Cowboy Copas
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Estel Copas known by his stage name Cowboy Copas, was an American
country music
singer popular from the 1940s until his death in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline
and Hawkshaw Hawkins
. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry
.
in Adams County, Ohio
. He began performing locally at age 14, and appeared on WLW-AM and WKRC-AM
in Cincinnati during the 1930s. In 1940 he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee
, where he performed on WNOX-AM with his band, the Gold Star Rangers.
In 1943, Copas achieved national fame when he replaced Eddy Arnold
as a vocalist in the Pee Wee King
band and began performing on the Grand Ole Opry. His first solo single, "Filipino Baby", released by King Records
in 1946, hit No. 4 on the Billboard
country chart and sparked the most successful period of his career.
While continuing to appear on the Opry, Copas recorded several other hits during the late 1940s and early 1950s, including "Signed, Sealed and Delivered", "The Tennessee Waltz
", "Tennessee Moon", "Breeze", "I'm Waltzing with Tears in My Eyes", "Candy Kisses
", "Hangman's Boogie", and "The Strange Little Girl". Copas' 1952 single, "'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered", reached No. 8 on the Billboard country chart, but it was his final top 40 hit for eight years.
Although Copas didn't maintain his stellar popularity of the late 1940s through the next decade, he continued to perform regularly at the Grand Ole Opry and appeared on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
. After a lackluster partnership with Dot Records
, Copas surged to the top of the charts again in 1960 with the biggest hit of his career, "Alabam
", which remained number one for three months. Other major hits during his successful period with Starday Records in the early 1960s, including "Flat Top" and a remake of "Signed, Sealed And Delivered", held promising implications for the future of his career, but fate intervened.
, Hawkshaw Hawkins
and others performed at a benefit concert at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas
for the family of disc jockey
Cactus Jack Call, who had died the previous December in an automobile accident.
On March 5, they left for Nashville in a Piper Comanche piloted by Copas' son-in-law (and Cline's manager), Randy Hughes. After stopping to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee
, the craft took off at 6:07 p.m. CT. The plane flew into severe weather and crashed at 6:20 p.m. in a forest near Camden, Tennessee
, 90 miles from the destination. There were no survivors. A stone marker, dedicated on July 6, 1996, marks the location of the crash.
Copas was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
in Goodlettsville, Tennessee
in "Music Row" with Hawkins and other country music stars.
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 popular from the 1940s until his death in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
and Hawkshaw Hawkins
Hawkshaw Hawkins
Harold Franklin Hawkins , better known as Hawkshaw Hawkins, was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 60s known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk...
. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
.
Biography
Copas was born in 1913 in Jefferson TownshipJefferson Township, Adams County, Ohio
Jefferson Township is one of the fifteen townships of Adams County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,024 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the eastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Meigs Township - north...
in Adams County, Ohio
Adams County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,330 people, 10,501 households, and 7,613 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,822 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
. He began performing locally at age 14, and appeared on WLW-AM and WKRC-AM
WKRC (AM)
WKRC is a radio station based in Cincinnati, Ohio that is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 550 kHz. Broadcasting under the branding of 55KRC, the station is a news/talk outlet featuring a local morning show and national hosts like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean...
in Cincinnati during the 1930s. In 1940 he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, where he performed on WNOX-AM with his band, the Gold Star Rangers.
In 1943, Copas achieved national fame when he replaced Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
as a vocalist in the Pee Wee King
Pee Wee King
Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski , known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz"....
band and began performing on the Grand Ole Opry. His first solo single, "Filipino Baby", released by King Records
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
in 1946, hit No. 4 on the Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
country chart and sparked the most successful period of his career.
While continuing to appear on the Opry, Copas recorded several other hits during the late 1940s and early 1950s, including "Signed, Sealed and Delivered", "The Tennessee Waltz
The Tennessee Waltz
"Tennessee Waltz" is a popular/country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in December 1947 as a single by Cowboy Copas that same year...
", "Tennessee Moon", "Breeze", "I'm Waltzing with Tears in My Eyes", "Candy Kisses
Candy Kisses
Candy Kisses can refer to the following songs:*"Candy Kisses" , a 1949 American folk song*"Candy Kisses" , a 2007 American R&B songCandy kiss or candy kisses can refer to:...
", "Hangman's Boogie", and "The Strange Little Girl". Copas' 1952 single, "'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered", reached No. 8 on the Billboard country chart, but it was his final top 40 hit for eight years.
Although Copas didn't maintain his stellar popularity of the late 1940s through the next decade, he continued to perform regularly at the Grand Ole Opry and appeared on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
. After a lackluster partnership with Dot Records
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...
, Copas surged to the top of the charts again in 1960 with the biggest hit of his career, "Alabam
Alabam (Cowboy Copas song)
"Alabam" is a 1960 song by Cowboy Copas. "Alabam" would be the most successful release of Cowboy Copas and becoming his only single to hit the Hot 100, peaking at number sixty-three...
", which remained number one for three months. Other major hits during his successful period with Starday Records in the early 1960s, including "Flat Top" and a remake of "Signed, Sealed And Delivered", held promising implications for the future of his career, but fate intervened.
Aircraft accident
On March 3, 1963, Copas, Patsy ClinePatsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
, Hawkshaw Hawkins
Hawkshaw Hawkins
Harold Franklin Hawkins , better known as Hawkshaw Hawkins, was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 60s known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk...
and others performed at a benefit concert at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
for the family of disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Cactus Jack Call, who had died the previous December in an automobile accident.
On March 5, they left for Nashville in a Piper Comanche piloted by Copas' son-in-law (and Cline's manager), Randy Hughes. After stopping to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee
Dyersburg, Tennessee
Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at...
, the craft took off at 6:07 p.m. CT. The plane flew into severe weather and crashed at 6:20 p.m. in a forest near Camden, Tennessee
Camden, Tennessee
Camden is a city in Benton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,828 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Benton County.-Geography:Camden is positioned at...
, 90 miles from the destination. There were no survivors. A stone marker, dedicated on July 6, 1996, marks the location of the crash.
Copas was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens is a cemetery noted for the number of musicians' graves. It was established in 1960, and is located at 1150 Dickerson Pike in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville...
in Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
in "Music Row" with Hawkins and other country music stars.
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
||
| 1946 | "Filipino Baby" | 4 | |
| 1948 | "Signed Sealed and Delivered" | 2 | |
| "Tennessee Waltz" | 3 | ||
| "Tennessee Moon" | 7 | ||
| "Breeze" | 12 | ||
| 1949 | "I'm Waltzing with Tears in My Eyes" | 12 | |
| "Candy Kisses Candy Kisses Candy Kisses can refer to the following songs:*"Candy Kisses" , a 1949 American folk song*"Candy Kisses" , a 2007 American R&B songCandy kiss or candy kisses can refer to:... " |
5 | ||
| "Hangman's Boogie" | 14 | ||
| 1951 | "The Strange Little Girl" | 5 | |
| 1952 | "'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered" | 8 | |
| 1960 | "Alabam Alabam (Cowboy Copas song) "Alabam" is a 1960 song by Cowboy Copas. "Alabam" would be the most successful release of Cowboy Copas and becoming his only single to hit the Hot 100, peaking at number sixty-three... " |
1 | 63 |
| 1961 | "Flat Top" | 9 | |
| "Sunny Tennessee" | 12 | ||
| "Signed Sealed and Delivered" (recording) | 10 | ||
| 1963 | "Goodbye Kisses" | 12 |