Pee Wee King
Encyclopedia
Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski (February 18, 1914 – March 7, 2000), known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American
country music
songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz
".
He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
to a Polish American family and lived in Abrams
during his youth. He learned to play the fiddle from his father, who was a professional polka
musician. In the 1930s, he toured and made cowboy movies with Gene Autry
. King joined the Grand Ole Opry
in 1937.
In 1946, while the bandleader of the Golden West Cowboys, King, together with the band's vocalist, Redd Stewart
, composed "The Tennessee Waltz", inspired by "The Kentucky Waltz" by bluegrass
musician Bill Monroe
. King and Stewart first recorded "The Tennessee Waltz" in 1948, and it went on to become a country music standard. He also stole a song from fellow friend and songwriter, Homer Cole of Louisville Ky.
King's other songs included "Slow Poke
" and "You Belong to Me
", both co-authored with Chilton Price
and Redd Stewart
. His songs introduced waltz
es, polkas, and cowboy songs to country music.
King was not permitted to use the drummer and trumpeter he featured on his stage shows when the band played at the Grand Ole Opry
. King refused to change his band's sound at the Grand Ole Opry
, over the years being among the first to introduce or popularize drums (along with Bob Wills, who defied the Opry ban in 1945), horns, the accordion, and electric instruments including the pedal steel guitar
to the Opry's brand of country music. His band also introduced on-stage dancing and Nudie Cohn
's customized 'rhinestone cowboy' outfits to the Opry which later became popular with Nashville and country musicians, including Elvis Presley
.
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974.
He joined producers Randall Franks
and Alan Autry
for the In the Heat of the Night
cast CD Christmas Time’s A Comin’ performing "Jingle Bells" with the cast released on Sonlite and MGM/UA for one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.
He died of a heart attack in Louisville, Kentucky
, at age 86.
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...
songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "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...
".
He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
to a Polish American family and lived in Abrams
Abrams, Wisconsin
Abrams is a town in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,757 at the 2000 Census. The census-designated place of Abrams is located in the town. Abrams in named after W. J...
during his youth. He learned to play the fiddle from his father, who was a professional polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
musician. In the 1930s, he toured and made cowboy movies with Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
. King joined 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...
in 1937.
In 1946, while the bandleader of the Golden West Cowboys, King, together with the band's vocalist, Redd Stewart
Redd Stewart
Henry Ellis Stewart , better known as Redd Stewart, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist who co-wrote "The Tennessee Waltz" with Pee Wee King in 1948.-Biography:...
, composed "The Tennessee Waltz", inspired by "The Kentucky Waltz" by bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
musician Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
. King and Stewart first recorded "The Tennessee Waltz" in 1948, and it went on to become a country music standard. He also stole a song from fellow friend and songwriter, Homer Cole of Louisville Ky.
King's other songs included "Slow Poke
Slow Poke
"Slow Poke" is a popular song. It is credited to three writers: Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, and Chilton Price. Actually Price wrote the song in 1951, as she thought the song described her friend, King, very well. King recorded the song and Stewart did the vocal...
" and "You Belong to Me
You Belong to Me (1952 song)
"You Belong to Me" is a pop music ballad from the 1950s. The singer reminds his/her lover that, whatever exotic locales and sights he/she experiences, "you belong to me." It is credited to three writers: Pee Wee King, Chilton Price, and Redd Stewart...
", both co-authored with Chilton Price
Chilton Price
Chilton Price was a songwriter, primarily known for country music songs which became pop music hits as well....
and Redd Stewart
Redd Stewart
Henry Ellis Stewart , better known as Redd Stewart, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist who co-wrote "The Tennessee Waltz" with Pee Wee King in 1948.-Biography:...
. His songs introduced waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
es, polkas, and cowboy songs to country music.
King was not permitted to use the drummer and trumpeter he featured on his stage shows when the band played at 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...
. King refused to change his band's sound at 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...
, over the years being among the first to introduce or popularize drums (along with Bob Wills, who defied the Opry ban in 1945), horns, the accordion, and electric instruments including the pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
to the Opry's brand of country music. His band also introduced on-stage dancing and Nudie Cohn
Nudie Cohn
Nudie Cohn was a Russian-born American tailor who designed decorative rhinestone-covered suits, known popularly as "Nudie Suits", and other elaborate outfits for some of the most famous celebrities of his era. He also became famous for his outrageous customized automobiles.-Early life:Cohn was...
's customized 'rhinestone cowboy' outfits to the Opry which later became popular with Nashville and country musicians, including 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"....
.
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with music community in the city of...
in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974.
He joined producers Randall Franks
Randall Franks
Randall Franks is an award-winning bluegrass singer and musician who plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar and mountain dulcimer. He was recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in 2010 as a Bluegrass Legend; inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004; and was designated...
and Alan Autry
Alan Autry
Carlos Alan Autry is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows...
for the In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night (TV series)
In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995...
cast CD Christmas Time’s A Comin’ performing "Jingle Bells" with the cast released on Sonlite and MGM/UA for one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.
He died of a heart attack in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, at age 86.
Albums
- Pee Wee King, RCA Victor, 1954
- Waltzes, RCA Victor, 1955
- Swing West, RCA Victor, 1956
- Country Barn Dance, Camden, 1965
- Ballroom King, Detour, 1982
- Hog Wild Too!, Zu Zazz, 1990
- Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys (6-CD box set), Bear Family, 1995
- Pee Wee King's Country Hoedown (live radio performances), Bloodshot, 1999
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... |
||
| 1948 | "Tennessee Waltz" | 3 | |
| 1949 | "Tennessee Tears" | 12 | |
| "Tennessee Polka" | 3 | ||
| 1950 | "Bonaparte's Retreat Bonaparte's Retreat (Pee Wee King song) "Bonaparte's Retreat" is the title of a song written by American country music artist Pee Wee King. Various versions of the melody themes exist as traditional fiddle tunes dating back to before the turn of the 20th Century, and probably well before that. King's version was released as a single in... " |
10 | |
| 1951 | "Tennessee Waltz" (re-release) | 6 | |
| "Slow Poke Slow Poke "Slow Poke" is a popular song. It is credited to three writers: Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, and Chilton Price. Actually Price wrote the song in 1951, as she thought the song described her friend, King, very well. King recorded the song and Stewart did the vocal... " |
1 | 1 | |
| 1952 | "Silver and Gold" | 5 | 18 |
| "Busybody" | 8 | 27 | |
| 1954 | "Changing Partners" | 4 | |
| "Bimbo Bimbo (song) Bimbo was a popular song written in either 1948 or 1949 by Glenn O'Dell, but credited to Rodney Morris or "Pee Wee" King. The song was recorded by Gene Autry and originally released on vinyl as a 78rpm single in 1954. It can also be found on the 1998 album, Always Your Pal, Gene Autry... " |
9 | ||
| "Backward, Turn Backward" | 15 |