Stoney Edwards
Encyclopedia
Stoney Edwards was one of the first black singers to have a significant presence in country music
. He is best known for the song, "She's My Rock
," a Top 20 country hit that was later a hit song for Brenda Lee
and then for George Jones
.
. He was one of the youngest of seven children born to Rassie Edwards (known as "Bub"), a farmer from North Carolina
and his wife, Ollie (known as "Red").
From an early age, Edwards dreamed of performing at the Grand Ole Opry
. After moving to the San Francisco
area and raising a family there, Edwards would play music in his spare time. However, in 1968, a job-related accident would change his life forever. While working as a forklift operator in a steel refinery, Edwards got trapped in a sealed-up tank and suffered severe carbon dioxide poisoning. He was sidelined for the next two years in either a coma, a near-coma, or in a state bordering on insanity.
As his condition improved, Edwards found work in odd jobs while at the same time devoting more of his energy to music. He sang in a honky tonk
style reminiscent of Lefty Frizzell
and Merle Haggard
. In 1970, while performing at a benefit for his hero, Bob Wills
in Oakland, California
, Stoney was spotted by a local attorney, Ray Sweeney. In the wake of Charley Pride's
breakthrough success, the attorney knew that most labels were looking for a black country singer. Just six months after recovering from his accident, Edwards signed a contract with Capitol Records
.
Backed by a then little-known Wills
tribute band called Asleep at the Wheel
, Edwards entered the studio to record some songs. "A Two Dollar Toy," his first single at Capitol, was inspired by an incident in which his plans to leave his family were aborted by the sound of a child's toy. Having refused to sue the steel company, Edwards would also not allow his wife to accept welfare. Unable to support his family due to his disability, Edwards planned to sneak out of the house so that there would be one less mouth to feed. However, as he was leaving, he stepped on a toy, waking his daughter, Janice.
Edwards released five albums at Capitol
which included two singles to make the Top 20. While his chart success never reached the heights of Charley Pride
, Edwards had a devoted following. One of his biggest hits, "She's My Rock
," which peaked at #20 in 1973, was a #6 single for Brenda Lee
in 1975 (as "He's My Rock") and a #2 hit for George Jones
in 1984. On at least one occasion, Jones invited Edwards on stage to sing it.
Another one of his popular songs was "Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul," a tribute to Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell
. It hit the Top 40 in 1973. Allegedly, Frizzell spoke with Edwards after hearing the song, but there are conflicting reports of his reaction to it. One version states that Frizzell was moved to the point of tears that someone still remembered him, especially a black man. Another account indicates that Frizzell used a racial epithet when he addressed Edwards. That same epithet would be found in one of Edwards' later recordings.
In 1976, one of his last chart singles created the most controversy. Many stations would not play, "Blackbird (Hold Your Head High)" because it contained the line "just a couple of country niggers" despite the song's affirmative message.
By the early 1980s
, both his health and his career began to decline. He died on April 5, 1997 of stomach cancer
.
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...
. He is best known for the song, "She's My Rock
She's My Rock
"She's My Rock" is a song written by Gene Dobbins. It was first recorded by Stoney Edwards on his 1973 album She's My Rock. Edwards' version peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.-Cover versions:...
," a Top 20 country hit that was later a hit song for Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
and then for George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
.
Biography
Born Frenchie (or Frenchy) Edwards on December 24, 1929 in rural Seminole County, OklahomaSeminole County, Oklahoma
Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 24,894 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Wewoka. Before Oklahoma's admission as a state, the county was the entire small portion of Indian Territory allocated to the Seminoles. Seminole County has been an...
. He was one of the youngest of seven children born to Rassie Edwards (known as "Bub"), a farmer from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and his wife, Ollie (known as "Red").
From an early age, Edwards dreamed of performing 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...
. After moving to the San Francisco
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...
area and raising a family there, Edwards would play music in his spare time. However, in 1968, a job-related accident would change his life forever. While working as a forklift operator in a steel refinery, Edwards got trapped in a sealed-up tank and suffered severe carbon dioxide poisoning. He was sidelined for the next two years in either a coma, a near-coma, or in a state bordering on insanity.
As his condition improved, Edwards found work in odd jobs while at the same time devoting more of his energy to music. He sang in a honky tonk
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
style reminiscent of Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
and 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,...
. In 1970, while performing at a benefit for his hero, Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Stoney was spotted by a local attorney, Ray Sweeney. In the wake of Charley Pride's
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
breakthrough success, the attorney knew that most labels were looking for a black country singer. Just six months after recovering from his accident, Edwards signed a contract with 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...
.
Backed by a then little-known Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
tribute band called Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
, Edwards entered the studio to record some songs. "A Two Dollar Toy," his first single at Capitol, was inspired by an incident in which his plans to leave his family were aborted by the sound of a child's toy. Having refused to sue the steel company, Edwards would also not allow his wife to accept welfare. Unable to support his family due to his disability, Edwards planned to sneak out of the house so that there would be one less mouth to feed. However, as he was leaving, he stepped on a toy, waking his daughter, Janice.
Edwards released five albums at Capitol
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...
which included two singles to make the Top 20. While his chart success never reached the heights of Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
, Edwards had a devoted following. One of his biggest hits, "She's My Rock
She's My Rock
"She's My Rock" is a song written by Gene Dobbins. It was first recorded by Stoney Edwards on his 1973 album She's My Rock. Edwards' version peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.-Cover versions:...
," which peaked at #20 in 1973, was a #6 single for Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
in 1975 (as "He's My Rock") and a #2 hit for George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
in 1984. On at least one occasion, Jones invited Edwards on stage to sing it.
Another one of his popular songs was "Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul," a tribute to Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
. It hit the Top 40 in 1973. Allegedly, Frizzell spoke with Edwards after hearing the song, but there are conflicting reports of his reaction to it. One version states that Frizzell was moved to the point of tears that someone still remembered him, especially a black man. Another account indicates that Frizzell used a racial epithet when he addressed Edwards. That same epithet would be found in one of Edwards' later recordings.
In 1976, one of his last chart singles created the most controversy. Many stations would not play, "Blackbird (Hold Your Head High)" because it contained the line "just a couple of country niggers" despite the song's affirmative message.
By the early 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, both his health and his career began to decline. He died on April 5, 1997 of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Catologue # |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Stoney Edwards, A Country Singer | 36 | Capitol ST-741 |
| Down Home in the Country | — | Capitol ST-834 | |
| 1972 | Stoney Edwards | — | Capitol ST-11090 |
| 1973 | She's My Rock | — | Capitol ST-11173 |
| 1975 | Mississippi, You're On My Mind | 46 | Capitol ST-11401 |
| 1976 | Blackbird | 36 | Capitol ST-11499 |
| 1981 | No Way to Drown a Memory | — | Music America 10021 |
| 1991 | Just For Old Time's Sake | — | RBR 1000 |
| 1998 | The Best of Stoney Edwards: Poor Folks Stick Together | — | Razor & Tie RE-8 |
Singles
| Year | A-Side | B-Side | Chart Positions | Catologue # | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||||
| 1970 | "A Two Dollar Toy" | "An Old Mule's Hip" | 68 | — | Capitol 3005 |
| 1971 | "Poor Folks Stick Together" | "Mama's Love" | 61 | — | Capitol 3061 |
| "The Cute Little Waitress" | "Please Bring a Bottle" | 73 | — | Capitol 3131 | |
| "Odd-Job Dollar Bill Man" | "Fishin' Song" | — | — | Capitol 3191 | |
| 1972 | "Daddy Did His Best" | "I Bought the Shoes" | — | — | Capitol 3270 |
| "All She Made of Me" | "You Can't Call Yourself Country" | — | — | Capitol 3347 | |
| "She's My Rock She's My Rock "She's My Rock" is a song written by Gene Dobbins. It was first recorded by Stoney Edwards on his 1973 album She's My Rock. Edwards' version peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.-Cover versions:... " |
"I Won't Make It Through the Day" | 20 | 43 | Capitol 3462 | |
| 1973 | "You're a Believer" | "She's Helping Me Get Over You" | 54 | — | Capitol 3550 |
| "Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul" | "A Few of the Reasons" | 39 | 54 | Capitol 3671 | |
| "Daddy Bluegrass" | "It's Raining on My Sunny Day" | 85 | — | Capitol 3766 | |
| 1974 | "I Will Never Get Over You" | "Honey (Stoney's Yodel Blues)" | — | — | Capitol 3878 |
| "Our Garden of Love" | "Talk About a Woman" | — | — | Capitol 3949 | |
| 1975 | "Clean Your Own Tables" | "Do You Know the Man" | 77 | — | Capitol 4015 |
| "Mississippi You're On My Mind" | "A Two Dollar Toy" | 20 | 17 | Capitol 4051 | |
| "Moon Over Morocca" | "Partners on the Road" | — | — | Capitol 4124 | |
| "Blackbird (Hold Your Head High)" | "Picking Wildflowers" | 41 | 35 | Capitol 4188 | |
| 1976 | "Love Still Makes the World Go Round" | "Real Thing" | 51 | — | Capitol 4246 |
| "Don't Give Up on Me" | "July 12, 1939" | 90 | — | Capitol 4337 | |
| 1977 | "Yankee Lady" | "Picking Wildflowers" | — | — | Capitol 4433 |
| 1978 | "If I Had to Do It All Over Again" | "I Feel Chained" | 60 | — | JMI 47 |
| 1979 | "My Oklahoma" | "Someone Like You" | — | — | JMI 49 |
| 1980 | "Lean On Me" | "Too Much of Too Little" | — | — | Music America MA-105 |
| "No Way to Drown a Memory" | "Reverend Leroy" | 53 | — | Music America MA-107 | |
| "One Bar at a Time" | "Stranger in My Arms" | 85 | — | Music America MA-109 | |
| 1982 | "All-Around Cowboy" | "Reverend Leroy" | — | — | Power 1 |
| "Our Little Christmas Tree" | "Silent Night" | — | — | Hill Country 901 |