Webb Pierce
Encyclopedia
Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American
honky tonk
vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country
artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one. Pierce also charted number one for several weeks' each with his recordings of "Slowly" (1954), "Love, Love, Love" (1955), "I Don't Care" (1955), "There Stands The Glass" (1953), "More And More" (1954), "I Ain't Never" (1959), and his first number one "Wondering," which stayed at the top spot for 4 of its 27 weeks' charting in 1952. For many, Pierce, with his flamboyant Nudie suits and twin silver dollar-lined convertibles, became the most recognizable face of country music of the era and its excesses. Pierce was a one-time member of the Grand Ole Opry
and was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
in 1921, as a boy Pierce was infatuated with Gene Autry
films and his mother's hillbilly records, particularly those of Jimmie Rodgers
and Western swing
and Cajun
groups. He began to play guitar before he was a teenager and at 15 was given his own weekly 15-minute show, Songs by Webb Pierce, on KMLB-AM
in Monroe
.
He enlisted in the US Army, and in 1942 he married Betty Jane Lewis. After he was discharged, the couple moved to Shreveport, Louisiana
, where Pierce worked in the men's department of a Sears Roebuck store. In 1947, the couple appeared on KTBS-AM
's morning show as "Webb Pierce with Betty Jane, the Singing Sweetheart." Pierce also performed at local engagements, developing his unique style that was once described to be "a wailing whiskey-voiced tenor that wrang out every drop of emotion."
He moved to KWKH-AM
and joined Louisiana Hayride
during its first year, and devised a plan to achieve instant "stardom." Before the show, he bought tickets for several young girls in line and asked them to sit in the first row, and after each of his songs to scream and beg for more. It worked; their enthusiasm spread throughout the audience.
Pierce assembled and performed with a band of local Shreveport musicians, including pianist Floyd Cramer
, guitarist-vocalist Faron Young
, bassist Tillman Franks
and vocalists Teddy and Doyle Wilburn
. He also founded a record label, Pacemaker; and Ark-La-Tex Music, a publishing company, with Horace Logan, the director of the Hayride. On Pacemaker, Pierce made several records between 1950 and 1951 designed to attract radio play around Louisiana.
. His second single, "Wondering", became his breakthrough hit, climbing to No. 1 early in 1952. Pierce moved to Nashville, Tennessee
where he met and married his second wife, Audrey Greisham. In June 1952, he had his second No. 1 single with "That Heart Belongs to Me".
In September 1953, the Grand Ole Opry
needed to fill the vacancy left by the firing of Hank Williams, and Pierce was invited to join the cast. After Williams' death, he became the most popular singer in country music; for the next four years, every single he released hit the top ten, with ten reaching No. 1, including "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "Slowly
" (1954), "More and More
" (1954), and "In the Jailhouse Now
" (1955). His singles spent 113 weeks at No. 1 during the 1950s, when he charted 48 singles. Thirty-nine reached the top ten, 26 reached the top four and 13 hit No. 1.
Other hits included "Back Street Affair
", "Why Baby Why
", "Oh, So Many Years", and "Finally"; the latter two being duets with Kitty Wells
. His 1954 recording of "Slowly" was one of the first country songs to include a pedal steel guitar
. He made regular appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
including as a guest host once a month during 1956. In 1958, he recorded a rockabilly
record, "The New Raunchy"/"I'll Get by Somehow" for Decca
under the name Shady Wall. (Shady Wall
(1922–1985) was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
and a banker from West Monroe. It is not known if Pierce knew the political Wall or merely made up the name for the record and was unaware of the actual Shady Wall.)
On February 19, 1957, Pierce resigned from the Opry after he refused to pay commissions on bookings and for associated talent.
Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 hits; and he toured extensively and appeared in the movies Buffalo Guns, Music City USA, Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar, and Road To Nashville.
with silver dollars. He built a $30,000 guitar-shaped swimming pool at his Nashville home which became a popular paid tourist attraction—nearly 3,000 people visited it each week—causing his neighbors, led by singer Ray Stevens
, to file suit and prevail against Pierce to end the tours.
He remained with Decca and its successor, MCA, well into the 1970s, but by 1977 he was recording for Plantation Records
. Even though he had occasional minor hits, charting in a 1982 duet with Willie Nelson
, a remake of "In the Jailhouse Now," he spent his final years tending to his businesses, and his legend became clouded due to his reputation as a hard drinker. Webb and daughter Debbie recorded the ballad "On My Way Out" as The Pierces, and she was a member of the Country group "Chantilly" in the early 1980s.
Pierce waged a long battle with pancreatic cancer, which he lost on February 24, 1991, and was buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery
in Nashville.
at 1600 Vine Street. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2001 and into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
in 2008.
Caught In The Webb–a Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce was released on Audium Records in 2001. Produced and arranged by singer-songwriter Gail Davies
, this album features Willie Nelson
, Crystal Gayle
, George Jones
, Emmylou Harris
, The Del McCoury Band, Charlie Pride, Allison Moorer
, Dwight Yoakam
, Pam Tillis
, The Jordanaires
and other great artists. Proceeds go to benefit The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. Ms. Davies herself first charted in 1978 with "No Love Have I," a #26 Billboard Country hit that Pierce had recorded (and taken to #4) in 1959.
Footage of Pierce singing "There Stands the Glass" was featured in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home
by Martin Scorsese
about early influences on Bob Dylan
. Pierce's hit single "More and More" was played in the title credits of 2006 horror film, The Hills Have Eyes
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
honky tonk
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country
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...
artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one. Pierce also charted number one for several weeks' each with his recordings of "Slowly" (1954), "Love, Love, Love" (1955), "I Don't Care" (1955), "There Stands The Glass" (1953), "More And More" (1954), "I Ain't Never" (1959), and his first number one "Wondering," which stayed at the top spot for 4 of its 27 weeks' charting in 1952. For many, Pierce, with his flamboyant Nudie suits and twin silver dollar-lined convertibles, became the most recognizable face of country music of the era and its excesses. Pierce was a one-time member of 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 was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Biography
Born in West Monroe, LouisianaWest Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in 1921, as a boy Pierce was infatuated 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...
films and his mother's hillbilly records, particularly those of Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)
James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
and Western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
and Cajun
Cajun music
Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin...
groups. He began to play guitar before he was a teenager and at 15 was given his own weekly 15-minute show, Songs by Webb Pierce, on KMLB-AM
KMLB
KMLB is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Monroe, Louisiana, USA, the station is currently owned by Holladay Broadcasting. The current schedule includes Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Moon Griffon, Michael Savage, Neil Boortz, Art Bell, George Noory and Rob...
in Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
.
He enlisted in the US Army, and in 1942 he married Betty Jane Lewis. After he was discharged, the couple moved to Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, where Pierce worked in the men's department of a Sears Roebuck store. In 1947, the couple appeared on KTBS-AM
KEEL
KEEL is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, the station serves the Shreveport area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media and features programing from ABC Radio and airs Louisiana Tech games.From 9 to 11 a.m. weekdays,...
's morning show as "Webb Pierce with Betty Jane, the Singing Sweetheart." Pierce also performed at local engagements, developing his unique style that was once described to be "a wailing whiskey-voiced tenor that wrang out every drop of emotion."
Rise to fame
In 1949, California-based 4 Star Records signed the Webbs under separate contracts, with his wife signed for duets with her husband under the name Betty Jane and Her Boyfriends. However, success only came for Pierce, and in the summer of 1950, the couple divorced.He moved to KWKH-AM
KWKH
KWKH is a classic country music radio station serving Shreveport, Louisiana. The 50-kilowatt station broadcasts at 1130 kHz. Formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications and Gap Central Broadcasting, it is now owned by Townsquare Media....
and joined Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
during its first year, and devised a plan to achieve instant "stardom." Before the show, he bought tickets for several young girls in line and asked them to sit in the first row, and after each of his songs to scream and beg for more. It worked; their enthusiasm spread throughout the audience.
Pierce assembled and performed with a band of local Shreveport musicians, including pianist Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
, guitarist-vocalist Faron Young
Faron 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...
, bassist Tillman Franks
Tillman Franks
Tillman Ben Franks was an American bassist and songwriter who was also the manager for a number of country music artists including Johnny Horton, David Houston, Webb Pierce, Claude King and the Carlisles.-Biography:...
and vocalists Teddy and Doyle Wilburn
The Wilburn Brothers
The Wilburn Brothers were a popular American country music duo from the 1950s to the 1970s consisting of brothers Doyle Wilburn and Teddy Wilburn .-Biography:...
. He also founded a record label, Pacemaker; and Ark-La-Tex Music, a publishing company, with Horace Logan, the director of the Hayride. On Pacemaker, Pierce made several records between 1950 and 1951 designed to attract radio play around Louisiana.
Shreveport to Nashville
In 1951, Pierce got out of his 4 Star contract and was quickly signed by Decca RecordsDecca 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....
. His second single, "Wondering", became his breakthrough hit, climbing to No. 1 early in 1952. Pierce moved to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
where he met and married his second wife, Audrey Greisham. In June 1952, he had his second No. 1 single with "That Heart Belongs to Me".
In September 1953, 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...
needed to fill the vacancy left by the firing of Hank Williams, and Pierce was invited to join the cast. After Williams' death, he became the most popular singer in country music; for the next four years, every single he released hit the top ten, with ten reaching No. 1, including "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "Slowly
Slowly (Webb Pierce song)
Slowly is a 1954 song by Webb Pierce, written by Pierce and Nashville songwriter Tommy Hill . The song was one of Pierce's more successful singles, spending seventeen weeks at the top of the Country and Western Best Sellers lists and a total of thirty-six weeks in the chart.Beyond its success as a...
" (1954), "More and More
More and More (Webb Pierce song)
"More and More" is a song written by country singer/songwriter Merle Kilgore. Webb Pierce's 1954 recording of "More and More" spent ten weeks at number one on the country charts and a total of twenty-nine weeks on the chart. The song Also crossed over and peaked at No. 22 on the pop charts, making...
" (1954), and "In the Jailhouse Now
In the Jailhouse Now
"In The Jailhouse Now" is an American novelty blues song originally found in vaudeville performances from the early 20th century, usually credited to Jimmie Rodgers...
" (1955). His singles spent 113 weeks at No. 1 during the 1950s, when he charted 48 singles. Thirty-nine reached the top ten, 26 reached the top four and 13 hit No. 1.
Other hits included "Back Street Affair
Back Street Affair
"Back Street Affair" is a song written by country singer Billy Wallace and Nashville songwriter Jimmy Rule. The 1952 version by Webb Pierce was his third release on the country charts and his third number one in a row on the C&W Best Seller charts, where it stayed at number one for two weeks.* In...
", "Why Baby Why
Why Baby Why
"Why Baby Why" is the title of a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records, and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard country charts that year...
", "Oh, So Many Years", and "Finally"; the latter two being duets 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...
. His 1954 recording of "Slowly" was one of the first country songs to include a 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"...
. He made regular appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
including as a guest host once a month during 1956. In 1958, he recorded a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
record, "The New Raunchy"/"I'll Get by Somehow" for Decca
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....
under the name Shady Wall. (Shady Wall
Shady Wall
Shady Robert Wall was a banker and philanthropist from West Monroe, Louisiana, who served nonconsecutively as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1948–1956 and 1968-1984. Wall is remembered for his colorful dress, speeding in his Rolls Royce, flamboyant personality,...
(1922–1985) was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and a banker from West Monroe. It is not known if Pierce knew the political Wall or merely made up the name for the record and was unaware of the actual Shady Wall.)
On February 19, 1957, Pierce resigned from the Opry after he refused to pay commissions on bookings and for associated talent.
Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 hits; and he toured extensively and appeared in the movies Buffalo Guns, Music City USA, Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar, and Road To Nashville.
Lavish lifestyle and later years
As his music faded from the spotlight, Pierce became known for his excessive lifestyle. He had Hollywood tailor Nudie Cohen, who had made flamboyant suits for Pierce, line two convertiblesPontiac Bonneville
The Pontiac Bonneville was an automobile built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1957 to 2005. It was introduced as a limited production performance convertible during the 1957 model year...
with silver dollars. He built a $30,000 guitar-shaped swimming pool at his Nashville home which became a popular paid tourist attraction—nearly 3,000 people visited it each week—causing his neighbors, led by singer Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
, to file suit and prevail against Pierce to end the tours.
He remained with Decca and its successor, MCA, well into the 1970s, but by 1977 he was recording for Plantation Records
Plantation Records
Plantation Records was a country music record label started by Shelby Singleton. The label is best known for the Jeannie C. Riley 45rpm single, "Harper Valley P.T.A." which was a number one pop record in 1968....
. Even though he had occasional minor hits, charting in a 1982 duet with Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, a remake of "In the Jailhouse Now," he spent his final years tending to his businesses, and his legend became clouded due to his reputation as a hard drinker. Webb and daughter Debbie recorded the ballad "On My Way Out" as The Pierces, and she was a member of the Country group "Chantilly" in the early 1980s.
Pierce waged a long battle with pancreatic cancer, which he lost on February 24, 1991, and was buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of the largest cemeteries in Nashville.Among those interred or entombed in the cemetery, there are many prominent members of the country music genre and their families.-List:Use the following...
in Nashville.
Legacy
Pierce has a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1600 Vine Street. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2001 and into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is an IRS certified 501 non-profit organization based in the state capitol of Baton Rouge, La., that seeks to preserve Louisiana's rich music culture and heritage and to further educate its citizens and people worldwide about the state’s unique role contributing...
in 2008.
Caught In The Webb–a Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce was released on Audium Records in 2001. Produced and arranged by singer-songwriter Gail Davies
Gail Davies
Gail Davies is an American country music singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of country singer Tex Dickerson....
, this album features Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
, 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....
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, The Del McCoury Band, Charlie Pride, Allison Moorer
Allison Moorer
Allison Moorer is an American alternative country singer and the younger sister of Shelby Lynne. She signed to MCA Nashville in 1998 and made her debut on the U.S...
, Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
, Pam Tillis
Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....
, The Jordanaires
The Jordanaires
The Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
and other great artists. Proceeds go to benefit The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. Ms. Davies herself first charted in 1978 with "No Love Have I," a #26 Billboard Country hit that Pierce had recorded (and taken to #4) in 1959.
Footage of Pierce singing "There Stands the Glass" was featured in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home
No Direction Home
No Direction Home is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th century American popular music and culture. The film does not cover Dylan's entire career; it concentrates on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in January 1961 and his...
by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
about early influences on Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Pierce's hit single "More and More" was played in the title credits of 2006 horror film, The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film Haute Tension, and directed by Aja, the film follows a family who becomes the target of a group of...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Webb Pierce | Decca | |
| 1956 | The Wondering Boy | ||
| 1957 | Just Imagination | ||
| 1959 | Bound for the Kingdom | ||
| Webb! | |||
| 1960 | Webb with a Beat | ||
| Walking the Streets | |||
| 1961 | Webb Pierce's Golden Favorites | ||
| Fellen Angel | |||
| 1962 | Hideaway Heart | ||
| 1963 | Cross Country | 20 | |
| I've Got a New Heartache | |||
| Bow Thy Head | |||
| 1964 | The Webb Pierce Story | 13 | |
| Sands of Gold | |||
| 1965 | Memory #1 | 6 | |
| Country Music Time | |||
| 1966 | Sweet Memories | ||
| Webb's Choice | 29 | ||
| 1967 | Where'd Ya Stay Last Night | 43 | |
| 1968 | Fool Fool Fool | ||
| Saturday Night | |||
| 1969 | Webb Pierce Sings This Thing | 32 | |
| 1970 | Love Ain't Never Gonna Be No Better | 42 | |
| Merry Go Round World | |||
| 1971 | Road Show | ||
| 1972 | I'm Gonna Be a Swinger | ||
| 1979 | Faith, Hope and Love | Skylite | |
| 1982 | In the Jailhouse Now (w/ Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... ) |
Columbia |
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... |
CAN Country | ||
| 1952 | "Wondering" | 1 | ||
| "That Heart Belongs to Me" | 1 | |||
| "Back Street Affair Back Street Affair "Back Street Affair" is a song written by country singer Billy Wallace and Nashville songwriter Jimmy Rule. The 1952 version by Webb Pierce was his third release on the country charts and his third number one in a row on the C&W Best Seller charts, where it stayed at number one for two weeks.* In... " |
1 | |||
| 1953 | "I'll Go on Alone" | 4 | ||
| "That's Me Without You" | 4 | |||
| "The Last Waltz" | 4 | |||
| "I Haven't Got the Heart" | 5 | |||
| "It's Been So Long It's Been So Long "It's Been So Long" is a 1953 single by Webb Pierce. The single was Webb Pierce's fourth number one on the country charts, staying at number one for six weeks and spending a total of twenty-two weeks on the chart. The B-side of "It's Been So Long", a song entitled, "Don't Throw Your Life Away"... " |
1 | |||
| "Don't Throw Your Life Away" | 9 | |||
| "There Stands the Glass There Stands the Glass "There Stands the Glass" is a country song that was written by Russ Hull, Mary Jean Shurtz and Audrey Greisham, and was a hit for Webb Pierce in 1953. It was Pierce's fifth release to hit number one on the country charts... " |
1 | |||
| "I'm Walking the Dog" | 3 | |||
| 1954 | "Slowly Slowly (Webb Pierce song) Slowly is a 1954 song by Webb Pierce, written by Pierce and Nashville songwriter Tommy Hill . The song was one of Pierce's more successful singles, spending seventeen weeks at the top of the Country and Western Best Sellers lists and a total of thirty-six weeks in the chart.Beyond its success as a... " |
1 | ||
| "Even Tho" | 1 | |||
| "Sparkling Brown Eyes" (w/ The Wilburn Brothers The Wilburn Brothers The Wilburn Brothers were a popular American country music duo from the 1950s to the 1970s consisting of brothers Doyle Wilburn and Teddy Wilburn .-Biography:... ) |
4 | |||
| "More and More More and More (Webb Pierce song) "More and More" is a song written by country singer/songwriter Merle Kilgore. Webb Pierce's 1954 recording of "More and More" spent ten weeks at number one on the country charts and a total of twenty-nine weeks on the chart. The song Also crossed over and peaked at No. 22 on the pop charts, making... " |
1 | 22 | ||
| "You're Not Mine Anymore" | 4 | |||
| 1955 | "In the Jailhouse Now In the Jailhouse Now "In The Jailhouse Now" is an American novelty blues song originally found in vaudeville performances from the early 20th century, usually credited to Jimmie Rodgers... " |
1 | ||
| "I'm Gonna Fall Out of Love with You" | 10 | |||
| "I Don't Care I Don't Care (Webb Pierce song) "I Don't Care" is a 1955 song written by Webb Pierce and Cindy Walker and originally performed by Webb Pierce. "I Don't Care" spent twelve weeks at number one on the C&W Best Seller charts and spent a total of thirty-two weeks on the charts... " |
1 | |||
| "Your Good for Nothing Heart" | flip | |||
| "Love, Love, Love Love Love Love (Webb Pierce song) "Love Love Love" is a 1955 single by Webb Pierce, written by Ted Jarrett. "Love Love Love" spent eight weeks at number one on the country charts and spent a total of thirty-two weeks on the charts.... " |
1 | |||
| "If You Were Me" | 7 | |||
| 1956 | "Why Baby Why Why Baby Why "Why Baby Why" is the title of a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records, and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard country charts that year... " (w/ Red Sovine Red Sovine Woodrow Wilson Sovine , better known as Red Sovine, was an American country music singer associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music... ) |
1 | ||
| "Yes I Know Why" | 2 | |||
| "'Cause I Love You" | 3 | |||
| "Little Rosa" (w/ Red Sovine) | 5 | |||
| "Any Old Time" | 7 | |||
| "We'll Find a Way" | flip | |||
| "Teenage Boogie" | 10 | |||
| "I'm Really Glad You Hurt Me" | flip | |||
| 1957 | "I'm Tired" | 3 | ||
| "It's My Way" | flip | |||
| "Honky Tonk Song" | 1 | |||
| "Oh' So Many Years" (w/ 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... ) |
8 | |||
| "Someday" | 12 | |||
| "Bye Bye Love" | 7 | 73 | ||
| "Missing You" | 7 | |||
| "Holiday for Love" | 3 | |||
| "Don't Do It Darlin'" | 12 | |||
| 1958 | "One Week Later" (w/ Kitty Wells) | 12 | ||
| "Cryin' Over You" | 3 | |||
| "You'll Come Back" | 10 | |||
| "Falling Back to You" | 10 | |||
| "Tupelo County Jail" | 7 | |||
| 1959 | "I'm Letting You Go" | 22 | ||
| "A Thousand Miles Ago" | 6 | |||
| "I Ain't Never I Ain't Never "I Ain't Never" is the title of a song, recorded in 1972, by American country music artist Mel Tillis. It was his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.... " |
2 | 24 | ||
| 1960 | "No Love Have I" | 4 | 54 | |
| "(Doin' the) Lover's Leap" | 17 | 93 | ||
| "Is It Wrong (For Loving You) Is It Wrong (For Loving You) "Is It Wrong " is a 1974 single by Sonny James. "Is It Wrong " would the final of twenty-three number ones on the country chart for Sonny James. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of eleven weeks on the country chart.The song was written by Warner MacPherson in... " |
11 | 69 | ||
| "Drifting Texas Sand" | 11 | 108 | ||
| "Fallen Angel" | 4 | 99 | ||
| 1961 | "Let Forgiveness In" | 5 | ||
| "Sweet Lips" | 3 | |||
| "Walking the Streets" | 5 | |||
| "How Do You Talk to a Baby" | 7 | |||
| 1962 | "Alla My Love" | 5 | ||
| "Crazy Wild Desire" | 8 | |||
| "Take Time" | 7 | |||
| "Cow Town" | 5 | |||
| "Sooner or Later" | 19 | |||
| 1963 | "How Come Your Dog Don't Bite Nobody But Me" (w/ Mel Tillis Mel Tillis Lonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits.... ) |
25 | ||
| "Sawmill" | 15 | |||
| "If I Could Come Back" | 21 | |||
| "Sands of Gold" | 7 | 118 | ||
| "If the Back Door Could Talk" | 13 | |||
| "Those Wonderful Years" | 9 | |||
| 1964 | "Waiting a Lifeitme" | 25 | ||
| "Memory #1" | 2 | |||
| "Finally" (w/ Kitty Wells) | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1965 | "That's Where My Money Goes" | 26 | ||
| "Broken Engagement" | 46 | |||
| "Loving You Then Losing You" | 22 | |||
| "Who Do I Think I Am" | 13 | |||
| "Hobo and the Rose" | 50 | |||
| 1966 | "You Ain't No Better Than Me" | 46 | ||
| "Love's Something (I Can't Understand)" | 25 | |||
| "Where'd Ya Stay Last Night" | 14 | |||
| 1967 | "Goodbye City, Goodbye Girl" | 39 | ||
| "Fool Fool Fool" | 6 | |||
| 1968 | "Luzianna" | 24 | ||
| "Stranger in a Strange, Strange City" | 26 | |||
| "In Another World" | 74 | |||
| "Saturday Night" | 22 | 25 | ||
| 1969 | "If I Had Last Night to Live Over" | 32 | ||
| "This Thing" | 14 | 17 | ||
| "Love Ain't Gonna Be No Better" | 38 | |||
| 1970 | "Merry-Go-Round World" | 71 | ||
| "The Man You Want Me to Be" | 56 | |||
| 1971 | "Showing His Dollar" | 73 | ||
| "Tell Him That You Love Him" | 31 | |||
| "Someone Stepped In (And Stole Me Blind)" | 73 | |||
| 1972 | "Wonderful Wonderful" | 21 | ||
| "I'm Gonna Be a Swinger" | 54 | |||
| 1975 | "The Good Lord Giveth (And Uncle Sam Taketh Away)" | 57 | ||
| 1976 | "I've Got Leaving on My Mind" | 82 | 41 | |
| 1982 | "In the Jailhouse Now" (w/ Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... ) |
72 |
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | US Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "One Big Family" | Heart of Nashville | 61 |
External links
- Webb Pierce at the Country Music Hall of Fame
- Webb Pierce at the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
- Webb Pierce biography at musicianguide.com
- Webb Pierce biography at The 9513.com
- Webb Pierce's Grammer guitar in the National Music Museum
- Video of Webb Pierce's Pontiac Bonneville at the Country Music Hall of Fame
- The Webb Site: an annotated Webb Pierce discography at Slipcue.com