Carl Mann
Encyclopedia
Carl Mann is an American rockabilly
singer and pianist.
Mann was raised in rural Tennessee; his parents owned a lumber
business. He sang in church and did country
songs for local talent shows, playing guitar and piano. In 1957, he released his first single on Jaxon Records, "Gonna Rock and Roll Tonight" b/w "Rockin' Love." Several further singles on Jaxon followed, after which Carl Perkins
' drummer, W.S. Holland, became Mann's manager, signing him to Sun Records
. Sun owner Sam Phillips
signed Mann to a three-year contract, and soon after Sun released Mann's rockabilly
version of Nat King Cole
's "Mona Lisa
." Mann and Conway Twitty
both released single versions of the tune at the same time, and both charted; it was sixteen-year-old Mann's first hit, peaking at #24 on the US Black Singles chart and #25 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1959.
Mann's follow-up singles were less successful; he covered several pop standards, but the only charting hit was 1959's "Pretend," which peaked at #57 Pop. An LP, Like Mann, was released in 1960 but did not sell well, and Mann began to drift from the business. He did a stint in the Army in 1964, and then released a single, "Down to My Last I Love You," on Monument Records
; after it failed, he returned to family life and battled problems with alcoholism
.
Mann returned as a country artist in 1974, releasing singles on ABC
and Dot
. His 1976 single "Twilight Time
" scraped the US Country Singles chart, peaking at #100. In 1977, he landed a deal with Dutch
record label Rockhouse Records, who released a live/studio split Gonna Rock'n'Roll Tonight in 1978 and In Rockabilly Country in 1981. He toured occasionally in Europe
in the 1980s, but eventually returned once again to running the family logging outfit.
Mann came out of music retirement in 2005, performing on the local Huntingdon Hayride radio show in his hometown. He continues to perform overseas and in the states, and record. A CD called "Rockabilly Highway" featured Mann, and Sun Records label mates W.S. Holland, and Rayburn Anthony was released in 2008. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, TN in 2006. In May 2011, A book on his life and music career called "The Last Son of Sun" has just been released. His official website is www.carlmann.net.
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
singer and pianist.
Mann was raised in rural Tennessee; his parents owned a lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
business. He sang in church and did country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
songs for local talent shows, playing guitar and piano. In 1957, he released his first single on Jaxon Records, "Gonna Rock and Roll Tonight" b/w "Rockin' Love." Several further singles on Jaxon followed, after which Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
' drummer, W.S. Holland, became Mann's manager, signing him to Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
. Sun owner Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
signed Mann to a three-year contract, and soon after Sun released Mann's rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
version of Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
's "Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole song)
"Mona Lisa" is a song written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures film Captain Carey, U.S.A. . It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1950. The arrangement was by Nelson Riddle and the orchestral backing was played by Les Baxter and his Orchestra...
." Mann and Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
both released single versions of the tune at the same time, and both charted; it was sixteen-year-old Mann's first hit, peaking at #24 on the US Black Singles chart and #25 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1959.
Mann's follow-up singles were less successful; he covered several pop standards, but the only charting hit was 1959's "Pretend," which peaked at #57 Pop. An LP, Like Mann, was released in 1960 but did not sell well, and Mann began to drift from the business. He did a stint in the Army in 1964, and then released a single, "Down to My Last I Love You," on Monument Records
Monument Records
Monument Records was an American record label, Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958, by Fred Foster and Buddy Deane . Buddy Deane soon left the company, and in the early 60's bought KOTN in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he retired to until his death...
; after it failed, he returned to family life and battled problems with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
Mann returned as a country artist in 1974, releasing singles on ABC
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
and Dot
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
. His 1976 single "Twilight Time
Twilight Time (song)
"Twilight Time" is a popular song with lyrics by Buck Ram, and the music by The Three Suns .Original hits of "Twilight Time" included the Three Suns and Les Brown & His Band of Renown ....
" scraped the US Country Singles chart, peaking at #100. In 1977, he landed a deal with Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
record label Rockhouse Records, who released a live/studio split Gonna Rock'n'Roll Tonight in 1978 and In Rockabilly Country in 1981. He toured occasionally in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the 1980s, but eventually returned once again to running the family logging outfit.
Mann came out of music retirement in 2005, performing on the local Huntingdon Hayride radio show in his hometown. He continues to perform overseas and in the states, and record. A CD called "Rockabilly Highway" featured Mann, and Sun Records label mates W.S. Holland, and Rayburn Anthony was released in 2008. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, TN in 2006. In May 2011, A book on his life and music career called "The Last Son of Sun" has just been released. His official website is www.carlmann.net.