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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 ZBRYANT, Felice and BoudleauxCountry-pop songwriters. Boudleaux (b 13 Feb. '20, Shellman GA; d 25 June '87, Nashville) studied music, played violin in Atlanta Philharmonic '38, switched to country and jazz; on tour '45 met wife Felice (b 7 Aug. '25; d 22 April 2003) operating hotel lift in her home town of Milwaukee; they had both been writing lyrics, wrote together for fun, then sent 'Country Boy' to Fred Rose '49: it was a top ten country hit for Little Jimmy Dickens. To Nashville '50, wrote hits for Carl Smith including top ten country entries '52-3 'It's A Lovely, Lovely World', 'Our Honeymoon', 'Just Wait Till I Get You Alone'; 'This Orchid Means Goodbye' co-written by Boudleaux and Smith. 'Hey Joe!' covered by Frankie Laine '53, made no. 11 on pop chart; 'Back Up Buddy' no. 4 country '54. Wrote 'I've Been Thinking' and 'The Richest Man' for Eddy Arnold '55, etc; then worked with the Everly Brothers. Their 'Bye Bye Love' was one of the most exciting pop records of '57, selling huge numbers in advance orders before anyone had heard it: no. 1 country, no. 2 pop; three Bryant/Everly hits were all no. 1 pop '57-8 ('Wake Up Little Susie', 'All I Have To Do Is Dream' and 'Bird Dog') as the modern era in pop began, the Bryants' country flavour bang in the middle of it. They had a country hit with 'Blue Boy' (by Jim Reeves) '58; Boudleaux had a world-wide hit with his own instrumental 'Mexico' '61; country top ten hits in the '60s included 'My Last Date' (co-written with Skeeter Davis), 'Baltimore' (by Sonny James), 'I Love To Dance With Annie' (by Ernie Ashworth), 'Rocky Top' (by Buck Owens); in '70s Felice's 'We Could' (by Charlie Pride), their 'Raining In My Heart' (by Leo Sayer), many more. Surfin' On A New Wave '80 was their own LP, with songs new and old; still going strong '81 with 'Hey, Joe, Hey Moe' for Joe Stampley and Moe Bandy. They had their own publishing House of Bryant; they ran a motel in resort area of Gatlinburg TN. Success never changed them: Jack Clement said, 'Boudleaux and Felice are the kind of people you can call up just to say hello and they will believe you.' |