Lindsay and his band also tried rock 'n' roll . The singles for D are among Lindsay's last recordings.

Merl Lindsay died of cancer in his hometown of Oklahoma City in 1965 . He was buried in Sunnylane Cemetery in Del City, Oklahoma. In 1992 he was posthumously inducted into the Western Swing Society Hall of Fame . The Oklahoma Night Riders had many very talented musicians as members between 1941 and their end, for example those for Bob Wills , Johnnie Lee Wills , Leon McAuliffe or Hank Thompson . Wanda Jackson and Norma Jean, for example, began their careers as singers for the Oklahoma Night Riders. Lindsay herself played fiddle in the band and only sang from time to time.

Discography

year title # Remarks
Published titles
4 Star Records
1946 Me Shimmy Shakin 'Daddy / Please, Don't Turn Your Back on Me 1064
1946 Gotta Litle Red Wagon / Don't Break Your Heart for My Sake 1065
1946 Water Baby Blues / Mammy's Lullaby 1117
1946 We've Said Goodbye / As Cotton Sack Drag 1118
1948 Lonesome Okie Going Home / Don't Say Goodbye 1255
1948 You Can Be True, Dear / Baby Buggy Boogie 1256
Bullet Records
1947 When You Come Home Again / It's Been Too Late Too Long 643
1947 What's to Become of Me / You Laughed at My Tears 644
1947 Old Timey Christmas / Safety Pin Rag Bullet 647
1948 A Plain Talkin 'Man from the West / Your Troubles are My Troubles 658
Skyline Records
1949 (?) Rendezvous with a Rose / Is It True M-73
Cormac Records
1950 Slidin 'Steel / Blue Mary CRS-1093
1950 Is It Too Late to Say I'm Sorry? / Stealin 'Sugar CRS-1094
1950 Calico Heart / Lindsay Waltz CRS-1140
1950 Pink Champagne / A Little Bit Old Fashioned CRS-1141
MGM Records
1950 Is It Too Late to Say I'm Sorry? / Stealin 'Sugar K10795 Republication of Cormac CRS-1140
1950 Mog Rag Boogie / All Over Nothing at All K10846
Staff Records
1951 (?) Turner Turnpike / I Live for You 322
1951 (?) Spanish Eyes / Don't Let Go 324
Mercury Records
1952 Empty Mansions / You Crossed Your Fingers (While I Crossed My Heart) 6402x45
1952 Grade "A" Pasteurized / Eager Beaver 6417x45
1953 Singing Water Baby Blues / Cotton Pickin 'Boogie 70117x45
Hu-Se-Co Records
1957 Gonna Learn to Rock / Tonight's the Night for Love 1-757 with Doyle Madden
D records
1958 Stealin 'Sugar / Hoy Ray 1028
Shasta Records
1959 Born to Lose / Tight Slacks 45-117
1959 Pistol Packin 'Mama / The Saddest Eyes 45-123
D records
1959 Stolen Kisses / Is It Too Late 1106
1960 Picks and Bows / Let's Go Dancing 1161
1960 Hey Hey Little Boy / Rockin 'Water Baby 1164
1960 EP
  • DJ's hop
  • Water baby ride
  • Turnpike Cruise
  • Mean time
1962 Tied to the Bottle / She's the One for Me 1231
Unknown label
Californio / tarantula 724
Other recordings
1947
  • Spanish polka
Bullet unpublished
1949 (?)
  • Water baby blues
  • Steel Guitar Rag
  • Sentimental Journey
  • Lonesome Hearted Blues
  • One Sweet Letter from You
  • Lindsay Waltz
  • Your Heart is Breaking Too
Transcriptions
1950
  • Orange Colored Sky
Radio recording
1959
  • Meanwhile
  • I'm Tired of Writing Letters
D. unpublished

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