That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

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That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine is the title of an old-time music piece sung by Gene Autry in 1931, which developed into one of the most successful hits of the time.

History of origin

Gene Autry worked as a temporary telegraph operator at the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway from June 18, 1925 , where he was employed by dispatcher Jimmy Long. Both were enthusiastic about music and intensified their collaboration in the music sector. Jimmy Long was the professional head of Gene Autry and a private mentor for Autry, who was 18 years his junior, who contributed the compositions and took care of the vocal harmonies.

While Autry had been making music recordings since October 9, 1929, Jimmy Long recorded his composition That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine with Cliff Keizer on December 1 or 2, 1930 in a duet in a small recording studio in Richmond (Indiana) . The single was released by the small record label Champion Records (# 16190). Long / Keizer are therefore considered to be the interpreters of the original. It was made in the evening in the railway depot of Sapulpa, where Jimmy Long lived. It is unclear whether Autry and Long composed the piece together or whether Long is the sole author. The ARC managing director and music producer Arthur E. Satherley assumed Long was the sole composer. Autry probably contributed a little - if at all - at least he is registered as a co-author with ASCAP . Autry told the Chicago Tribune in 1983 that he got the idea for the song through a song called Dear Old Daddy, You've Been More Than a Mother To Me .

In 1931 Autry took turns recording for several record labels, because first he recorded six songs for Gennett Records on January 29, 1937 , on February 17, 1931 he recorded four tracks for the American Record Corporation (ARC) February 1931 he stood in front of the microphone with four songs for the Victor Talking Machine Company . On February 25, 1931 six recordings were made for ARC.

During the recording session on October 29, 1931, three pieces were created in the ARC Studios in New York before Autry recorded That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine . On this and two subsequent pieces, Autrey and Long sang in a duet. As another occupation were Roy Smeck (Banjo / steel guitar) and Frank Marvin (steel guitar) present. Three additional songs were recorded for ARC on the subsequent October 30, 1931. On the same day Autry changed the recording studio and recorded six pieces for Victor together with Long as The Long Brothers , four more he sang during this session with only his guitar for Victor. Recording for several labels was not unusual at the time, because only big stars were exclusively bound to one label.

The intro of That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine consists of a prominent pedal steel guitar - riff . Jimmy Long's tenor mingled well with Autry's voice. Lyrically, the tearful ballad is about the plaintive love of a remorseful, headstrong son about the son's regret for his dying father. Even if the sentimental piece is registered as an Autry / Long composition, it is considered the sole Long composition with a likely Cut In by Autry.

Publication and Success

Gene Autry - That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

Arthur Satherley contacted the department store group Sears Roebuck , to which ARC belonged, for sales purposes, and let them test the single. Sears placed a two-page ad in the Sears department store catalog and sent the sample copy to the WLS Chicago radio station, 51% owned by the department store group. The song was put on the mail order list of the department store group Sears and received preferred airplay from its radio station WLS Chicago . Autry appeared here regularly from December 1, 1931 on.

That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine / Mississippi Valley Blues (B-side recorded October 30, 1931) was released in January 1932 on several ARC-controlled sub-labels such as Banner Records (# 32349), Oriole Records (# 8919), Perfect Records (# 12775), Romeo Records (# 5109) or Conqueror Records (# 7908; were distributed exclusively through Sears). The single sold an unusually high circulation of 30,000 copies within a month; When 500,000 copies were sold at the end of the year, the record manager at ARC decided to give Autry a gold-plated copy (gold-bronze coating) of the record. When it reached 1 million, Autry received another gold-plated copy. According to Autry's autobiography, this marked the start of the music industry's tradition of official gold record awards . It was not until June 1933 that Autry signed an exclusive contract with ARC.

When the movie The Phantom Empire (German cinema title : "Golddukaten des Gespenstes") premiered on February 23, 1935 with Autry in the lead role and he sang the hit in the film, Vocalion Records (# 2991) decided in August 1935 to do so Remake that peaked at number seven on the pop charts . By 1940, it is estimated that more than 5 million copies were sold on the counter, and that by mail order alone. That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine was Autry's first million seller . He also sang the song in the movie Tumbling Tumbleweeds ("Five Years and a Day After"; September 5, 1935). In total, Autry released 635 songs during his career.

Cover versions

Despite the large sales figures, the hit was covered relatively little with at least 13 cover versions . He was picked up by Girls of the Golden West (September 1933), Log Cabin Boys (recorded on May 7, 1935), Sons of the Pioneers (1935), the Everly Brothers (December 1958), Jim Reeves (February 1961), among others. , Johnny Cash (recorded live on April 23, 1981 in Boeblingen; LP The Survivors Live ) or Simon & Garfunkel (recorded live on November 28, 1969 in Carnegie Hall ; LP Old Friends from November 1997).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Tony Russell: Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942 , 2008, p. 511.
  2. ↑ Holly George-Warren: Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry , 2007, p. 72.
  3. ↑ Jack Hurst: Gene Autry: The Apprenticeship of One Smart Singing Cowboy , Chicago Tribune, August 7, 1983.
  4. ↑ Don Cusic: Gene Autry: His Life And Career , 2007, p. 20
  5. ↑ Tony Russell: Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942 , 2008, pp. 75 f.
  6. ↑ Don Cusic: Gene Autry: His Life And Career , 2007, p. 23
  7. ↑ Holly George-Warren: Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry , 2007, p. 73.
  8. ^ Alan John Britton: Uncle Art , 2010, p. 124 f.
  9. ↑ Christopher H. Sterling: Biografical Dictionary of Radio , 2013, p. 13.
  10. ↑ Mickey Herskowitz / Gene Autry, Back in the Saddle Again , paperback, September 1978, p. 61.
  11. ↑ Vocalion was also a sub-label of ARC
  12. ↑ Mike Evans: Country Music Facts, Figures And Fun , 2006, p. 32.
  13. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 29.