Werly Fairburn
Werly Fairburn (born November 27, 1924 in Folsom , Louisiana , † January 18, 1985 ) was an American country and rockabilly singer.
Life
Childhood and youth
Werly Fairburn was the son of a farmer. He had Scottish , Irish , English ancestry and was also distantly related to the Cherokee Indians. Early on, Fairburn was musically influenced by the Grand Ole Opry , which could be heard across America. His father, who died when Fairburn was 13 years old, gave him a guitar that he soon mastered. Together with his brothers, he learned to play from an elderly African American. When the Second World War broke out , Fairburn, now married, moved to New Orleans . In 1943 he was drafted into the Navy and served his military service in Honolulu , Hawaii .
Beginnings
After his release, he returned to New Orleans, where he worked as a hairdresser . On the side, he earned something with appearances as a country musician. He mixed the styles of Jimmie Rodgers 'and Hank Williams ' with rhythm and blues . A short time later he was given the opportunity to appear on the radio station WJBW, where he also advertised his barber shop. He became known as the " Singing Barber " (Eng. "The singing hairdresser"). In 1948 he got a job as a disc jockey with WWWE and attended a music school to improve his skills. In the early 1950s he recorded some records for the first time with Trumpet Records , including Camping with Marie . The title is Fairburn's best-known piece from this time and can already be rated as early rockabilly.
Career
After joining Columbia Records in 1955 , his ascent began. Although he never had a big hit, he was known as far as Dallas , Texas and had the opportunity to appear in the Big D Jamboree and the Louisiana Hayride . His best-known track is probably Everybody's Rockin ' from 1956. When Fairburn performed a gig in 1964, his friend Jim Reeves heard him sing the song I Guess I'm Crazy . Reeves recorded the piece shortly before his death, just before his plane crashed, the record was released. After Fairburn moved to California in the mid-1960s , its success waned. However, he continued to perform in public until his death. Since 1959 he had founded several record labels, where he also released singles himself. In 1982 his doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer .
Werly Fairburn died of lung cancer on January 18, 1985 at the age of 61. In 1994 Bear Family Records released a CD with Fairburn's life's work.
Discography
| year | Title A | Title B | Record company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Camping with Mary | Let's think it over | Trumpet Records |
| 1953 | I feel like cryin ' | Baby call on me | Trumpet Records |
| 1954 | Good deal, Lucille | Baby he's a wolf | Capitol Records |
| 1954 | Love Spelled Backwards Is Evol | Notin 'but lovin' | Capitol Records |
| 1954 | Prison Cell of Love | I feel like cryin ' | Capitol Records |
| 1955 | It's a cold, Weary World | Spiteful Heart | Capitol Records |
| 1955 | I guess I'm crazy | That Sweet Love of Mine | Columbia Records |
| 1956 | Broken Hearted Me | Stay close to me | Columbia Records |
| 1956 | Everybody's rockin ' | It's heaven | Columbia Records |
| 1956 | All the time | I'm a Fool About Your Love | Savoy Records |
| 1957 | My Heart's on Fire | Speak to me baby | Savoy Records |
| 1957 | Telephone baby | No blues tomorrow | Savoy Records |
| 1962 | You Are My Sunshine | Doggone That Moon | Milestone Records |
| 1968 | My Crazy World | There's Something On | Paula Records |
|
Capitol Records (not released) | ||
|
Columbia Records (unreleased) | ||
|
not published |
Web links
- Werly Fairburn at Allmusic (English)
- Werly Fairburn on hillbilly-music.com
- Discography with audio samples
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fairburn, Werly |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country and rockabilly singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 27, 1924 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Folsom , Louisiana , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 18, 1985 |