Sonny Throckmorton
Encyclopedia
James Fron "Sonny" Throckmorton (born April 2, 1941 in Carlsbad, New Mexico
) is an American country music
singer and songwriter. Known primarily for his songwriting, Throckmorton has had more than 1,000 of his songs recorded by various country singers. He has also had minor success as a recording artist, having released two major-label albums: The Last Cheater's Waltz in 1978 on Mercury Records
and Southern Train in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records
. Throckmorton is a member of the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and has been awarded Songwriter of the Year by both Broadcast Music Incorporated
and the Nashville Songwriters Association International
.
, although his family soon moved to Wichita Falls, Texas
. He moved to San Francisco, California
after graduating from college, and first played rock & roll before switching his focus to country music at record producer Pete Drake
's suggestion. By 1964, he played bass guitar
for Carl Butler and Pearl
, and had been signed to a publishing contract; his first hit as a songwriter was "How Long Has It Been", which was a Top Ten country hit for Bobby Lewis
. Throckmorton was later signed to a contract with Sony/Tree Publishing, but was fired after none of his songs became hits.
Throckmorton returned to Texas in 1975. However, other songwriters had continued selling his songs, and he was soon re-hired by Tree Publishing. Over 150 of his songs were recorded in only nine months, including Johnny Duncan
's first Number One hit, "Thinking of a Rendezvous". Other artists who had hits with his songs included Dave & Sugar
, Merle Haggard
, The Oak Ridge Boys
, and Jerry Lee Lewis
. Throckmorton was also signed to a recording contract with Mercury Records
in 1976, although none of the singles from his debut album The Last Cheater's Waltz reached Top 40. He was also named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International
in 1978, 1979 and 1980, as well as Songwriter of the Year by Broadcast Music Incorporated
in 1980. Between 1976 and 1980, at least one of his songs appeared on the country charts almost every week, and overall, more than a thousand of his songs were recorded by country artists. Throckmorton's streak of songwriting continued into the 1980s and 1990s, with Mel McDaniel
, George Strait
and Doug Stone recording his material as well.
Throckmorton was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. Three years later, he signed to a second recording contract with Warner Bros. Records
, releasing the album Southern Train but no singles. Throckmorton retired to his ranch in Texas in 1988 to care for his dying father.
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
) is an American 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...
singer and songwriter. Known primarily for his songwriting, Throckmorton has had more than 1,000 of his songs recorded by various country singers. He has also had minor success as a recording artist, having released two major-label albums: The Last Cheater's Waltz in 1978 on 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 Southern Train in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. Throckmorton is a member of the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and has been awarded Songwriter of the Year by both Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
and the Nashville Songwriters Association International
Nashville Songwriters Association International
The Nashville Songwriters Association International is a 501 not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting, and through teaching about the music industry, and how to...
.
Biography
Throckmorton was born in Carlsbad, New MexicoCarlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
, although his family soon moved to Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. He moved to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
after graduating from college, and first played rock & roll before switching his focus to country music at record producer Pete Drake
Pete Drake
Pete Drake , born Roddis Franklin Drake, was a major Nashville, Tennessee-based record producer and pedal steel guitar player....
's suggestion. By 1964, he played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
for Carl Butler and Pearl
Carl Butler and Pearl
Carl Butler and Pearl was an American country music husband-and-wife duo. Between 1962 and 1969, the duo released several singles and charted thirteen times on the U.S. country charts, reaching #1 in 1962 with their first single, "Don't Let Me Cross Over"....
, and had been signed to a publishing contract; his first hit as a songwriter was "How Long Has It Been", which was a Top Ten country hit for Bobby Lewis
Bobby Lewis (country singer)
Bobby Lewis is an American country music singer-songwriter. Between 1963 and 1985, Lewis released ten albums and charted more than twenty-five songs on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. His biggest hit, "How Long Has It Been," peaked at Number 6 in 1966.-Albums:-Singles:-External links:*[...
. Throckmorton was later signed to a contract with Sony/Tree Publishing, but was fired after none of his songs became hits.
Throckmorton returned to Texas in 1975. However, other songwriters had continued selling his songs, and he was soon re-hired by Tree Publishing. Over 150 of his songs were recorded in only nine months, including Johnny Duncan
Johnny Duncan (country music artist)
Johnny Richard Duncan was an American country singer. In his career, he released fourteen studio albums, including thirteen on Columbia Records...
's first Number One hit, "Thinking of a Rendezvous". Other artists who had hits with his songs included Dave & Sugar
Dave & Sugar
Dave & Sugar was a pop-styled country music trio that enjoyed its peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. It consisted of lead singer Dave Rowland and initially on backing vocalists, Vicki Hackeman and Jackie Frantz...
, 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,...
, The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...
, and Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
. Throckmorton was also signed to a recording contract with 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...
in 1976, although none of the singles from his debut album The Last Cheater's Waltz reached Top 40. He was also named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International
Nashville Songwriters Association International
The Nashville Songwriters Association International is a 501 not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting, and through teaching about the music industry, and how to...
in 1978, 1979 and 1980, as well as Songwriter of the Year by Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
in 1980. Between 1976 and 1980, at least one of his songs appeared on the country charts almost every week, and overall, more than a thousand of his songs were recorded by country artists. Throckmorton's streak of songwriting continued into the 1980s and 1990s, with Mel McDaniel
Mel McDaniel
Mel McDaniel was an American country music artist. His chart making years were mainly the 1980s and his hits from that era include "Louisiana Saturday Night", "Big Ole Brew", "Stand Up", the Number One "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", "I Call It Love", "Stand on It", and a remake of Chuck Berry's...
, George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
and Doug Stone recording his material as well.
Throckmorton was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. Three years later, he signed to a second recording contract with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, releasing the album Southern Train but no singles. Throckmorton retired to his ranch in Texas in 1988 to care for his dying father.
Singles
| Year | Single | 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... |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Rosie" | 76 |
| 1977 | "Lovin' You, Lovin' Me" | 73 |
| 1978 | "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone) I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone) "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head " is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton. He was also the first artist to release it, doing so on Mercury Records in 1978. His version went to number 54 on the country music charts that year.... " |
54 |
| 1979 | "Smooth Sailin' Smooth Sailin' (song) "Smooth Sailin" is a song co-written by Curly Putman and Sonny Throckmorton. Throckmorton released his version of the song in 1979 on Mercury Records as a double-A-side with "Last Cheater's Waltz". This double-sided single peaked at number 47 on the country music charts that year.A year later, T.G.... "/"Last Cheater's Waltz Last Cheater's Waltz "Last Cheater's Waltz" is the title track from Sonny Throckmorton's 1978 album. Throckmorton released the song as a double-A-side with "Smooth Sailin'" and charted at number 47 on the Hot Country Songs charts that year.... " |
47 |
| "Can't You Hear That Whistle Blow" | 66 | |
| 1980 | "Friday Night Blues Friday Night Blues "Friday Night Blues" is the title of a song co-written by Sonny Throckmorton and originally recorded by him. Throckmorton's version of the song went to number 89 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1980, released on Mercury Records with "It Always Rains on Me" on the b-side.Only one month after... " |
89 |
| 1981 | "A Girl Like You" | 77 |