Country

Died On This Date (February 3, 2009) Tom Brumley / Steel Guitar Great

Tom Brumley
December 11, 1935 – February 3, 2009

brumleyTom Brumley was an accomplished steel guitarist who played with two of California’s most beloved recording artists, Buck Owens and Rick Nelson.  As part of Owens’ Buckaroos from 1963 to 1969, Brumley played on such landmark country records as “Act Naturally” and “I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail.”  By doing so, he helped popularize the so-called “Bakersfield Sound.”  After leaving Owens, Brumley joined up with Nelson to record and perform for the better part of a decade.  His playing was instrumental in the development of Nelson’s latter-day country rock sound.  Over the course of his career, Brumley also played with the likes of Rod Stewart, Martina McBride, Waylon Jennings, and Reba McIntire.  Tom Brumley passed away on February 3, 2009 as the result of an earlier heart attack.  He was 73 years old.



Died On This Date (January 30, 1980) Warren Smith / Rockabilly Pioneer

Warren Smith
February 7, 1932 – January 30, 1980

Warren Smith was a rockabilly pioneer who, in 1956, had a hit with his first record, “Rock & Roll Ruby.”  It was recorded by Sam Phillips for his Sun Records and ended up outselling the Sun debuts from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.  Smith continued to record for Sun through the ’50s, but only saw moderate success, likely due to the fact that the label was putting all of its promotional muscle behind his more famous label mates.  During the ’60s, Smith switched gears and released several country records for Liberty Records.  Smith’s career faltered due to drug and alcohol issues, but he found himself back in demand during the rockabilly revival of the late ’70s.   On January 30, 1980, Warren Smith, age 47, died of a heart attack on the eve of what would have been his comeback tour of Europe.

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Warren Smith

Died On This Date (January 27, 2010) Shirley Collie Nelson / Country Singer; Former Wife of Willie Nelson

Shirley Collie Nelson (Born Shirley Simpson)
March 16, 1931 – January 27, 2010

Shirley Collie Nelson was a country singer who, over the course of her career, released a handful of hit country singles.  An ambitious kid, she left home at the age of 14 to start a career in radio.  By the late ’50s, Collie Nelson was a regular on the popular television program, Ozark Jubilee.  During the ’60s, Collie Nelson released three hit country singles, “Dime a Dozen,” “Why Baby Why” (with Warren Smith), and “Willingly” (with Willie Nelson).  That duet was actually Nelson’s chart debut.  The two got married in 1963 and divorced in 1971.  Following their divorce, Collie Nelson retired from music.  In 2009, she released her memoirs, Scrapbooks in My Mind: Featuring Shirley and Willie Nelson and Many Others.  On January 27, 2010, Shirley Collie Nelson passed away at the age of 78.



Died On This Date (January 17, 1998) Cliffie Stone / Country Singer

Cliffie Stone (Born Clifford Snyder)
March 1, 1917 – January 17, 1998

Cliffie Stone was a country singer, musician and songwriter as well as a producer and A&R man for Capitol Records during the label’s early years.  As a bassist, he played in big bands that became popular throughout Southern California thanks to appearances on local radio shows.  In 1946, he was hired by Capitol where he signed Tennessee Ernie Ford and Hank Thompson, among others.  He released a handful of his own albums during the 1950s.  During the ’60s, Stone found more success with his own publishing company, Central Songs.  On January 17, 1998, Cliffie Stone died of a heart attack at the age of 81.

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Cliffie Stone

Died On This Date (January 16, 2010) Carl Smith / Country Music Legend

Carl Smith
March 15, 1927 – January 16, 2010

Carl Smith was a country music singer who was so respected that he was nicknamed, “Mr. Country.”  A musician since grade school, Smith formed his first band at 15, and by the time he returned home from a term in the Navy, he was well on his way to a storied music career.  Smith made his mark on country music during the ’50s, when he began releasing hits like, “Hey Joe,” “Ten Thousand Drums,” and “Wicked Lies.”  During that decade, he scored over 30 Top-10 hits, five of which went to #1.  In 1951, he married June Carter with whom he had a daughter that would grow up to perform under the name, Carlene Carter.  During the late ’50s, he divorced Carter, moved to California, appeared on television and films, and married another country hit maker, Goldie Hill.  Smith stayed active in the music industry until his retirement in 1983.  Carl Smith was 82 when he passed away on January 16, 2010.

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Carl Smith