Claude King
Encyclopedia
Claude King is an American
country music
singer and songwriter
, best known for his million selling 1962 hit
, "Wolverton Mountain
".
, near the city of Shreveport
. At a young age, he was interested in music but his primary interest was athletics. He purchased a guitar at age 12 and although he learned to play, most of his time was devoted to sports. He was offered a baseball scholarship to the University of Idaho
at Moscow
.
King later returned to Shreveport and joined Louisiana Hayride
, a TV and radio show produced in Shreveport and broadcast in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. King was frequently on the same shows with Elvis Presley
, Tex Ritter
, Johnny Cash
, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce
, Kitty Wells
, Jimmie Davis
, Slim Whitman
, Faron Young
, Johnny Horton
, Jim Reeves
, George Jones
and Lefty Frizzell
.
King recorded a few songs for Gotham Records, though none was successful. In 1961, he became more serious about a musical career and signed with the Nashville, Tennessee
division of Columbia Records
. He struck immediately, cutting "Big River, Big Man," a country top 10 and even a small pop crossover success. He soon followed with "The Comancheros" inspired by the movie of the same title
starring John Wayne
. It was a top 10 country hit in late 1961, also crossing over to the pop chart.
King made his best known recording in the spring of 1962. "Wolverton Mountain," written with Nashville veteran Merle Kilgore
, was based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, who lived on Woolverton Mountain in Arkansas
. Clowers was Kilgore's uncle. King and Kilgore agree that the original (Kilgore) composition of the song was not very polished, and that King eventually shaped the song into what it became. According to long-time King guitarist, Robin Vosbury, Kilgore came to numerous shows and asked everybody to call him "Uncle Clifton." The song became an immediate hit, staying at number one for nine weeks during its 26-week run on the Billboard
country chart
. It was also a Top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded gold disc
status.
King followed up that year with an American Civil War
song, "The Burning Of Atlanta." which also reached the top 10 on the country chart and again made the pop chart. In late 1962, he recorded "I've Got The World By The Tail" which narrowly missed the country top 10.
He had another good year in 1963, scoring three country hits with "Sheepskin Valley," "Building a Bridge" and "Hey Lucille!" The hits continued in 1964 with "Sam Hill," and in 1965 he was back in the top 10 with "Tiger Woman," co-written by Merle Kilgore. King also did well that year with "Little Buddy." His smooth style continued to find favor throughout the decade, especially songs like "Catch a Little Raindrop" and the top 10, "All For The Love Of A Girl" in 1969. His singles continued to hit the country charts through 1972. He left the label in 1973 after 29 hits.
Besides a career recording and touring, King also performed as an actor in several movies, and like his Nephew, Chris Aable, King is also among a minority of actors who are members in both the Screen Actors Guild
and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He appeared in the 1982 television miniseries
The Blue and the Gray
and appeared in several feature films.
In 1981, Arkansas
governor Frank D. White
paid tribute to King and his big 1962 hit by declaring August 7 "Wolverton Mountain Day." King released a CD called Cowboy in the White House'. Most of the songs were written or co-written by him, and co-produced with Vosbury and Tillman Franks
. It was released on the Sun Records label. Elvis Presley
's guitarist, James Burton
, also performed on the album.
Claude King is the Grandfather of Stacey Lynn King, daughter of Jay King, who is expected to carry on the country music tradition. King is also a Great-Grandfather to an autistic male, borne to a daughter of his son, Jay King.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
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...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, best known for his million selling 1962 hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Wolverton Mountain
Wolverton Mountain
"Wolverton Mountain" was a hit that launched Claude King's career in the US in 1962. The song was written together with Merle Kilgore and was based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, who lived on Wolverton Mountain in Arkansas. The song spent nine weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart...
".
Biography
King was born in Keithville, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, near the city of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. At a young age, he was interested in music but his primary interest was athletics. He purchased a guitar at age 12 and although he learned to play, most of his time was devoted to sports. He was offered a baseball scholarship to the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
at Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
.
King later returned to Shreveport and joined Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
, a TV and radio show produced in Shreveport and broadcast in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. King was frequently on the same shows with Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce
Webb Pierce
Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one...
, Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
, Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
, Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. , known professionally as Slim Whitman, is an American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodelling abilities. He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings...
, Faron Young
Faron Young
Faron Young was an American country music singer and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s and one of its most successful and colorful stars...
, Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
, Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves
James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...
, George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
and Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
.
King recorded a few songs for Gotham Records, though none was successful. In 1961, he became more serious about a musical career and signed with the Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
division of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. He struck immediately, cutting "Big River, Big Man," a country top 10 and even a small pop crossover success. He soon followed with "The Comancheros" inspired by the movie of the same title
The Comancheros
The Comancheros is a 1961 western Deluxe CinemaScope color film directed by Michael Curtiz and John Wayne based on a 1952 novel by Paul Wellman starring John Wayne and Stuart Whitman. When health troubles prevented Curtiz from finishing the film, Wayne directed the remainder of the movie, though...
starring John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. It was a top 10 country hit in late 1961, also crossing over to the pop chart.
King made his best known recording in the spring of 1962. "Wolverton Mountain," written with Nashville veteran Merle Kilgore
Merle Kilgore
Wyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.-Early life:Although born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Merle Kilgore was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Wyatt and Gladys B. Kilgore...
, was based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, who lived on Woolverton Mountain in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Clowers was Kilgore's uncle. King and Kilgore agree that the original (Kilgore) composition of the song was not very polished, and that King eventually shaped the song into what it became. According to long-time King guitarist, Robin Vosbury, Kilgore came to numerous shows and asked everybody to call him "Uncle Clifton." The song became an immediate hit, staying at number one for nine weeks during its 26-week run on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. It was also a Top 10 in 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...
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status.
King followed up that year with an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
song, "The Burning Of Atlanta." which also reached the top 10 on the country chart and again made the pop chart. In late 1962, he recorded "I've Got The World By The Tail" which narrowly missed the country top 10.
He had another good year in 1963, scoring three country hits with "Sheepskin Valley," "Building a Bridge" and "Hey Lucille!" The hits continued in 1964 with "Sam Hill," and in 1965 he was back in the top 10 with "Tiger Woman," co-written by Merle Kilgore. King also did well that year with "Little Buddy." His smooth style continued to find favor throughout the decade, especially songs like "Catch a Little Raindrop" and the top 10, "All For The Love Of A Girl" in 1969. His singles continued to hit the country charts through 1972. He left the label in 1973 after 29 hits.
Besides a career recording and touring, King also performed as an actor in several movies, and like his Nephew, Chris Aable, King is also among a minority of actors who are members in both the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He appeared in the 1982 television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Blue and the Gray
The Blue and the Gray
The Blue and the Gray is a television miniseries that first aired on CBS in three installments on November 14, November 16, and November 17, 1982. Set during the American Civil War, the series starred John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Lloyd Bridges, and Gregory Peck as President Abraham Lincoln...
and appeared in several feature films.
In 1981, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
governor Frank D. White
Frank D. White
Frank Durward White was the 41st Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He served a single two-year term from 1981 to 1983. He is one of only two people to have defeated President Bill Clinton in an election. Frank Durward White (June 4, 1933 – May 21, 2003) was...
paid tribute to King and his big 1962 hit by declaring August 7 "Wolverton Mountain Day." King released a CD called Cowboy in the White House'. Most of the songs were written or co-written by him, and co-produced with Vosbury and Tillman Franks
Tillman Franks
Tillman Ben Franks was an American bassist and songwriter who was also the manager for a number of country music artists including Johnny Horton, David Houston, Webb Pierce, Claude King and the Carlisles.-Biography:...
. It was released on the Sun Records label. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's guitarist, James Burton
James Burton
James Burton is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame...
, also performed on the album.
Claude King is the Grandfather of Stacey Lynn King, daughter of Jay King, who is expected to carry on the country music tradition. King is also a Great-Grandfather to an autistic male, borne to a daughter of his son, Jay King.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|||
| 1962 | Meet Claude King | — | 80 | Columbia |
| 1965 | Tiger Woman | — | — | |
| 1968 | The Best of Claude King | — | — | |
| 1969 | I Remember Johnny Horton | 24 | — | |
| 1970 | Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife | — | — | |
| 1971 | Chip 'N' Dale's Place | 45 | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US 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... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1961 | "Big River, Big Man" | 7 | 82 | — | Meet Claude King |
| "The Comancheros" | 7 | 71 | — | ||
| 1962 | "Wolverton Mountain Wolverton Mountain "Wolverton Mountain" was a hit that launched Claude King's career in the US in 1962. The song was written together with Merle Kilgore and was based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, who lived on Wolverton Mountain in Arkansas. The song spent nine weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart... "A |
1 | 6 | — | |
| "The Burning of Atlanta" | 10 | 53 | — | singles only | |
| 1963 | "I've Got the World by the Tail" | 11 | 111 | — | |
| "Sheepskin Valley" | 12 | — | — | ||
| "Building a Bridge" | 12 | — | — | ||
| "Hey Lucille!" | 13 | — | — | ||
| 1964 | "That's What Makes the World Go Around" | 33 | — | — | |
| "Sam Hill" | 11 | — | 2 | ||
| 1965 | "Whirlpool (Of Your Love)" | 47 | — | — | |
| "Tiger Woman" | 6 | 110 | — | Tiger Woman | |
| 1966 | "Little Buddy" | 17 | — | — | |
| "Catch a Little Raindrop" | 13 | — | — | ||
| "Little Things That Every Girl Should Know" | 50 | — | — | singles only | |
| 1967 | "The Watchman" | 32 | — | — | |
| "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got) Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got) "Laura " is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Leon Ashley. Recorded in 1967 and released on his own Ashley Records label, the song became his only No. 1 single that September... " |
50 | — | — | ||
| "Yellow Haired Woman" | 59 | — | — | ||
| 1968 | "Parchman Farm Blues" | 67 | — | — | |
| "The Power of Your Sweet Love" | 48 | — | — | ||
| 1969 | "Sweet Love On My Mind" | 52 | — | — | Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife |
| "All for the Love of a Girl" | 9 | — | — | ||
| "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife" | 18 | — | 14 | ||
| 1970 | "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" | 33 | — | 39 | Chip 'N' Dale's Place |
| "Mary's Vineyard" | 17 | — | 13 | ||
| 1971 | "Chip 'N' Dale's Place" | 23 | — | 7 | |
| "When You're Twenty-One" | 54 | — | — | singles only | |
| 1972 | "Darlin' Raise the Shade (Let the Sun Shine In)" | 57 | — | 32 | |
| "He Ain't Country" | 48 | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Cotton Dan" | 94 | — | — |
- A"Wolverton Mountain" peaked at #3 on Hot Adult Contemporary TracksHot Adult Contemporary TracksThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
.