Roy Duke

Roy James Duke ( April 11, 1922 - 1994 ) was an American country and rockabilly singer.

Life

Childhood and youth

Roy Duke was born in Tennessee in 1922 . His mother ran a pension and his father was actively involved in the church. Duke worked in cotton fields from a very early age. But every Saturday evening he listened to the Grand Ole Opry , America's most successful and well-known radio show.

Beginnings

He wrote his first song, Wasted Days , with country star Ernest Tubb . On February 24, 1953, this took on the title for Decca Records , but without success. Together with his brother Frank, the nephew Tubbs Douglas Glenn Tubb and the fiddle player Mack Smith Duke formed his first band. Around 1953 they had some appearances in Texas and Louisiana , including in the famous Louisiana Hayride on KWKH. In addition to his actual job, Duke often went to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, where he was in contact with Ernest Tubb himself and Jimmie Rodgers ' widow . After meeting manager and label owner Ted Edlin, Duke and his band joined a minstrel show. Shortly thereafter, they made more recordings on Edlin's small label Mart Records. However, the records were only sold on a small scale after appearances on the Minstrel show, Mart Records had to close shortly thereafter.

Career

A year later, Duke met the composer Vic McAlpin , who got him and Douglas Tubb a record deal with Dot Records in Nashville. They held their first session in August 1955, where Duke played, among other things, Standing At The End Of The World . Following local chart successes with records, Duke recorded his most famous track, Behave, Be Qiet or Begone, in early 1956 . The rockabilly title was written by Duke's brother Frank and McAlpin; He was recorded with Hank Garland on guitar. His solos gave the song the typical rockabilly sound, even if it is more reminiscent of honky tonk . First the record was released on Reject Records. After a talent scout from Decca Records heard the piece, Decca released it nationwide. Duke played other rockabilly titles during two sessions during 1956, including Honky Tonk Queen .

Although Duke was a regular on Ernest Tubb's Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree at the same time , he never made the big break. His last Decca single came out in March 1957, his last record he released on MGM Records . Despite the unsuccessful attempt to gain a solid foothold in the music business, Duke performed publicly in and around Nashville into old age. With his wife Joyce he had a son, Roy Duke Jr.

Roy Duke died in Nashville, Tennessee in 1994.

Discography

Singles

year	title	Record company
1953	My Heart Can't Talk / Goo Goo Eyes	Mart Records
1955	You Stood There / Standing At The End Of The World (with Douglas Tubb)	Dot records
1956	Be-Have, Be-Quiet or Begone / Honesty	Reject Records
1956	Be-Have, Be-Quiet or Begone / Honesty	Decca Records
1956	Honky Tonk Queen / It's Been The Talk All Over The Town	Decca Records
1957	Hard Hearted Woman / I Mean I'm Mean	Decca Records
	From Midnight Till Dawn Good Morning World Behave Yourself From Now On!	Decca Records (not released)

Recording data

Dukes record at Reject

Birmingham, AL , 1953

Roy Duke (vocals), remaining cast unknown

• My Heart Can't Talk ; Mart 1001
• Goo goo eyes ; Mart 1001

Nashville, TN , August 14, 1955

Roy Duke (vocals), Douglas Glenn Tubb (vocals), Bob L. Moore (bass), remaining cast unknown

• You Just Stood There , Dot 1268
• Standing At The End of The World , Dot 1268

Nashville, TN , early 1956

Roy Duke (vocals / guitar), Hank Garland (guitar), unknown (guitar, bass, drums)

• Honesty , Reject 1002 / DECCA
• Be-Have, Be-Quiet or Begone , Reject 1002 / DECCA

Nashville, TN , June 9, 1956

Roy Duke (vocals / guitar), Hank Garland (guitar), Bob L. Moore (bass), unknown (drums)

• Honky Tonk Queen , DECCA
• From Midnight Til Dawn , unreleased
• Good Morning World , unpublished
• It's Been The Talk All Over The World , DECCA

Nashville, TN , February 20, 1957

Roy Duke (vocals / guitar), Hank Garland (guitar), unknown (guitar, bass, drums)

• Behave Yourself , unpublished
• I mean, I'm mean , DECCA
• From Now On ; unpublished
• Red Headed Mama ; DECCA

Web links

• Entry into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
• Discography with audio samples