Roy Drusky
Encyclopedia
Roy Frank Drusky Jr., was an American country music singer popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incorporating the Nashville sound
. His highest-charting single
was the No. 1 "Yes Mr. Peters
", a duet with Priscilla Mitchell
.
. His mother, a church organist, had tried for years to get her son into music as a child, but he was focused more on sports. Originally planning to become a baseball player, he began his music career in the early 1950s performing on a Decatur, Georgia
radio station. He began singing while in the US Navy during the 1940s, and later attended Emory University
and studied veterinary medicine. During this time, he also played country music with a group he founded, the Southern Ranch Boys.
Drusky also worked as a disc jockey
. In 1953, he signed with Starday Records; the first single he released was called "Such a Fool". That same year, he joined the Grand Ole Opry
. A couple of years later, he recorded for Columbia Records
, but none of his work gained much success.
, a well-known country singer, helped Drusky's career by recording his songs. Two songs he wrote, "Alone With You" and "Country Girl
", Young turned into No. 1 country hits. After that, Drusky moved on to Decca Records
.
In 1960, Drusky finally struck it big. At Decca Records, where he worked with producer Owen Bradley
, he released a single called "Another", which he co-wrote. Bradley was a well-known producer who had led legendary country singer Patsy Cline
into big success in the early '60s as well. Bradley helped smooth out Drusky's orchestral tones; the next year, Drusky reached the Country Top 10 with the single "Second Hand Rose".
In 1963, Drusky switched to Mercury Records
and released his first hit from his new record company the same year he signed on to it. The song was called "Peel Me a Nanner", which was written by Bill Anderson. He cut a lot of duets with Priscilla Mitchell
: one of his biggest hits with her was the No. 1 hit "Yes Mr. Peters". (Mitchell was the wife of Jerry Reed
, another well-known country singer.) During his career, Drusky racked up a number of Top 40 Country hits.
Some of his Top 40 songs were written by famous singer-songwriters. Liz Anderson
wrote "Pick of the Week" for him as well as "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers
" which is best remembered by the concurrent hit by Merle Haggard
although Drusky's was actually the more successful record at the time. Kris Kristofferson
wrote "Jody and the Kid." Another song, "Red, Red Wine", was written by Neil Diamond
.
Drusky appeared on most of the country music television programs of the era and in 1965, he appeared in the movie White Lightnin' Express and two other films as well, The Golden Guitar and Four Acre Feud.
Drusky's last top 40 country was a remake of "A Satisfied Mind
" in 1973 which had earlier been a hit for both Porter Wagoner
and Jean Shepard
. He made his last appearance on the Billboard charts
in 1974 but occasionally recorded on smaller record labels into the 1990's. He also recorded a number of gospel albums for Chapel Records
during this period. He also returned to writing and producing music, the latter of which he had done since the 1960s.
Drusky's membership with the Grand Ole Opry ensured him exposure for decades long after the radio hits stopped coming. He appeared regularly on the program until the year of his death, singing the hit songs he had racked up in the 1960s and 1970s in addition to performing country standards from other artists, which became a tradition at the Opry.
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
. His highest-charting single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was the No. 1 "Yes Mr. Peters
Yes Mr. Peters
"Yes Mr. Peters" is the title of a song written by Steve Karliski and Larry Kolber, and recorded by American country music artists Roy Drusky and Priscilla Mitchell as a duet. It was released in May 1965 as the lead single from the album, Love's Eternal Triangle...
", a duet with Priscilla Mitchell
Priscilla Mitchell
Priscilla Mitchell was an American country music singer.-Biography:Priscilla Mitchell began as a Rock 'n' Roll singer in the 1950s and became most popular as a duet performer when she cut a string of duet recordings, in the 1960s, with country singer Roy Drusky...
.
Early life and career
Drusky was born in 1930, in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. His mother, a church organist, had tried for years to get her son into music as a child, but he was focused more on sports. Originally planning to become a baseball player, he began his music career in the early 1950s performing on a Decatur, Georgia
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
radio station. He began singing while in the US Navy during the 1940s, and later attended Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
and studied veterinary medicine. During this time, he also played country music with a group he founded, the Southern Ranch Boys.
Drusky also worked as a 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...
. In 1953, he signed with Starday Records; the first single he released was called "Such a Fool". That same year, he 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...
. A couple of years later, he recorded for 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...
, but none of his work gained much success.
Work as a songwriter
Faron YoungFaron Young
Faron Young was an American country music singer and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s and one of its most successful and colorful stars...
, a well-known country singer, helped Drusky's career by recording his songs. Two songs he wrote, "Alone With You" and "Country Girl
Country Girl (Faron Young song)
"Country Girl" is a 1959 single by Faron Young, written by Roy Drusky. The single was Young's fourth number one on the country chart. "Country Girl" stayed on the charts for thirty-two weeks. The B-side, "I Hear You Talkin'", would peak at number twenty-seven on the country chart.....
", Young turned into No. 1 country hits. After that, Drusky moved on to Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
.
Height of his career
Drusky charted in Cashbox with "Wait and See" and "Our Church Your Wedding" in 1959.In 1960, Drusky finally struck it big. At Decca Records, where he worked with producer Owen Bradley
Owen Bradley
Owen Bradley was an American record producer who, along with Chet Atkins and Bob Ferguson, was one of the chief architects of the 1950s and 1960s Nashville sound in country music and rockabilly.-Before the fame:...
, he released a single called "Another", which he co-wrote. Bradley was a well-known producer who had led legendary country singer 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...
into big success in the early '60s as well. Bradley helped smooth out Drusky's orchestral tones; the next year, Drusky reached the Country Top 10 with the single "Second Hand Rose".
In 1963, Drusky switched to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
and released his first hit from his new record company the same year he signed on to it. The song was called "Peel Me a Nanner", which was written by Bill Anderson. He cut a lot of duets with Priscilla Mitchell
Priscilla Mitchell
Priscilla Mitchell was an American country music singer.-Biography:Priscilla Mitchell began as a Rock 'n' Roll singer in the 1950s and became most popular as a duet performer when she cut a string of duet recordings, in the 1960s, with country singer Roy Drusky...
: one of his biggest hits with her was the No. 1 hit "Yes Mr. Peters". (Mitchell was the wife of Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
, another well-known country singer.) During his career, Drusky racked up a number of Top 40 Country hits.
Some of his Top 40 songs were written by famous singer-songwriters. Liz Anderson
Liz Anderson
Liz Anderson was anAmerican country music singer/songwriter who was one of a wave of a new generation of female vocalists in the genre during the 1960's to write and record her own songs on a regular basis. Writing in The New York Times Bill Friskics-Warren noted, "Like her contemporary Loretta...
wrote "Pick of the Week" for him as well as "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers
(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers
Strangers is the title of a song written by Liz Anderson. Best remembered as American country music artist Merle Haggard's first national top ten record, it was also a top ten song concurrently for Roy Drusky. The song is also known as All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers, All My Friends Are...
" which is best remembered by the concurrent hit 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,...
although Drusky's was actually the more successful record at the time. Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
wrote "Jody and the Kid." Another song, "Red, Red Wine", was written by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
.
Drusky appeared on most of the country music television programs of the era and in 1965, he appeared in the movie White Lightnin' Express and two other films as well, The Golden Guitar and Four Acre Feud.
The 1970's
Drusky had his most successful record in several years with 1970's "Long Long Texas Road", a top 5 hit. He continued to score several top 40 country hits with the occasional low-charting single.Drusky's last top 40 country was a remake of "A Satisfied Mind
A Satisfied Mind
A Satisfied Mind is a compilation of 9 of the 12 songs from the 1962 Capitol album Big Bluegrass Special plus "A Satisfied Mind" which was previously released as flipside of Glen Campbell's 1966 Capitol single "Can’t You See I’m Trying"....
" in 1973 which had earlier been a hit for both Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
and Jean Shepard
Jean Shepard
Ollie Imogene Shepard , better known as Jean Shepard, is an American honky tonk singer-songwriter who was a pioneer for women in country music. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which reached the #1 spot...
. He made his last appearance on the Billboard charts
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...
in 1974 but occasionally recorded on smaller record labels into the 1990's. He also recorded a number of gospel albums for Chapel Records
Chapel Records
Chapel Records is a record label in currently in Nampa, Idaho that releases religious music. The label was founded in the late 1940's and still releases several CDS each year. Among the artists who have recorded for Chapel are The King's Heralds, Del Delker, The Heritage Singers, Wintley Phipps,...
during this period. He also returned to writing and producing music, the latter of which he had done since the 1960s.
Drusky's membership with the Grand Ole Opry ensured him exposure for decades long after the radio hits stopped coming. He appeared regularly on the program until the year of his death, singing the hit songs he had racked up in the 1960s and 1970s in addition to performing country standards from other artists, which became a tradition at the Opry.
Death
On September 23, 2004, Drusky died at age 74 from complications stemming from lung cancer, which he fought for several years. A memorial service was held at the Highland Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Portland Tennessee. The service was attended by many of Drusky's long time friends, musicians, recording artists and family.Albums
| Year | Album | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Anymore with Roy Drusky | — |
| 1962 | It's My Way | — |
| 1963 | Roy Drusky | — |
| 1964 | Songs of the Cities | 14 |
| Yesterday's Gone | 14 | |
| 1965 | Pick of the Country | 11 |
| Country Music All Around the World | 18 | |
| The Great Roy Drusky Sings | ||
| 1966 | Roy Drusky's Greatest Hits | 7 |
| Together Again (w/ Priscilla Mitchell) | 14 | |
| In a New Dimension | 20 | |
| If the Whole World Stopped Lovin | 17 | |
| 1967 | Now Is a Lonely Time | 31 |
| 1968 | Greatest Hits Volume 2 | 33 |
| Jody and the Kid | 27 | |
| 1969 | Portrait of Roy Drusky | 33 |
| My Grass Is Green | 37 | |
| 1970 | I'll Make Amends | 38 |
| The Best of Roy Drusky | 42 | |
| All My Hard Times | 20 | |
| 1971 | I Love the Way You've Been Lovin' Me | 32 |
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 | |||
| 1960 | "Another (Just Like Me)" | 2 | — | Anymore with Roy Drusky |
| "Anymore" | 3 | — | ||
| "I Can't Tell My Heart That" (with Kitty Wells Kitty Wells Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star... ) |
26 | — | single only | |
| 1961 | "Three Hearts in a Tangle" | 2 | — | Anymore with Roy Drusky |
| "I'd Rather Loan You Out" | 10 | — | ||
| "I Went Out of My Way (To Make You Happy)" | 9 | — | singles only | |
| 1962 | "There's Always One (Who Loves a Lot)" | 17 | — | |
| "Second Hand Rose" | 3 | — | ||
| 1964 | "Peel Me a Nanner" | 8 | — | |
| "Pick of the Week" | 13 | — | Pick of the Country | |
| "Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall" | 41 | — | singles only | |
| 1965 | "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers" | 6 | — | |
| "Yes Mr. Peters Yes Mr. Peters "Yes Mr. Peters" is the title of a song written by Steve Karliski and Larry Kolber, and recorded by American country music artists Roy Drusky and Priscilla Mitchell as a duet. It was released in May 1965 as the lead single from the album, Love's Eternal Triangle... " (with Priscilla Mitchell Priscilla Mitchell Priscilla Mitchell was an American country music singer.-Biography:Priscilla Mitchell began as a Rock 'n' Roll singer in the 1950s and became most popular as a duet performer when she cut a string of duet recordings, in the 1960s, with country singer Roy Drusky... ) |
1 | — | Love's Eternal Triangle | |
| "White Lightnin' Express" | 21 | — | Roy Drusky's Greatest Hits | |
| "Slippin' Around Slippin' Around "Slippin' Around" is a song written and recorded by Floyd Tillman in 1949. The most popular recording was a cover version by Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely which reached number one on the Retail Folk Best Sellers chart... " (with Priscilla Mitchell) |
45 | — | Love's Eternal Triangle | |
| 1966 | "Rainbows and Roses" | 20 | — | In a New Dimension |
| "The World Is Round" | 10 | — | ||
| 1967 | "If the Whole World Stopped Lovin'" | 12 | — | If the Whole World Stopped Lovin |
| "New Lips" | 25 | — | Now Is a Lonely Time | |
| "Weakness in a Man" | 18 | — | Greatest Hits Volume 2 | |
| "I'll Never Tell on You" (with Priscilla Mitchell) | 61 | — | single only | |
| 1968 | "You Better Sit Down Kids You Better Sit Down Kids "You Better Sit Down Kids" is a major hit single release by American singer/actress Cher in 1967. The song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in Canada #7.... " |
26 | 21 | Jody and the Kid |
| "Jody and the Kid" | 24 | 9 | ||
| "Where Does the Blue and Lonely Go" | 10 | 16 | Portrait of Roy Drusky | |
| "My Grass Is Green" | 14 | — | My Grass Is Green | |
| 1969 | "Such a Fool" | 7 | 42 | |
| "I'll Make Amends" | 11 | 33 | I'll Make Amends | |
| 1970 | "Long Long Texas Road" | 5 | 4 | |
| "All My Hard Times" | 9 | 12 | All My Hard Times | |
| 1971 | "I Love the Way That You've Been Lovin' Me" | 15 | 25 | I Love the Way That You've Been Lovin' Me |
| "I Can't Go On Lovin' You" | 37 | — | ||
| "Red Red Wine" | 17 | 16 | I Must Be Doin' Something Right | |
| 1972 | "Sunshine and Rainbows" | 58 | — | |
| "The Last Time I Called Somebody Darlin'" | 25 | 63 | ||
| 1973 | "I Must Be Doin' Something Right" | 32 | 60 | |
| "That Rain Makin' Baby of Mine" | 50 | 65 | ||
| "Satisfied Mind" | 25 | 38 | singles only | |
| 1974 | "Close to Home" | 81 | — | |
| "Dixie Lily" | 45 | — | Peaceful Easy Feeling | |
| "Night Flying" | 81 | — | Night Flying | |
| "Betty's Song" | 91 | — | single only | |