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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZFRAZIER, Dallas(b 27 Oct. '39, Spiro OK) Child prodigy, country songwriter, singer. To Bakersfield CA as a child; raised on farms. Won talent contest put on by Faron Young '51, signed recording contract with Capitol '53, released singles and was a regular on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree; toured with Ferlin Husky '56--8. Had a short successful pop songwriting career bringing a unique sense of humour, his writing close to that of Leiber and Stoller. He wrote 'Alley Oop', a big novelty hit for the Hollywood Argyles '60: this put-up group had no more hits, but the titles of their records as they label-hopped suggest that Frazier was still involved: 'A Gun-Totin' Crittur Called Jack', 'You Been Torturing Me' etc. He also wrote 'Ridin' Hood', 'She's A Yum Yum' and 'Mohair Sam' for the Coasters, almost their only stuff that wasn't written by Leiber and Stoller; 'Mohair Sam' was a hit '65 for Charlie Rich. He later recorded his own 'The Conspiracy Of Homer Jones' (Capitol), 'The Birthmark Henry Thompson Talks About' (RCA). He'd moved to Nashville '63 to concentrate on writing and recording. With Capitol again he had hits ('Everybody Ought To Sing A Song', 'Sunshine Of My World' '68) but was still more successful as a writer, e.g. 'There Goes My Everything' (Jack Greene), 'Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp' (O. C. Smith), 'If My Heart Had Windows' (George Jones). With A. L. 'Doodle' Owens wrote several no. ones for Charley Pride ('All I Have To Offer You Is Me', 'I'm So Afraid Of Losing You Again', etc). Signed to RCA '69, made good LPs and singles that didn't sell; returned to writing. Semi-retired since '76, though old songs since became hits (e.g. 'Elvira' for the Oak Ridge Boys '81). |