Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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DRUSKY, Roy

(b 22 June '30, Atlanta GA; d 23 Sept. 2004) Country/pop singer/songwriter. He began to play guitar in the US Navy '48-50. He formed The Southern Ranch Boys and signed to Starday '53 but no had success; worked as a disc jockey. Columbia signed him on the strength of his songs; he still had no hits of his own but joined the Grand Ole Opry '58 after writing a country no. 1 country for Faron Young 'Alone With You'. Wrote hits 'Country Girl' '59 for Young, 'Anymore' '60 for Teresa Brewer. He joined Decca '59 and finally had his own hits: 'Another' '60, 'Three Hearts In A Tangle' '61 (country and pop), 'Second Hand Rose' '62. Hits on Mercury '63-6: 'Peel Me A Nanner', 'Strangers', 'Yes Mr Peters' (duet with Priscilla Mitchell, country no. 1), 'If The Whole World Stopped Loving'; 'Jody And The Kid' '68 (early Kris Kristofferson song), 'Such A Fool' '69, 'Long, Long Texas Road' '70, 'Satisfied Mind' '73. He moved to Capitol '74, then others; there were no more hit singles, but his highly praised LPs included Peaceful Easy Feeling '74 on Capitol, Night Flying '78 and Roy '81 on Big R in UK, English Gold '81 on Plantation. Albums on Decca and Mercury long out of print; Songs Of Love And Life issued on Mercury Nashville '95.