Red Simpson
Encyclopedia
Red Simpson is an American country singer-songwriter
best known for his trucker-themed songs.
Simpson was working at the Wagon Wheel in Lamont when Fuzzy Owens saw him and arranged for Simpson to work at his Clover Club as a piano player. He then got a job replacing Buck Owens
at the Blackboard Club on weekends. Simpson was influenced by Owens, Merle Haggard
and Bill Woods, who asked Red if he would write a song about driving trucks. (By the time Simpson handed him four truck songs, however, Woods had stopped recording.) Simpson began writing songs with Owens in 1962, including the Top Ten hit "Gonna Have Love."
In 1965, Capitol records
producer Ken Nelson
was looking for someone to record some songs about trucking. His first choice was Haggard, who wasn't interested, but Simpson readily agreed. His first, Tommy Collins
' "Roll, Truck, Roll," became a Top 40 country hit and Simpson recorded an album of the same name. That year he offered up two more trucking songs, both of which made it to the Top 50 or beyond. As a songwriter, he scored his first number one hit with "Sam's Place
," recorded by Buck Owens. After that, Simpson decided to become a full-time writer. He returned to performing in 1971 with his Top Five hit "I'm a Truck," which had been written by postman Bob Staunton.
In 1972, he debuted on the Grand Ole Opry
and had two more "truck" hits for Capitol. In 1976, Simpson signed to Warner Brothers and released "Truck Driver's Heaven." The following year, he teamed up with Lorraine Walden for a series of duets that included "Truck Driver Man and Wife." In 1979, Simpson appeared for the last time on the charts with "The Flying Saucer Man and the Truck Driver." Haggard recorded his song "Lucky Old Colorado" in 1988. Later that year Simpson was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent surgery, but he fully recovered and continued his writing and performing career.
In the 1995, Red re-entered the studio to record a pair of duets with Junior Brown
— "Semi Crazy" and "Nitro Express".
Although Simpson no longer tours, he performs frequently in the Bakersfield area including a regular Monday night gig at Trout's in Oildale. Simpson's most recent release is "Hey, Bin Laden". He is also working on a project with Windsor Music tentatively entitled The Bard of Bakersfield. On July 12, 2010, Simpson went on stage in Oildale and performed a song by Merle Haggard
with Jason Lytle
, the former frontman of Grandaddy
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
best known for his trucker-themed songs.
Biography
Red Simpson was raised in Bakersfield, California, the youngest of a dozen children. At age 14, he wrote his first song.Simpson was working at the Wagon Wheel in Lamont when Fuzzy Owens saw him and arranged for Simpson to work at his Clover Club as a piano player. He then got a job replacing Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
at the Blackboard Club on weekends. Simpson was influenced by Owens, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
and Bill Woods, who asked Red if he would write a song about driving trucks. (By the time Simpson handed him four truck songs, however, Woods had stopped recording.) Simpson began writing songs with Owens in 1962, including the Top Ten hit "Gonna Have Love."
In 1965, Capitol records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
producer Ken Nelson
Ken Nelson (United States record producer)
Kenneth F. Nelson was a American record producer and A & R man for Capitol Records.-Early life:Born in Caledonia, Minnesota, at the age of 14, Nelson made his radio single debut as a singer in 1925...
was looking for someone to record some songs about trucking. His first choice was Haggard, who wasn't interested, but Simpson readily agreed. His first, Tommy Collins
Tommy Collins (country music)
Leonard Raymond Sipes , better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter....
' "Roll, Truck, Roll," became a Top 40 country hit and Simpson recorded an album of the same name. That year he offered up two more trucking songs, both of which made it to the Top 50 or beyond. As a songwriter, he scored his first number one hit with "Sam's Place
Sam's Place
"Sam's Place" is a 1967 country song written by Red Simpson and recorded by Buck Owens. The single went to number one on the country charts spending three weeks at the top and a total of thirteen weeks on the country charts .-Chart performance:...
," recorded by Buck Owens. After that, Simpson decided to become a full-time writer. He returned to performing in 1971 with his Top Five hit "I'm a Truck," which had been written by postman Bob Staunton.
In 1972, he debuted on 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...
and had two more "truck" hits for Capitol. In 1976, Simpson signed to Warner Brothers and released "Truck Driver's Heaven." The following year, he teamed up with Lorraine Walden for a series of duets that included "Truck Driver Man and Wife." In 1979, Simpson appeared for the last time on the charts with "The Flying Saucer Man and the Truck Driver." Haggard recorded his song "Lucky Old Colorado" in 1988. Later that year Simpson was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent surgery, but he fully recovered and continued his writing and performing career.
In the 1995, Red re-entered the studio to record a pair of duets with Junior Brown
Junior Brown
Jamieson "Junior" Brown is an American country guitarist and singer. He has released nine studio albums in his career, and has charted twice on the Billboard country singles charts. Brown's signature instrument is the "guit-steel" double neck guitar, a hybrid of electric guitar and lap steel...
— "Semi Crazy" and "Nitro Express".
Although Simpson no longer tours, he performs frequently in the Bakersfield area including a regular Monday night gig at Trout's in Oildale. Simpson's most recent release is "Hey, Bin Laden". He is also working on a project with Windsor Music tentatively entitled The Bard of Bakersfield. On July 12, 2010, Simpson went on stage in Oildale and performed a song by Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
with Jason Lytle
Jason Lytle
Jason Lytle is an American musician best known for his work in the indie rock group Grandaddy. He released a solo album in 2009 and is currently in the band Admiral Radley.-Biography:...
, the former frontman of Grandaddy
Grandaddy
Grandaddy was an American indie rock band, formed in 1992 in Modesto, California by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch. Guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden later joined the band in 1995...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Roll Truck Roll | 7 | Capitol |
| The Man Behind the Badge | 34 | ||
| 1967 | Truck Drivin' Fool | — | |
| A Bakersfield Dozen | — | ||
| 1972 | I'm a Truck | 4 | |
| Very Real Red Simpson | — | ||
| 1973 | Trucker's Christmas | — | |
| 20 Great Truck Hits | — | ||
| 1995 | The Best of Red Simpson | — | King |
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... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1966 | "Roll Truck Roll" | 38 | — | Roll Truck Roll |
| "The Highway Patrol" | 39 | — | The Man Behind the Badge | |
| "Sidewalk Patrol" | — | — | ||
| "Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves" | 41 | — | Truck Drivin' Fool | |
| 1967 | "Jeannie with the Light Brown Cadillac" | — | — | A Bakersfield Dozen |
| "Mini-Skirt Minnie" | — | — | ||
| "He Reminds Me a Whole Lot of Me" | — | — | single only | |
| 1971 | "I'm a Truck I'm a Truck "I'm a Truck" is a song made famous by country music singer Red Simpson. Originally released in 1971, the song — sometimes known as "Hello, I'm a Truck" — became Simpson's biggest hit single, reaching No... " |
4 | 4 | I'm a Truck |
| 1972 | "Country Western Truck Drivin' Singer" | 62 | — | Very Real Red Simpson |
| "Hold On Ma'm (You Got Yourself a Honker)" | — | — | ||
| "Those Forgotten Trains" | — | — | single only | |
| 1973 | "Awful Lot to Learn About Truck Drivin'" | 63 | — | 20 Great Truck Hits |
| "I'm a Pretty Good Man" | — | — | singles only | |
| 1974 | "Certainly" | — | — | |
| "Honky Tonk Lady's Lover Man" | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Truck Drivin' Man" | — | — | |
| "Inflation" | — | — | ||
| 1976 | "Truck Driver's Heaven" | 92 | — | |
| 1979 | "The Flyin' Saucer Man and the Truck Driver" | 99 | — | |
| 1984 | "Hello I'm a Truck" (re-recording of I'm a Truck I'm a Truck "I'm a Truck" is a song made famous by country music singer Red Simpson. Originally released in 1971, the song — sometimes known as "Hello, I'm a Truck" — became Simpson's biggest hit single, reaching No... ) |
— | — | |
| "Time Changes Everything" | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "Waitin' on a Catfish" | — | — |