Zeb Turner
Encyclopedia
Zeb Turner was an American
boogie-woogie
songwriter and guitarist, and pioneer of rockabilly
.
He was born William Edward Grishaw in Lynchburg, Virginia
, United States
, and he renamed himself after a favorite piece of music, "The Zeb Turner Stomp". With his brother James (who took the stage name "Zeke Turner"), also a guitarist, he backed artists such as Hank Williams and Red Foley
in the years after World War II
. He co-wrote "It's a Sin", a number one hit on the country
chart
for Eddy Arnold
in 1947, with music publisher Fred Rose
. Turner also recorded for small record label
s such as Bullet
and King Records
; some of these were "country boogie" tunes which were influential on early rockabilly. His King Records version of Billy Briggs
' "Chew Tobacco Rag" was a #8 jukebox country and western hit in 1951, while his own "Tennessee Boogie" had reached #11 on the same chart in 1949.
Later in the 1950s, Turner was a disc jockey
on Baltimore
and Washington radio station
s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
songwriter and guitarist, and pioneer of 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...
.
He was born William Edward Grishaw in Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and he renamed himself after a favorite piece of music, "The Zeb Turner Stomp". With his brother James (who took the stage name "Zeke Turner"), also a guitarist, he backed artists such as Hank Williams and Red Foley
Red Foley
Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
in the years after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He co-wrote "It's a Sin", a number one hit on the 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...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
in 1947, with music publisher Fred Rose
Fred Rose (musician)
Fred Rose was an American Hall of Fame songwriter and music publishing executive.-Biography:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Fred Rose started playing piano and singing as a small boy. In his teens, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked in bars busking for tips, and finally vaudeville...
. Turner also recorded for small record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s such as Bullet
Bullet Records
At least three record labels with the name Bullet Records have existed.The earliest one was a record label based in Nashville, USA, which was started in 1945 by Jim Bulliet and C.V. Hitchcock. Bulleit was an early partner in Sun Records...
and King Records
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
; some of these were "country boogie" tunes which were influential on early rockabilly. His King Records version of Billy Briggs
Billy Briggs
Billy Worth Briggs III is an American independent musician and songwriter residing in McKinney, Texas. He has written numeroussongs.-Career:...
' "Chew Tobacco Rag" was a #8 jukebox country and western hit in 1951, while his own "Tennessee Boogie" had reached #11 on the same chart in 1949.
Later in the 1950s, Turner was 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...
on Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and Washington radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s.
Turner compositions
- "Zeb's Mountain Boogie" (Zeb Turner) - a 1946 instrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
B-sideA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
by Brad Brady and his Tennesseeans (actually Owen BradleyOwen BradleyOwen 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:...
), it was on the first release of Bullet Records and became a regional jukebox hit. - "Texas in My Soul" (Zeb Turner/Ernest TubbErnest TubbErnest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
) - recorded by Tex WilliamsTex WilliamsSollie Paul Williams , known professionally as Tex Williams, was an American Western swing musician from Ramsey, Illinois....
(1946), Hank PennyHank PennyHerbert Clayton Penny was an accomplished banjo player and practitioner of western swing. He worked as a comedian best known for his backwoods character "That Plain Ol' Country Boy" on TV with Spade Cooley...
(1946), and Willy Nelson (1968). - "You Hit the Nail Right on the Head" (Turner/Tubb) - played by Tubb and his band in the 1947 filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Hollywood Barn Dance, and also issued as a singleSingle (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...
. - "It's a Sin" (Zeb Turner/Fred Rose) - charted for Eddy Arnold (#1 in 1947) and Marty RobbinsMarty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
(1969) - "There's No Room in My Heart for the Blues" (Zeb Turner/Fred Rose) - recorded by Hank Williams (1952), The TheThe TheThe The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
(1995), Clyde MoodyClyde MoodyClyde Moody , also known as the "Hillbilly Waltz King" and sometimes as "The Genial Gentleman of Country Music" was one the great founders of American Bluegrass music....
(1948), and Ernest Tubb (1967) - "Tennessee Boogie" (Zeb Turner) - charted for Turner in 1949