Sonny Fisher
Therman B. "Sonny" Fisher (born November 13, 1931 in Chandler , Texas , † October 8, 2005 in Houston , Texas) was an American rockabilly singer. He wrote the original version of Rockin 'Daddy , which became popular in the Eddie Bond version .
Life
Childhood and youth
Sonny Fisher's ancestors were of Irish and Native American descent . When he was nine years old, his parents divorced, and Fisher first lived in California with his mother . Shortly thereafter, however, Fisher moved back to his father's farm in Texas. His grandfather, who also lived on the farm, introduced him to country music and especially the Grand Ole Opry , which was broadcast live from Nashville every week .
Career
In 1951 Fisher married and in the same year he formed his first band with Paul Vaughan ( fiddle ), Joey Long ( electric guitar ), Red Leonie ( steel guitar ), Leonard Curry ( bass ) and Darrell Newsome ( drums ). Together they first started playing rhythm and blues songs, mostly influenced by the blues musician Lightnin 'Hopkins . However, after they attended a performance by Elvis Presley in the "Texas Corral", they switched to rockabilly. After Vaughan and Leonie left the band, the group was called "The Rocking Boys".
Fisher and his band got a recording deal with Starday Records in 1955 . Their first single, Rockin 'Daddy , sold well south of the Mason-Dixon line . However, the title was covered by Eddie Bond in 1956 , who brought him to far more fame and who is far more associated with the song. Fisher's drummer Darrell Newsome, however, was hired by Elvis Presley and later also played for Columbia Records . Fisher stayed with Starday, but to no avail. After the Rocking Boys fell out, he turned back to rhythm and blues, then country music. With his drummer, Fisher briefly founded his own record label Columbus Records, which did not last long. He performed in bars and eateries in Houston until 1965, after which he founded his own flooring company.
In 1979 Fisher experienced a rediscovery due to the rockabilly revival. Ted Carroll, an employee of the rockabilly label Ace Records , had visited Fisher in Texas and won him over to appearances and recordings. He went on tour in England for the first time and made records again. In 1993 he played with Sleepy LaBeef at the Rockabilly Fiesta in Spain . After his surprising comeback in Europe, Fisher finally withdrew and lived in his home state of Texas until his death. He died in Houston in 2005 at the age of 74.
Discography
| year | title | Label # | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Rockin 'Daddy / Hold Me Baby | Starday 179 | |||
| 1955 | Sneaky Pete / Hey mom | Starday 190 | |||
| 1955 | Rockin 'And A Rollin' / I Can't Lose | Starday 207 | |||
| 1956 | Pink and Black / Little Red Wagon | Starday 244 | |||
| 1983 | Drivin 'My Life Away /? | Big beat | |||
| Unpublished titles | |||||
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Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fisher, Sonny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Fisher, Therman (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 13, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chandler , Texas |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 8, 2005 |
| Place of death | Houston , Texas |