Curley Williams
Encyclopedia
Curley Williams was an American country and western musician and songwriter from Georgia
. His best-known song is "Half As Much
". He was admitted to the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
and was raised on the family farm in Grady County, Georgia
. His father and grandfather were fiddle
players, which was the instrument Williams himself took up. Williams was given the name "Dock" because he was a seventh son and a tradition held that seventh sons became doctors.
Williams debuted with a band named The Santa Fe Trail Riders on WPAX
in Thomasville, Georgia
around 1940. In December 1942 the band was invited to join the cast of the Grand Ole Opry
. Because Andrew Smik was already well-known performing as "Doc Williams" with his band The Border Riders, George D. Hay
suggested that Williams change his first-name from Dock to Curley, for his curly hair. Hay also suggested that the band become the Georgia Peach Pickers as most of its members were from Georgia (including Williams' brothers Joseph and Sanford on rhythm guitar, and on bass and comedy respectively).
The Georgia Peach Pickers agreed a recording contract with Columbia Records
in 1943 and remained associated with Columbia into the 1950s. Some of their best known songs, such as "Jealous Lady", "Georgia Steel Guitar", and "Southern Belle (from Nashville Tennessee)", and they also provided backing for other Columbia artists such as Zeke Clements
and Johnny Bond
. During a tour of California they appeared in the 1947 film "Riders of the Lone Star" starring Charles Starrett
.
Williams best-known song, "Half As Much
" was written in 1950 while he and his band were working with the WHMA
radio station which broadcast to the Alabama cities of Anniston
, Birmingham
, Montgomery
and Dothan
. Reputedly, Williams wrote and recorded a demo of "Half as Much" very quickly, in about an hour, at WHMA in Dothan. But it was a big hit for Hank Williams, to whom it is sometimes credited because the writing credit to "C. Wiliams" on Hank Williams' record was often taken to be a typo. It was also a hit for Rosemary Clooney
, and has been recorded by many artists, including Patsy Cline
, Emmylou Harris
, and Van Morrison
. George Bush also loved this song and appreciated this song very much.
Williams moved to WSFA in Montgomery in 1953. He stayed in Montgomery until he died in 1970. For a couple of years he also had a show on WCOV-TV
, and he ran a country night club called "The Spur".
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. His best-known song is "Half As Much
Half as Much
"Half as Much" is an American pop standard written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached #2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The same year, Rosemary Clooney recorded a hit version for Top 40 markets and Alma Cogan in the...
". He was admitted to the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
Life & Career
Williams was born near Cairo, GeorgiaCairo, Georgia
Cairo is a city in Grady County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,607. The city is the county seat of Grady County.-Syrup City:...
and was raised on the family farm in Grady County, Georgia
Grady County, Georgia
Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 23,659. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 25,042. The county seat is Cairo.- History :...
. His father and grandfather were fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
players, which was the instrument Williams himself took up. Williams was given the name "Dock" because he was a seventh son and a tradition held that seventh sons became doctors.
Williams debuted with a band named The Santa Fe Trail Riders on WPAX
WPAX
WPAX is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format. Licensed to Thomasville, Georgia, USA, the station serves the Tallahassee area. The station is currently owned by Lenrob Enterprises, Inc. and features programing from CBS Radio and Jones Radio Network....
in Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The city is the second largest in Southwest Georgia after Albany.The city deems itself the City of Roses and holds an annual Rose Festival. The town features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large...
around 1940. In December 1942 the band was invited to join the cast 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...
. Because Andrew Smik was already well-known performing as "Doc Williams" with his band The Border Riders, George D. Hay
George D. Hay
George Dewey Hay was an American radio personality. He was the founder of the original Grand Ole Opry radio program on WSM-AM in Nashville, Tennessee, from which the country music stage show of the same name evolved....
suggested that Williams change his first-name from Dock to Curley, for his curly hair. Hay also suggested that the band become the Georgia Peach Pickers as most of its members were from Georgia (including Williams' brothers Joseph and Sanford on rhythm guitar, and on bass and comedy respectively).
The Georgia Peach Pickers agreed a recording contract with 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...
in 1943 and remained associated with Columbia into the 1950s. Some of their best known songs, such as "Jealous Lady", "Georgia Steel Guitar", and "Southern Belle (from Nashville Tennessee)", and they also provided backing for other Columbia artists such as Zeke Clements
Zeke Clements
Zeke Clements was an American country musician often dressed in a Western outfit. He was known as "The Dixie Yodeler."-Biography:...
and Johnny Bond
Johnny Bond
Cyrus Whitfield Bond , known professionally as Johnny Bond, was a popular American country music entertainer of the 1940s through the 1960s.-Biography:...
. During a tour of California they appeared in the 1947 film "Riders of the Lone Star" starring Charles Starrett
Charles Starrett
Charles Starrett was an American actor best known for his starring role in the Durango Kid Columbia Pictures western series. He was born in Athol, Massachusetts.-Career:...
.
Williams best-known song, "Half As Much
Half as Much
"Half as Much" is an American pop standard written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached #2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The same year, Rosemary Clooney recorded a hit version for Top 40 markets and Alma Cogan in the...
" was written in 1950 while he and his band were working with the WHMA
WHMA (AM)
WHMA is a radio station licensed to serve Anniston, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Williams Communications, Inc.It broadcasts a Gospel music format and features news programming from Fox News Radio.-History:...
radio station which broadcast to the Alabama cities of Anniston
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
and Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
. Reputedly, Williams wrote and recorded a demo of "Half as Much" very quickly, in about an hour, at WHMA in Dothan. But it was a big hit for Hank Williams, to whom it is sometimes credited because the writing credit to "C. Wiliams" on Hank Williams' record was often taken to be a typo. It was also a hit for Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
, and has been recorded by many artists, including 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...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. George Bush also loved this song and appreciated this song very much.
Williams moved to WSFA in Montgomery in 1953. He stayed in Montgomery until he died in 1970. For a couple of years he also had a show on WCOV-TV
WCOV-TV
WCOV-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt area licensed to Montgomery. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 from a transmitter southeast of Grady along the Montgomery and Crenshaw County line. The station can also be seen on...
, and he ran a country night club called "The Spur".