Jimmy Dee
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Dee is a rockabilly
-rock and roll
musician and singer from San Antonio, TX
. He hit 47 on the Billboard Hot 50 in 1957 with the song "Henrietta", a rockabilly-style, early rock 'n' roll song that remained in the top 50 for ten weeks. He appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand
TV program (Season 1, Episode 97) on December 4, 1957 during the 4:00 PM hour. Also featured were Danny and The Juniors.
It is known that he was a member of the backing group for the Verve
and MGM recording artist Sharon Wynter. He recorded and toured with her but did not sing on any of her recordings. He married her younger sister, Debra, in June 1967. The Sharon Wynter song Bad Dreams relates a bit of the story of the romance of Jimmy and Debra.
He worked as a session musician in Memphis
and later in Nashville, Tennessee
during the sixties. He is also credited on one of Del Shannon
's tracks "Tell Her No", 1965, on drums and back-up vocals. It is thought he may have toured with Shannon as his drummer
.
During the years 1967 and 1968, he worked sessions in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
, both at FAME Studios
and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
s.
A contractual dispute with Roulette Records
caused his personal recording career to halt in early 1966. However, he reappeared later in the sixties and the mid-seventies and again in the eighties with several more records and produced one CD during the nineties. Through the course of his career, Dee recorded on eleven record labels. Among them were TNT, DOT,Infinity, Big Top, Inner-Glo, Pixie, Start, Nashville, and others.
Dee worked as a nightclub
entertainer throughout the 1960s, 1970s,and 1980s. He would seem to disappear for several years and then suddenly return to performing; from late 1969 until 1975, he seemed to have abandoned music, and then suddenly reappeared playing clubs and released several new records from 1975 to 1978. He faded once again in 1979, and then returned in 1983 with a doo-wop
group during the revival of doo-wop during the early 1980s.
From 1985 to 1987, he once again seemed to have quit the business, but reappeared again in 1987 and formed a new band and they were known to have performed until 2007 when they disbanded with several members retiring.
Today, he remains married to Debra, and they reside in Homewood, Alabama, near Birmingham. He continues to perform.
Dee was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2007. Their website has both photos and samples of a few of Jimmy Dee's early recordings.
The Music Pop Hits site has an excellent sampling of Jimmy Dee recordings through the years.
A radio program hosted by Dee titled Jim's Diner featuring fifties and sixties music is still available on the internet here. Some of these programs originally aired on WEEL, Dothan, Alabama.
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...
-rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musician and singer from San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He hit 47 on the Billboard Hot 50 in 1957 with the song "Henrietta", a rockabilly-style, early rock 'n' roll song that remained in the top 50 for ten weeks. He appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
TV program (Season 1, Episode 97) on December 4, 1957 during the 4:00 PM hour. Also featured were Danny and The Juniors.
Biography
Jimmy Dee had by 1956 become a club attraction in lounges near San Antonio.It is known that he was a member of the backing group for the Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
and MGM recording artist Sharon Wynter. He recorded and toured with her but did not sing on any of her recordings. He married her younger sister, Debra, in June 1967. The Sharon Wynter song Bad Dreams relates a bit of the story of the romance of Jimmy and Debra.
He worked as a session musician in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and later in 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...
during the sixties. He is also credited on one of Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
's tracks "Tell Her No", 1965, on drums and back-up vocals. It is thought he may have toured with Shannon as his drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
.
During the years 1967 and 1968, he worked sessions in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
, both at FAME Studios
FAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett , Roger Hawkins , Jimmy Johnson and David Hood left FAME Studios to create their own studio...
s.
A contractual dispute with Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
caused his personal recording career to halt in early 1966. However, he reappeared later in the sixties and the mid-seventies and again in the eighties with several more records and produced one CD during the nineties. Through the course of his career, Dee recorded on eleven record labels. Among them were TNT, DOT,Infinity, Big Top, Inner-Glo, Pixie, Start, Nashville, and others.
Dee worked as a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
entertainer throughout the 1960s, 1970s,and 1980s. He would seem to disappear for several years and then suddenly return to performing; from late 1969 until 1975, he seemed to have abandoned music, and then suddenly reappeared playing clubs and released several new records from 1975 to 1978. He faded once again in 1979, and then returned in 1983 with a doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group during the revival of doo-wop during the early 1980s.
From 1985 to 1987, he once again seemed to have quit the business, but reappeared again in 1987 and formed a new band and they were known to have performed until 2007 when they disbanded with several members retiring.
Today, he remains married to Debra, and they reside in Homewood, Alabama, near Birmingham. He continues to perform.
Dee was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2007. Their website has both photos and samples of a few of Jimmy Dee's early recordings.
The Music Pop Hits site has an excellent sampling of Jimmy Dee recordings through the years.
A radio program hosted by Dee titled Jim's Diner featuring fifties and sixties music is still available on the internet here. Some of these programs originally aired on WEEL, Dothan, Alabama.