Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 100-96
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
100. David Terry of Aqueduct; Epperley (formed in Tulsa)
David Terry is a placement genius. Between his late nineties rock band Epperley and current electronic pop band Aqueduct, Terry has managed to get his songs on TV shows (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Real World, The OC, Grey’s Anatomy), commercials (Jaguar 2005 S-Type) and movies (The Tao of Steve, American Pie 2 trailer). Epperley was in The Tao of Steve as a band playing a high school reunion, while Aqueduct has appeared on Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
99. Susie Luchsinger (born in Chockie)
Christian country singer Susie Luchsinger got her start in as a backup singer to her younger sister, Reba McEntire, in the early 1980s. Her solo career took off in 1993 with her album Real Love. Real Love garnered Luchsinger four-chart-topping hits on the Positive Country charts and many TNN, GMA and CCMA award nominations. In addition to her musical career, she co-wrote A Tender Road Home, detailing how her abusive marriage was turned around.
98. PC Quest (formed in Shawnee)
Pop group PC Quest placed two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 with “After the Summer’s Gone” and “Can I Call You My Girl”. Although the band only lasted two albums, most of its members are still in the music business. Chad Petree is in Shiny Toy Guns, Stephen Petree is a Christian solo artist and Drew Nichols has played bass for Graham Colton Band and Cary Pierce.
You can hear a couple old PC Quest songs here.
97. Jay ‘Hootie’ McShann (born in Muskogee)
Blues Hall of Fame pianist, bandleader and songwriter Jay ‘Hootie’ McShann was best known for combining the sounds of blues and swing in the 1940s. His best known composition “Confessin’ The Blues” has been recorded by The Rolling Stones, BB King and Little Walter, among others. McShann’s 2003 album Going to Kansas City, earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album. He died in December 2006 at the age of 90.
96. Pillar (based in Tulsa)
Christian hard rock band Pillar has been at it for almost a decade, releasing four full-length albums with a fifth album set to be released in February 2008. The band was named Best Rock Band at the 2001 Dove Awards and guitarist Noah Henson and drummer Lester Estelle Jr. have each received personal Dove Awards. Pillar was also named Best Hard Rock Band in CCM Magazine’s 2006 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 95-91
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
95. Caroline’s Spine (formed in Tulsa)
Caroline’s Spine released 12 albums over their 14-year career, appeared on two movie soundtracks (An American Werewolf in Paris and Varsity Blues) and played with Aerosmith, KISS and Queensrÿche. After signing with Hollywood Records in 1996, the band charted three songs on the top 30 of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart (“Sullivan”, “Attention Please” & “Nothing to Prove”).
94. Jimmy LaFave (raised in Stillwater)
Although Jimmy LaFave is based out of Austin, Texas, he spent the latter part of his teens and all of his 20s in Stillwater, Oklahoma. While in Stillwater, he honed his red dirt sound, drawing influences from fellow Oklahomans Woody Guthrie and J. J. Cale, as well as the folk sound of Bob Dylan. 1996 appearances on PBS’ Austin City Limits (with Lisa Loeb) and a Woody Guthrie tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame helped increase LaFave’s musical stature. LaFave has released 11 albums over four decades.
93. Barry McGuire (born in Oklahoma City)
Briefly a member of the folk revivalist group The New Christy Minstrels, Barry McGuire began his solo career in 1963. Two years later, he recorded the protest song “Eve of Destruction”, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart in September 1965. In the early 1970s, McGuire became a born-again Christian and released numerous albums for Myrrh Records before slowly moving away from the music industry.
92. Cozad (formed in Anadarko)
The Kiowa southern style pow-wow and gourd drum group Cozad was founded by Leonard Cozad, Sr. in the 1930s, and consists of Leonard, his sons, grandsons, and other members of the family. They have released several albums, with their most recent (California Pow Wow) winning the 2005 Native American Music Award for Best Historical Recording. Cozad also performed on the 2001 Grammy Award-winning Best Native American Music Album, Gathering of Nations Pow Wow.
91. Don Cherry (born in Oklahoma City)
Innovative jazz trumpeter Don Cherry flew outside the norm of the jazz genre. His style of free jazz combined bebop elements with Middle Eastern, African and Indian music and evolved from the late 1950s to the 1980s. His son Eagle-Eye Cherry hit the charts in 1997 with his top ten hit “Save Tonight”.
Previous entries:
100-96
Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 90-86
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
90. Wayman Tisdale (raised in Tulsa)
While many ex-professional athletes turn to rap, former NBA power forward Wayman Tisdale turned to contemporary jazz and the bass guitar. Way Up!, the seventh album of his twelve-year career, was one of the best-selling jazz releases of 2006, debuting at No. 1 and spending 30 weeks in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. In 2002, Tisdale was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and received the Legacy Tribute Award. He was also nominated by the NAACP as “Outstanding Jazz Artist” for its 2004 Image Awards.
89. Elvin Bishop (raised in Tulsa)
Blues and rock and roll guitarist Elvin Bishop got his musical start in the early 1960s by befriending and learning from Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Smokey Smothers. Although he was known more for energetic live performances and having fun on stage, Bishop scored his biggest hit with a slower song, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” (sung by Mickey Thomas), in 1976.
88. Kellie Coffey (born in Moore)
Country singer Kellie Coffey began performing live at the Oklahoma Opry at the young age of 9. Since bursting onto the country music scene with her Top 10 debut song “When You Lie Next to Me” in 2002, she has charted four other singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. In 2003, Coffey won the Top New Female Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music.
87. Gus Hardin (born in Tulsa)
Carolyn Ann “Gus” Hardin debuted on the country charts in 1983 with her Top 10 hit “After The Last Goodbye”. She scored a couple Top 40 hits later that year and another Top 10 hit in 1984 (”All Tangled Up In Love”). Hardin was named the Top New Country Artist by “Billboard” magazine in 1983 and “Best New Female Vocalist” award from the Academy of Country Music in 1984. Gus Hardin died in a car crash just east of Claremore, Oklahoma in February 1996.
86. Lee Wiley (born in Fort Gibson)
Lee Wiley was recognized by her peers as one of the best early jazz singers of the 1930s. By recording albums of George Gershwin songs, as well as albums dedicated to Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, Wiley created the concept of a “songbook”, later widely imitated by other singers. A 1963 television film by Sidney Pollack, Something About Lee Wiley, told her life story, including adjusting to temporary blindness in her teens. Lee Wiley passed away in December of 1975.
Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 85-81
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
85. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (formed in Tulsa)
Quirky experimental jazz trio Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is loved by members of the jazz community and very much accepted on the jam band circuit. The ever-touring band was named “#1 New Jazz Star in America” by US News & World Report. Next year will mark JFJO’s 14th year as a band and celebrate their 14th album release.
84. Debris (formed in Chickasha)
Drawing from the influences of The Stooges and Captain Beefheart, Debris captured a dark chaotic proto-punk sound. Oklahoma audiences were not hip to the band, with Debris coming in dead last in a Battle of the Bands (a cover band took home the top prize). They released Static Disposal in 1976 and sent it to rock magazines and record labels, however the initial response was not positive and the band subsequently broke up. In 1977, the New York punk scene took off and more favorable press and booking opportunities (CBGBs) appeared for the band. But, the damage had been done and Debris fell victim to being ahead of their time.
You can hear and buy some Debris tunes here.
83. Spade Cooley (born in Grand)
Donnell Clyde ‘Spade’ Cooley was an western swing musician, big band leader and actor in the 1930s and 1940s. Billing himself as the ‘King of Western Swing’, Cooley had six Top 10 Country hits, appeared in 38 westerns and hosted a syndicated television show for a decade. However, he’s probably mostly remembered for the 1961 brutal stomping death of his wife Ella Mae Evans. While serving a life sentence in prison, Cooley died of a heart attack in 1969.
Cooley’s grandson, Mike Cooley, is the guitarist and co-founder of the Drive-By Truckers.
82. Carl Radle (born in Tulsa)
Regarded as one of the top rock bassists of the 1970s, Carl Radle is best known for his work alongside Eric Clapton. He was instrumental in coaxing Clapton out of rock exile to return to recording and touring in 1974. Radle also played bass for Leon Russell, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, George Harrison, Derek & the Dominos, J.J. Cale, Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Art Garfunkel, Buddy Guy, Peter Frampton and more. Carl Radle died in 1980 from a kidney infection (the effects of alcohol and narcotics). He was 37 years old.
81. Bob Childers (raised in Stillwater)
Considered the godfather of red dirt music, Bob Childers has released nine albums, beginning with I Ain’t No Jukebox in 1979. Basing his operations out of three music hubs (Stillwater, Nashville & Austin) over the years, his songs have appeared on over 80 artists records.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 80-76
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
80. Watermelon Slim (lives in Norman)
Vietnam vet Bill ‘Watermelon Slim’ Homans is the blues. The left-handed delta-blues performer spent most of his adult life working blue-collar jobs (truck driver, fork-lift operator, watermelon farmer), getting an education (B.A. from University of Oregon; M.A. from Oklahoma State University) and dabbling in music. Following a 2002 heart attack, Slim pursued music full-time and it paid off. In 2005, Slim was nominated for the prestigious W.C. Handy Award for “Best New Artist Debut”. In 2007, his six W.C. Handy Award nominations tied a record shared by B.B. King and Robert Cray.
79. Ty England (born in Oklahoma City)
Former roommate Garth Brooks kickstarted country singer Ty England’s solo career. For the first six years of Garth’s career, Ty was his on-stage wingman. RCA Nashville put out his self-titled debut album in 1995 and landed his biggest hit, “Should’ve Asked Her Faster”, which peaked at No. 3. Three more of his songs would chart in the Top 50 over the next few years. England’s fourth album, Alive and Well and Livin’ the Dream, was released in April 2007.
78. Albert E. Brumley (born in Spiro)
Gospel music composer Albert E. Brumley wrote over 800 songs in his lifetime, including “I’ll Fly Away”, “Turn Your Radio On”, “I’ll Meet You In The Morning” and “He Set Me Free”. The Boston Pops Orchestra, Oak Ridge Boys, Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, Ray Charles and George Jones are among the artists or groups that have performed his songs. Brumley has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Brumley passed away in November 1977 at the age of 72.
77. Phil Seymour (born in Tulsa)
Along with his musical partner Dwight Twilley, Phil Seymour co-wrote the Top 20 hit “I’m On Fire” before moving onto a solo career. His 1981 self-titled debut album featured the Top 25 hit “Precious To Me” and is thought of as one of the landmark power-pop albums of the era. He also worked as a session musician for 20/20, Moon Martin & Tom Petty. Seymour died from lymphoma in 1993.
76. Tommy Allsup (born in Owasso)
Guitarist Tommy Allsup started his music career in 1949 in The Oklahoma Swingbillies. In 1958, he met Buddy Holly at a recording studio and played in Holly’s band for the next 11 years, alongside bassist Waylon Jennings and drummer Carl Bunch. On February 3, 1959, Allsup lost a coin toss to Ritchie Valens for a seat on that infamous airplane ride.
Allsup has played guitar or bass on close to nine-thousand recording sessions. He won a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2000.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 75-71
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
75. Moon Martin (born in Altus)
New wave musician John ‘Moon’ Martin first gained recognition in the 1970s as a songwriter, penning “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” for Robert Palmer and “Cadillac Walk” for Willy DeVille. As a solo artist, Martin released four albums in five years on Capitol Records, scoring minor hits with “Rolene” and “X-Ray Vision”. Early in his career, Martin was a member of the country rock band Southwind.
74. Cross Canadian Ragweed (formed in Yukon)
Cross Canadian Ragweed may not have started the red dirt movement, but they opened plenty of doors for other bands in the genre. Known for spending most of their time on the road, the band self-released two recorded and two live albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, CCR signed with Universal South and have released five albums since. Three of those albums have charted well in the Billboard 200 (Soul Gravy - #51, Garage - #37 & Mission California - #30).
73. Ricochet (formed in Vian)
Country band Ricochet signed to Columbia Records in 1996 and scored big. Their self-titled debut was certified gold and charted three Top 10 singles, including the No. 1 hit “Daddy’s Money”, the highest debuting single of the year “What Do I Know” and “Love Is Stronger Than Pride”, as well as a Top 20 hit (”Ease My Troubled Mind”). Later albums never repeated that level of success, but they still turned out one more Top 20 song and two more Top 40 songs. Although a couple founding members have left the band, Ricochet continues to perform today.
72. The Five Americans (formed in Durant)
Leaving the confines of Durant in 1964, pop-rockers The Five Americans found success by playing dive bars in Dallas, Texas. The band (originally called The Mutineers) were best known for their 1967 hit “Western Union” (No. 6 on Billboard and produced by Dale Hawkins of “Susie Q” fame). They also landed four other songs in the top 40 (”I See The Light”, “Evol-Not Love”, “Sound Of Love” & “Zip Code”). After some in-fighting and some disagreements with their management, The Five Americans called it quits in 1969.
71. Henson Cargill (born in Oklahoma City)
Country singer Henson Cargill’s career got started with a bang, placing the song “Skip a Rope” at No. 1 on the country chart for six straight weeks (it also crossed over to the Top 25 of the Pop charts). He scored three more top 20 hits in the late 1960s (”Row Row Row”, “None Of My Business” & “The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I Ever Heard”) and three Top 30 hits (”Some Old California Memory”, “Stop And Smell The Roses” & “Silence On The Line”).
In the 1980s, Cargill was a fixture in Las Vegas casinos. He also owned and operated a country music venue in west Oklahoma City called Henson’s. Among those who performed there were Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison, Glenn Campbell and Waylon Jennings. Cargill passed away from complications following surgery in March 2007.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 70-66
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
70. For Love Not Lisa (formed in Oklahoma City)
For Love Not Lisa signed with Elektra Records in 1992, releasing two critically-lauded albums and landing “Slip Slide Melting” on The Crow soundtrack. The band toured with the likes of Stone Temple Pilots and Rage Against the Machine before leaving Elektra in 1996. FLNL later put out The Lost Elephant in 1999 on Tooth & Nail Records. In the latter years of the band, singer Mike Lewis and guitarist Miles formed the Christian band Puller.
69. Keith Anderson (born in Miami)
Former bodybuilder Keith Anderson began his music career as a songwriter, penning the Garth Brooks & George Jones song “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)” in 2001. He has also written songs for Gretchen Wilson and a No. 1 single (”Lost In This Moment”) for Big & Rich. Anderson’s 2005 debut album, Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll, featured two top ten hits (”Pickin’ Wildflowers” & “Every Time I Hear Your Name”) and one top 30 hit (”XXL”). (should read that keith anderson stole “beer run” from todd snider.)
68. ‘Big’ Al Downing (born in Lenapah)
One of the first successful African-Americans in rockabilly and country, ‘Big’ Al Downing was named Best New Artist by Billboard and the Academy of Country Music in 1979. He began his career as a backup singer to Wanda Jackson and credited her with getting his foot in the door in the white-dominated genre. Downing released twelve albums during his career, charting fifteen songs on the Billboard country chart (three of which were in the top 20). He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2000. Downing passed away from acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July of 2005.
67. Wade Hayes (born in Bethel Acres)
Wade Hayes began his career with what would turn out to be the biggest hit of his career. “Old Enough to Know Better” was released in 1995 and peaked at Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The debut album of the same name placed three more songs in the U.S. Country Top 10. Subsequent albums fetched two top five hits and seven songs in the top 50. In 2003, Hayes teamed up with former Alan Jackson fiddler/mandolinist Mark McClurg to form the short-lived country duo McHayes. Hayes is currently touring with former Alabama singer Randy Owen.
66. ‘Pretty Miss’ Norma Jean (born in Wellston)
Best-known for her spot on The Porter Wagoner Show (1961-1967), ‘Pretty Miss’ Norma Jean Beasler opened many doors for female country singers. After signing with RCA in 1963, she would go on to place ten songs on the Top 30 of the U.S. Country charts, including three top ten hits (”The Game of Triangles”, “Go Cat Go” & “I Wouldn’t Buy a Used Car From Him”). After battling with alcohol later in life, Norma Jean committed herself to Christianity and founded Cowboy Church with her husband.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 65-61
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
65. Hanson (formed in Tulsa)
From their beginnings as prepubescent bubblegum-popsters to their current state as independent musicians and activists, Hanson has covered a lot of ground in their 15 years in the music business. The band hit it big in 1997 with their infectious No. 1 hit “MMMbop” and was nominated for three Grammys in 1998. Their second major label album, This Time Around, marked a change in style for Hanson and the album never caught on with the general public.
During the recording of their third album, the band left Island Records and started an indie label, 3CG Records. 2004’s Underneath went on to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard independent charts and and No. 25 on the Billboard 200. Hanson recorded the song “Great Divide” with a South African school choir in 2006. The song was released on iTunes, with all proceeds going towards AIDS education and prevention in Africa. The band continues to work against poverty and AIDS in Africa, championing the causes while on tour.
64. Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts (raised in Picher)
Joe Don Rooney, guitarist for Rascal Flatts, began playing music in the Miami, Oklahoma band Unclethumbtack. In 2000, he joined Rascal Flatts and the band has been skyrocketing ever since, scoring three No. 1 albums in seven years. The band has charted 17 songs in the U.S. Country Chart’s Top 10, eight of which peaked at No. 1. Over the course of their career, Rascal Flatts has been named the Academy of Country Music’s Top Vocal Group five years in a row and named CMA’s Vocal Group of the Year four years in a row.
63. Lowell Fulson (born in Tulsa)
Lowell Fulson left Oklahoma in 1940 for a two-year stint with Texas Alexander. He scored his first R&B hit, “Three O’Clock Blues” on the Swingtime label in 1948. From 1949-52, Fulson recorded hits with “Blue Shadows,” “Lonely Christmas,” “Low Society” and “Every Day I Have the Blues.” His huge 1954 hit, “Reconsider Baby” was later covered by Elvis Presley and chosen by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll”. Fulson was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1993 and was nominated for a Grammy in 1995 for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Fulson passed away in March of 1999 due to complications from kidney disease, diabetes and congestive heart failure.
62. Hinder (formed in Oklahoma City)
Loved and loathed by many, Hinder has been very successful in their short stay in music’s mainstream. The group’s debut album, Extreme Behavior, has gone platinum twice, peaked as the No. 1 album in Australia and peaked as the No. 6 album in America. Their debut single, “Get Stoned”, barely made an indention on the charts. But their second single, “Lips of An Angel”, changed everything. The song peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop 100 and in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and garnered them regular spins on VH1 and heavy radio play. Hinder is set to enter the studio in January 2008 to record their sophomore album.
61. Cal Smith (born in Gans)
Following a stint in the military in 1961, Cal Smith joined the Texas Troubadours. He released his first solo album (Drinking Champagne) in 1969 and hit the Top 40 of the country charts with the title track. His 1972 top 10 hit, “I’ve Found Someone of My Own”, started a string of smash hits. His cover of Bill Anderson’s “The Lord Knows I’m Drinking” hit No. 1 on the country charts in 1973. Smith had two more No. 1s, “It’s Time to Pay the Fiddler” and “Country Bumpkin” in 1974.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 60-56
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
60. Michael Been of The Call (born in Oklahoma City)
Michael Been moved to California in the early 1970s after attending college in Chicago. In 1980, he formed indie new wave rock band The Call. The band counted Peter Gabriel among their biggest fans (he had once called the band “the future of American music”). Their 1980s albums were critically acclaimed and the band scored minor hits with “The Walls Came Down”, “I Still Believe” and “Everywhere I Go”. The Call’s biggest hit came in 1989 with “Let the Day Begin”, which peaked at No. 1 on the mainstream rock charts. Al Gore used “Let The Day Begin” as his campaign song in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election.
Been’s son, Robert Levon Been, is the frontman for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Michael often tours with BRMC, running sound.
59. The Nixons (formed in Oklahoma City)
The Nixons hit the mainstream in 1995 with their album Foma, which included singles “Happy Song”, “Wire” and “Passion”. Their biggest hit, “Sister”, peaked at No. 6 on the mainstream rock chart in 1996. Constantly on the road (300+ shows a year), the band toured with Soul Asylum, Radiohead and Toadies. Their self-titled album didn’t compare to their initial album and the band was dropped from MCA.
John Humphrey now plays drums for Seether, Ricky Wolking plays bass for Dallas-based band Edgewater and Jesse Davis is in Oklahoma City band 4 Points West. Zac Maloy dabbled as a solo artist, but is best known as a songwriter and producer (Hanson, Chris Daughtry, Bowling for Soup).
58. Jimmy Webb (born in Elk City)
Songwriter Jimmy Webb’s songs were hits in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He has written numerous Top 10 hits, some of which were recorded by Glen Campbell (”By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman”, “Galveston”), Art Garfunkel (”All I Know”), Richard Harris and Donna Summer (”MacArthur Park”) and The Highwaymen (”Highwayman”). He was elected to the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1990.
Webb is the only person to receive Grammy Awards in all three categories of music, lyrics and orchestration.
57. Restless Heart (early beginnings in Stillwater)
While not all of Restless Heart is from Oklahoma, guitarist Greg Jennings, producer Scott Hendricks and manager Tim Dubois (later the head of Arista Records) were all friends and songwriters while attending Oklahoma State University. After a move to Nashville in 1984, Dubois put together the band (which included Jennings and Oklahoma native Paul Gregg) to play some songs that he had written. Restless Heart went on to record 15 Top 10 U.S. Country songs, including six No. 1s. Twenty years later (with a few bumps on the way), the four-time Grammy nominated band is still touring and recording today.
56. Dwight Twilley (born in Tulsa)
Dwight Twilley, along with songwriting partner Phil Seymour signed with Shelter Records in 1975 as The Dwight Twilley Band. Their first single, “I’m On Fire”, reached No. 16 on the charts. After Seymour left the band in 1977 to start a solo career, Twilley followed suit. His third solo album, Jungle, contained “Girls”, which would peak at No. 16, and “Why You Want to Break My Heart”, which would appear on the soundtrack to Wayne’s World eight years later.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 55-51
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
55. Sheb Wooley (born in Erick)
Shelby ‘Sheb’ Wooley is best known for his 1958 No. 1 hit “Purple People Eater”. He was also an actor, appearing in dozens of western films from the 1950s through the 1970s. Wooley wrote the theme song and many musical numbers for Hee Haw, also performing on the show as the character Ben Colder. He also had a successful comedy music career as Ben Colder, scoring several hits from the late 1960s through the 1980s.
Sheb Wooley passed away from leukemia at the age of 82 in 2003.
54. Color Me Badd (formed in Oklahoma City)
R&B group Color Me Badd broke through with the success from “I Wanna Sex You Up” off the New Jack City soundtrack. Their 1991 debut album, C.M.B., went on to sell over 6 million copies and went 3x platinum. Seven songs were released from that album, with three of them becoming huge hits (”I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor” and “All 4 Love”.) Their later albums never reached the enormous level of success of their debut album and the band broke up in 2000. Color Me Badd was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame later that year.
Bryan Abrams is currently a solo artist and recently appeared on VH1’s Mission: Man Band. Sam Watters is a successful record producer, most notably working with Jessica Simpson. Kevin Thornton and Mark Calderon are both solo artists in the Christian music industry.
53. Blake Shelton (born in Ada)
Country singer Blake Shelton moved to Nashville at 17 and scored a major label deal with Warner Bros. eight years later. His first single “Austin” spent five weeks at No. 1. Shelton has released 9 singles in the Top 20, three of which were No. 1s. None of his four albums have charted below No. 3 on the country charts.
In 2005 and 2006, Shelton returned to Oklahoma for a series of concerts, helping raise over $230,000 for the victims of the Oklahoma wildfires.
52. All-American Rejects (formed in Stillwater)
Formed by Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler in 2000, The All-American Rejects added Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor of Euclid Crash in 2002. Signed to indie label Doghouse Records in 2002, the band caught the attention of Interscope Records with their hit “Swing, Swing”. Their self-titled debut peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200. Their 2005 sophomore album, Move Along, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and included hits “Dirty Little Secret”, “Move Along” and “It Ends Tonight”.
AAR’s third major label release is set to be released in late 2008.
51. Leona Mitchell (born in Enid)
Leona Mitchell is known all over the world as one of the greatest African-American sopranos to ever grace an opera house. Mitchell debuted with the San Francisco Opera in 1973 as Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen. She was recognized internationally as Bess in the recording of the George Gershwin classic, Porgy and Bess, with the Cleveland Orchestra. The recording won a Grammy award for Best Opera Recording.
In addition to the Metropolitan and San Francisco Opera Companies, she has performed with the Geneva Opera, Paris Opera, New Israeli Opera and Australia during her career. Mitchell was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 50-46
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
50. Kay Starr (born in Dougherty)
Born on an Indian reservation in 1922, jazz singer Kay Starr is best known for her 1952 hit “Wheel Of Fortune”, which stayed at No. 1 for ten weeks. Starr was among the first singers to capitalize on the “rock fad” of the 1950s with her song “The Rock and Roll Waltz”, which stayed at No. 1 for six weeks. Her version of “The Man with the Bag” can still be heard at Christmas time.
Other Starr hits include “Allez-Vous-En”, “Changing Partners”, “Comes A-Long A-Love”, “Half a Photograph”, “If You Love Me (Really Love Me)”, “My Heart Reminds Me” and “Side By Side”.
49. Johnny Bond (born in Enville)
Johnny Bond had seven Top 10 hits (”Divorce Me C.O.D.”, “So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed”, “Oklahoma Waltz”, “Love Song in 32 Bars”, “Sick Sober and Sorry”, “Hot Rod Lincoln” & “Ten Little Bottles”) over the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. For most of the 1950s, he was a writer and performer on the television and radio show Town Hall Party. Bond was inducted as part of the inaugural class of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Bond died of a heart attack in 1978. He was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
48. The Tractors (formed in Tulsa)
The Tractors quickly found success after signing to Arista Records in 1994. Their self-titled debut album became the top-selling album of 1994, despite having only one Top 40 hit on the Billboard country charts (”Baby Likes to Rock It”). The album earned them two Grammy award nominations (Best Country Performance By A Group for “Baby Likes To Rock It” and “Tryin’ To Get To New Orleans”). Have Yourself a Tractors Christmas was released in 1995 and included “Santa Claus Boogie”.
Steve Ripley remains the only original member of The Tractors. Most of the original band members (backing musicians for Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and Leonard Cohen) departed for other projects after 1998’s Farmers in a Changing World.
47. Bryan White (born in Lawton)
Bryan White burst onto the country music scene in 1994 with his self-titled debut album at the young age of 20. He quickly became one of country’s hottest new stars, earning two No. 1s with that first album (“Someone Else’s Star” & “Rebecca Lynn”) and two more with his second album Between Now And Forever (”Sittin’ on Go” & “So Much For Pretending”). White recorded a duet with Shania Twain (“From This Moment On”), which scored them a Grammy nomination for the duet recording.
White took a six year break from music following the lackluster response to his fourth album in 1999. He returned in late 2006, releasing a five-song Christmas EP. A full-length album is expected in the near future.
46. Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys (formed in Ripley)
Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys were the first nationally popular cowboy band. The Cowboys were recruited from local ranches by former Rough Rider William McGinty in 1924. Following McGinty’s departure from the band, Otto Gray took over as the leader. The band went on to perform on bigger radio stations and joined national radio and vaudeville circuits, which meant more money. So much money that each member owned a Cadillac, which was pretty outlandish in those days.
The band called it quits in 1936.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 45-41
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
45. The Collins Kids (born in Tahlequah & Tulsa)
The teenage sibling rockabilly duo of Lorrie and Larry Collins weren’t just good for their age, they were just plain good. The Collins Kids were thrust in the national spotlight as regular performers on Tex Ritter’s “Town Hall Party” and “Ranch Party” in the late 1950s. They were known for their hit songs like “Hop, Skip and Jump”, “Beetle Bug Bop”, “Rock Boppin’ Baby” and “Hoy Hoy”, as well as their versions of “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, “High School Confidential” and “Chantilly Lace”, among others.
Lorrie would move on to portray Ricky Nelson’s girlfriend on “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” before marrying Johnny Cash’s manager Stu Carnall at the age of 17 and starting a family. Larry went on to produce and write, penning hits like “Delta Dawn” and “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma”.
44. Mae Boren Axton (raised in Ada)
Mae Boren Axton is best known for co-writing Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” in 1956. ‘The Queen Mother of Nashville’ penned over 200 songs, which were recorded by artists such as Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, Hank Snow, The Animals, J.J. Cale, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roger Miller, Tanya Tucker and Conway Twitty. She was a mentor to many musicians, including Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson and Blake Shelton and was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 1997, Mae Boren Axton drowned in her hot tub at the age of 82.
43. Jimmy Rushing (born in Oklahoma City)
Known as “Mister Five-By-Five”, Jimmy Rushing’s booming voice defined the way future blues and jazz singers would sound. The early years of Rushing’s career were spent with The Oklahoma Blue Devils of the late 1920s. From 1935 to 1950, he was the featured singer for Count Basie’s Orchestra and is best known for the songs “Sent For You Yesterday” and “Boogie Woogie”. Rushing recorded some solo albums in the mid 1950s, including guest spots on albums by Buck Clayton, Jo Jones and Duke Ellington.
Jimmy Rushing passed away of leukemia in June 1972.
42. Jean Shepard (born in Pauls Valley)
Country singer Jean Shepard has recorded more than 35 albums and charted 13 songs on the U.S. Country chart. During her twenty-year run at Capitol Records, she recorded numerous hits, such as “The Dear John Letter”, “Beautiful Lies”, “Many Happy Hangovers”, “Seven Lonely Days”, “Then He Touched Me”, “Satisfied Mind” and “Second Fiddle”. Sheperd moved to United Artists Records in the 1970s and scored hits with “Slippin Away”, “Poor Sweet Baby”, “At The Time” and “Tips of My Fingers”.
Shepard celebratred her 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2005.
41. Tom Paxton (raised in Bristow)
Tom Paxton emerged from the Greenwich Village folk revival of the early 1960s with a decidedly left-wing approach to songwriting. In addition to recording songs like “The Last Thing on My Mind”, “Bottle of Wine”, “The Marvelous Toy”, “Ramblin’ Boy” and “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound”, Paxton also recorded socially-conscious songs like “What Did You Learn in School Today?”, “Whose Garden Was This?”, and “Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation”.
Paxton was honored with the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award in Folk Music in 2002. He has also been nominated for three Grammys: “Best Children’s Album” in 2002, “Best Contemporary Folk Album” in 2003 and “Best Traditional Folk Album” in 2006.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 40-36
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
40. Defenestration (formed in Bartlesville)
Formed in 1980, college radio band Defenestration attracted many fans of British glam and post-punk. Led by singer Tyson Meade and guitarist Todd Walker, the band released their self-titled debut in 1984 and moved to Norman. Their debut attracted significant attention and earned them a record deal with Relativity Records.
The band self-destructed at the end of the tour for Dali Does Windows in late 1988. Walker would later release a solo album, Thrown Away, while Meade would go on to form Chainsaw Kittens.
DOWNLOAD: Defenestration - “Tripping Drag Queens”
39. Byron Berline (lives in Guthrie)
One of the most popular fiddlers in the bluegrass world, Byron Berline has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as with groups, including the Flying Burrito Brothers, Sundance, and Berline, Crary and Hickman (later renamed California). He was also a session musician on a number of albums, including records by Stephen Stills, the Dillards, Gram Parsons, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and James Taylor.
Berline was nominated for two Grammys in 1996 (Best Bluegrass Album & Best Bluegrass Song). Berline still finds time to tour these days, but also runs The Double Stop Fiddle Shop & Music Hall in Guthrie.
38. Merle Kilgore (born in Chickasha)
The multi-talented Merle Kilgore was involved in all parts of the music business — as a singer, songwriter, disc jockey and as the manager of Hank Williams Jr. As a songwriter, he wrote over 300 songs, including “Ring of Fire” with June Carter Cash, “Wolverton Mountain” with Claude King, Johnny Horton’s “Johnny Reb” and Tommy Roe’s “The Folk Singer”. As a singer, he recorded songs like “Dear Mama”, “Love Has Made You Beautiful” and “Gettin’ Old Before Your Time”.
He was Vice President of the Country Music Association in the late 1980s and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998.
Merle Kilgore passed away from congestive heart failure in 2005.
37. Junior Brown (lives in Mounds)
Junior Brown spent a good portion of the 1980s teaching guitar at the Hank Thompson School of Country Music at Rogers State University in Claremore. It was there he met his future wife and his future instrument. In 1985, he invented a double-necked guitar that he called a “guit-steel”. The top neck is a traditional six-string guitar, while the lower neck is a full-size lapsteel guitar for slide playing. Brown moved to Austin, Texas in the early 1990s and found strong critical acclaim for his music.
Brown was featured on the Beach Boys’ now out-of-print 1996 album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 performing a cover of their 1962 hit “409″. He also won the CMA Country Music Video of the Year award in 1996 for “My Wife Thinks You’re Dead”.
His music has been featured in Me, Myself and Irene, Spongebob Squarepants and 2005’s Dukes of Hazzard, in which he was also the narrator. Brown has also proven successful as an advertising pitchman, appearing in commercials for The Gap (with his wife), Lipton Tea, and singing the Buddy Lee theme song for Lee Jeans.
36. Joe Diffie (born in Tulsa)
Working at a Nashville-area Gibson guitar plant in the late 1980s, Joe Diffie established himself as one of Music Row’s top demo singers which soon translated into a music career. He has tallied five No. 1 hits (”Home”, “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)”, “Third Rock From the Sun”, “Pickup Man” & “Bigger Than The Beatles”), 12 Top 10 hits and four Top 20 hits throughout his career.
The Diffie and Mary Chapin Carpenter duet of “Not Too Much to Ask” was nominated for a Grammy for Best Vocal Collaboration in 1992.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 35-31
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
35. Sammi Smith (lived in Oklahoma City)
Sammi Smith was one of the few women involved in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s. She was signed briefly to Columbia Records after Johnny Cash took notice of her in 1967. Her 1971 hit “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (written by Kris Kristofferson) peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Country chart and No. 8 on the U.S. Pop chart. The song earned her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1972. Following the success of that song, Smith wrote “Cedartown, Georgia,” which became a big hit for Waylon Jennings. She also scored two Top 10 hit songs in “Then You Walk In” and “Today I Started Loving You Again” in the mid-1970s.
Sammi Smith passed away of emphysema in February 2005 at the age of 61.
34. Anita Bryant (born in Barnsdall)
Miss Oklahoma of 1958 Anita Bryant was a pop star in the late 1950s and 1960s. Her hits include “‘Till There Was You” (1959), “Paper Roses” (1960) and “In My Little Corner of the World” (1960). Bryant became a spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission in 1969 and also did advertisements for Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Holiday Inn and Tupperware. She also performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl III in 1969 and sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” during the graveside services for Lyndon Johnson in 1973.
In the late 1970s, Bryant became a strong advocate against homosexuality. Her stance and her statements made her one of the most loathed public figures of all time by the gay community.
33. Mel McDaniel (born in Checotah)
The 1980s were very kind to country singer Mel McDaniel. Among his Top 10 hits were “Louisiana Saturday Night,” “Stand Up,” “Right in the Palm of Your Hand, “Take Me to the Country,” “Big Ole Brew,” and “I Call It Love.” However, his biggest hit came in 1984 with the No. 1 song “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On”, which was nominated for a Grammy and a Country Music Award.
McDaniel became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in January 1986 and still performs today.
32. Hank Thompson (lived in Oklahoma City)
Perhaps the most popular Western swing musician of the 1950s and 1960s, Hank Thompson placed 29 hits in the Top 10 between 1948 and 1975. These hits included “Whoa, Sailor”, “Humpty Dumpty Heart”, “A Six Pack to Go” and the No. 1 hit “The Wild Side of Life”.
Thompson made his mark on Oklahoma music with his 1950s television show, The Hank Thompson Show, on WKY. It was the first variety show to be broadcast in color. On that show, he gave early breaks to musicians like Merle Travis and Wanda Jackson. In 1973, he opened the Hank Thompson School of Country Music, at what is now Rogers State University in Claremore. The school employed Leon McAuliffe and Junior Brown (among others) as instructors until its closing in the late 1980s.
Sadly, Hank Thompson passed away from lung cancer just two days ago.
31. Jerry Cantrell (lives near Atoka)
Jerry Cantrell is best known for his work in Alice in Chains, where he wrote “Rooster”, “Them Bones” and “Would?”. His first solo album Boggy Depot (named after the area in Oklahoma where his father grew up) received favorable reviews and earned him an opening spot touring with Van Halen. His songs have appeared on soundtracks to movies such as The Cable Guy, Spiderman & The Punisher.
Cantrell currently splits his time between his home in Los Angeles and his ranch in Oklahoma.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 30-26
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
30. N.O.T.A. (formed in Tulsa)
N.O.T.A. was Oklahoma’s contribution to the underground hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s. Although a lot of attention is thrown towards areas like Boston (DYS, Negative FX), Washington D.C. (Bad Brains, Minor Threat) and Los Angeles (Black Flag, TSOL), hardcore punks all over know about the band from the middle of nowhere. The fact that N.O.T.A. created such a scene in Tulsa without the help of a bigger city makes them even more endearing.
N.O.T.A. is referenced in the 2005 documentary American Hardcore. Snag some N.O.T.A. MP3s here.
29. B.J. Thomas (born in Hugo)
B.J. Thomas started his musical career with The Triumphs in 1966, who scored a hit with a cover of the Hank Williams song, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”. In 1968, his solo career took off with the single “Hooked on a Feeling”. The following year, Thomas performed the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970. His second No. 1 single would come in 1975 with “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song”.
Thomas recorded “As Long As We Got Each Other”, the theme to the television show Growing Pains, in 1985. He has also done several commercial jingles for Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Bell phone systems.
28. Sandi Patty (born in Oklahoma City)
Sandi Patty was one of the biggest stars of contemporary Christian music in the 1980s and 1990s. Known as “The Voice”, she has recorded 25 albums and sold over 11 million units.
Over the course of her career, Patty has been awarded five Grammys, four Billboard Music Awards and a record 39 Dove Awards, making her one of the most decorated artists in the history of the Gospel Music Association. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
27. Lee Hazlewood (born in Mannford)
Lee Hazelwood began his career as a songwriter and producer for Duane Eddy. However, he’s most famous for writing the 1966 No. 1 hit by frequent collaborator Nancy Sinatra, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” (hear Hazelwood’s version here). He also wrote the 1965 Dean Martin hit “Houston”. Hazelwood’s solo work in the late 1960s and early 1970s earned him a cult status, regularly called “Cowboy Psychedelia” or “Saccharine Underground”. His songs have since been covered by Lydia Lunch, Primal Scream, Nick Cave, Hooverphonic, Megadeth and Beck, among others.
Hazlewood moved to Stockholm, Sweden in the 1970s, where he wrote and produced a one hour television show, Cowboy in Sweden.
Lee Hazlewood passed away of renal cancer in August 2007.
26. Roy Clark (lives in Tulsa)
Best known for co-hosting the variety show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1992, Roy Clark was also a well-known country musician. His song “Tips of My Fingers” became a Top 10 hit in 1963 and his rendition of “Yesterday, When I Was Young” hit the Top 10 in 1969. Even during the Hee Haw years, Clark strung together an impressive tally of Top 10 hits, like “I Never Picked Cotton” (1970), “Thank God and Greyhound” (1970), “The Lawrence Welk — Hee Haw Counter-Revolution Polka” (1972), “Come Live With Me” (1973), “Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow” (1973), “Honeymoon Feelin’” (1974) and “If I Had It to Do All Over Again” (1976).
Clark frequently guest hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show during the 1970s. In 1978, Roy Clark Elementary School in Tulsa’s Union School District was named in his honor. In 1987, he was made a member of The Grand Ole Opry.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 25-21
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
25. Mason Williams (raised in Oklahoma City)
In 1968, Mason Williams released one of the most influential instrumental songs of all-time, “Classical Gas”. The song would win Williams two Grammy awards for Best Instrumental (Theme) Composition and Best Instrumental (Theme) Performance. In 1998, BMI awarded Williams a special Citation of Achievement for “Classical Gas”, honoring it as the all-time No. 1 instrumental composition for radio airplay, with over five million broadcast performances logged.
Williams wrote for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the 1960s, winning Emmy awards in 1967 and 1969 for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety and Music. He would later write for The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and Saturday Night Live.
24. Carrie Underwood (born in Muskogee; raised in Checotah)
Since winning American Idol in 2005, Carrie Underwood has become a multi-platinum selling recording artist and has received two Grammy Awards, five Billboard Music Awards and one American Music Award. Her debut album, Some Hearts, is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. That album featured No. 1 hits “Jesus, Take the Wheel”, “Before He Cheats”, “Inside Your Heaven” and the No. 2 song “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”.
Underwood’s 2007 album, Carnival Ride, features the highest chart debut by a solo country female artist in Nielsen BDS history, “So Small”.
23. Neal Schon (born in Midwest City)
Guitarist Neal Schon joined Santana in 1971 at the age of 17. Just two years later, he left Santana to co-found Journey with fellow Santana alum Gregg Rolie. Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Journey would release numerous hits like “Don’t Stop Believing”, “Any Way You Want It”, “Faithfully”, “Open Arms”, “Separate Ways”, “Who’s Cryin’ Now?”, “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’” and “Wheel in the Sky”.
Outside of Journey, Schon has released five solo albums and worked on projects with Jan Hammer, Sammy Hagar, Paul Rodgers and the supergroup Bad English.
22. Toby Keith (born in Clinton; raised in Moore)
Toby Keith burst onto the country music scene in 1993 with his No. 1 hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and top five hits “A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action” and “Wish I Didn’t Know Now”. After moderate success in the mid-90s, Keith re-emerged with the No. 1 song “How Do You Like Me Now?!” in 1999. His 2002 album, Unleashed, featured his most controversial single “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)” and No. 1 hits “Who’s Your Daddy?” and “Beer For My Hoses” (featuring Willie Nelson).
Over the course of his career, the Ford Truck spokesman has five No. 1 country albums and 16 No. 1 country singles on the Billboard charts.
21. David Gates of Bread (born in Tulsa)
David Gates entered into mainstream music in 1963, penning Murmaids’ “Popsicles and Icicles”. Five years later, he formed the soft-rock band Bread. Bread established themselves as a major act with the 1970 album On The Waters and the No. 1 hit “Make It With You”. Their song “If” peaked at No. 4 in 1971 and their most successful album, Baby I’m-a Want You, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. In all, Bread charted 11 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
After Bread disbanded in 1973, Gates began a brief solo career and released a handful of successful singles (“Never Let Her Go”, “Goodbye Girl”, “Everything I Own”, “Took The Last Train” and “Take Me Now”).
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 20-16
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
20. Chainsaw Kittens (formed in Norman)
Probably the best alternative rock band to never “make it”, Chainsaw Kittens formed in Norman in 1989. Led by former Defenestration singer Tyson Meade, the band signed with Mammoth Records shortly after forming. The band began touring constantly, appearing with notable bands like Jane’s Addiction, The Smashing Pumpkins and Iggy Pop. For the recording of the band’s 1992 album, Flipped Out in Singapore (“Connie I’ve Found the Door”, “High in High School”), they hired producer Butch Vig (Nirvana - Nevermind). Pop Heiress was released to significant critical success in 1995 but it would be the band’s last with Mammoth.
In 1996, the band signed to Scratchie Records, a label co-owned by James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky of the Smashing Pumpkins. The band’s self-titled fourth album, recorded at guitarist Trent Bell’s studio, was a hit with fans and critics and produced the songs “Heartcatchthump,” “Ballad of Newsman 5″ and “Mouthful of Glass”. After releasing The All American in 2000, the band went on hiatus and remains there today.
19. Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn (raised in Tulsa)
Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks teamed up in 1991 to form the most successful country music duo of the 1990s. To date, they have won more Country Music Association awards and Academy of Country Music awards than any act in the history of country music. Brooks & Dunn have placed 26 songs in the top 10, with 15 others reaching No. 1. Among their most popular hits are “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”, “She’s Not The Cheatin’ Kind”, “That Ain’t No Way To Go” and “Little Miss Honky Tonk”.
Dunn has won 20 BMI songwriting awards, including country music songwriter of the year twice. Before Brooks & Dunn, he charted two minor singles on in 1983 (”It’s Written All Over Your Face” and “She Put the Sad in All His Songs”).
18. Steve & Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd (born in Miami)
In the early 1970s, guitarist Steve Gaines was playing in a series of bands (The Ravens, RIO Smokehouse, Rusty Day, Detroit, Crawdad). Meanwhile his sister, Cassie Gaines, went off to college in Alabama and joined the all-female singing group, The Honkettes. In 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd asked the group to sing backup at their live shows. Around the same time, Cassie recommended Steve for the band’s open guitar spot. Steven joined Skynyrd in time for the live recording of One More From The Road. Steven’s first Skynyrd studio album, Street Survivors (“What’s Your Name”, “That Smell”), was released the next year.
On October 20, 1977, three days after the album was released, a plane carrying the band between shows crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. The crash killed Steve and Cassie Gaines, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, their road manager and both pilots, while injuring the rest of the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
A collection of songs by Steve Gaines were posthumously released in 1988 on One in the Sun. Steve Gaines is the subject of the Drive-By Truckers’ 2001 song “Cassie’s Brother”.
17. Hoyt Axton (born in Duncan; raised in Comanche)
Hoyt Axton began a very successful songwriting career in 1963, penning “Greenback Dollar”, a hit for The Kingston Trio. His most recognizable song, “Joy to the World” (recorded by Three Dog Night), was the No. 1 hit of 1971, charting six weeks at No. 1. Axton also wrote hit songs like Three Dog Night’s “Never Been to Spain”, Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher” and Ringo Starr’s “No-No Song”. He also wrote songs later covered by Joan Baez, John Denver, Waylon Jennings and Elvis Presley.
As a singer, Axton had several minor hits with “Boney Fingers” and “Della and the Dealer”. He also sang a couple notable duets with Linda Ronstadt, with “Lion in Winter” and “When the Morning Comes”. Axton recorded two commercial jingles - “The Ballad of Big Mac” for McDonalds in 1969 and “Head For The Mountains” for Busch in the 1980s. He was also an actor, appearing in movies Gremlins and The Black Stallion and the television show Bonanza.
Hoyt Axton died of a heart attack on October 1999, at the age of 61.
16. JJ Cale (born in Oklahoma City; raised in Tulsa)
One of the originators of The Tulsa Sound, JJ Cale has reveled in relative obscurity for almost four decades. Cale has stayed true to his laid back approach to songwriting and performing over the years, shying away from stardom, touring and recording regularly. He is best known for writing “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” (popularized by Eric Clapton) and “Call Me the Breeze” (popularized by Lynyrd Skynyrd). Cale’s influence has been noted by many musicians, including Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Neil Young and Bryan Ferry.
After initial reluctance, Cale agreed to join Clapton on the 2006 collaborative album, The Road to Escondido.
Previous entries:
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 15-11
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
15. Michael Hedges (born in Enid)
Michael Hedges was one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed solo guitarists of the 1980s. After studying classical guitar at the Peabody Conservatory, he was signed to Windham Hill Records. He would go on to develop a two-handed tapping style of playing with the use of a custom-made, double-necked acoustic/bass guitar. Hedges created his own versions of popular songs, “Like a Rolling Stone”, “All Along the Watchtower” and “Gimme Shelter”.
His second album, Aerial Boundaries, was nominated for Grammy in 1984. The last record Hedges released, Oracle, posthumously won a 1998 Grammy for Best New Age Album.
Michael Hedges died in a car accident in November 1997.
“Michael was unique. His music transcends genre and trend. It’s truly musical, fun and enlightening.” - Steve Vai
“One of the most brilliant musicians in America.” - David Crosby
“There was simply no one like him.” - Bonnie Raitt
14. Wanda Jackson (born in Maud)
One of America’s first major female country and rockabilly singers, Wanda Jackson was discovered in 1954 by Hank Thompson while she was still in high school. After finishing high school, she began touring — most notably with Elvis Presley. While dating Elvis, he encouraged Jackson to start singing rockabilly. The ‘Queen of Rockabilly’ scored a major hit in Japan in 1958 with her version of “Fujiyama Mama” and placed her 1959 song “Let’s Have a Party” in the Top 40.
Returning to country music in the 1960s, Jackson had country Top 10 hits with “Right or Wrong” and “In the Middle of a Heartache”, U.S. Top 20 hits with “The Box It Came In” and “Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine”. She also topped the German charts with “Santa Domingo” in 1965.
Jackson has been nominated for two Grammys and has been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the International Hall of Fame, the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame and the German Country Music Hall of Fame.
A documentary of her career, Wanda Jackson: The Nice Lady With the Nasty Voice, was released in 2007.
13. Patti Page (born in Claremore)
Patti Page (born Clara Ann Fowler) was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s and was among the first to cross over from country music to pop. Her first hit, “Confess,” came in 1947 and made her the first pop artist to overdub harmony vocals onto her own lead. Her biggest hit would also come in 1950, with “The Tennessee Waltz”. That song stayed at No. 1 for months and would become one of the best-selling singles of all-time.
Other No. 1 hits for Page include “All My Love (Bolero)”, “I Went to Your Wedding” and “(How Much is That) Doggie in the Window”. She also sang “Mockin’ Bird Hill”, “Cross Over the Bridge”, “Allegheny Moon”, “Old Cape Cod” and “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte”.
In 1998, Page won a Grammy for “Best Traditional Pop Singer”.
12. Chet Baker (born in Yale)
Chet Baker was a leading figure of the west coast school of cool jazz in the 1950s. The trumpeter’s intimate playing style, delicate singing and good looks earned him a lot of recognition in the 1950s. Early in his musical career, Baker played with with Vido Musso’s band, saxophonist Stan Getz and Charlie Parker. In 1952, Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The public praised the complementary style of Mulligan’s baritone saxophone and Baker’s trumpet. The Quartet’s version of “My Funny Valentine” was a major hit and is the song Baker is most known for today. The Quartet dissolved in 1953 and Baker formed his own quartet, winning a number of jazz polls.
The 1960s were not very kind to Baker as he found himself drowning in drug addiction and in trouble with the law. He mounted a successful comeback in the late 1970s, most notably playing on Elvis Costello’s 1983 song “Shipbuilding”.
Chet Baker died in May of 1988 after he fell from a second-story hotel room window. His death was ruled an accident. A film about the life of Baker, The Prince of Cool, is in the pre-production stages and set to be filmed in 2008.
11. Roger Miller (raised in Erick)
One of the greatest singers and songwriters of the 1950s and 1960s, Roger Miller is best known for his hit songs “King of the Road” and “Dang Me”. After writing his first No. 1 hit (“Billy Bayou” by Jim Reeves in 1959), Miller went on to have a string of pop hits of his own, winning him 11 Grammys in the 1960s.
Miller was a regular guest of The Jimmy Dean Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Johnny Cash Show in the 1960s, displaying his goofy persona and singing humorous novelty songs.
Every song he released in 1965 — “Engine Engine #9″, “One Dyin’ and a Buryin’”, “Kansas City Star”, “England Swings” — reached the country Top 10. Over the years, Miller was also responsible for “You Don’t Want My Love” (1961), “When Two Worlds Collide” (1961), “Chug-a-Lug” (1964), “Do-Wacka-Do” (1964), “Husbands and Wives” (1966), “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd” (1966), “Tomorrow Night in Baltimore” (1971), “Open Up Your Heart” (1973) and “Old Friends” with Willie Nelson and Ray Price (1982). A high-pitched sample of his song “Whistle Stop” is used as the musical accompaniment for Internet phenomenon, the hampsterdance.
He also wrote songs for Walt Disney’s animated adaptation of Robin Hood (as well as providing the voice of the rooster) and the movie Waterhole Three. Writing the music for Broadway’s Big River won Miller two Tony Awards, for Best Musical and Outstanding Score. Miller was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Roger Miller died of lung and throat cancer in 1992.
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 10-6
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
10. The Gap Band (formed in Tulsa)
The Gap Band were a popular R&B, funk and soul group in the 1970s and 1980s. Known for their dance anthems and love songs, the band had four albums go platinum and four singles (“All Of My Love”, “Outstanding”, “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)”, and “Early In the Morning”) reach No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts
Formed by brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson in 1967, the band was originally the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band. The name was chosen in honor of the tragic Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 that tore apart the African American business district (Greenwood Ave., Archer St., Pine St.). They shortened their name to The Gap Band in 1979.
The group found success in 1978, with producer Leon Russell, with songs such as “I’m in Love” and “Shake”. In 1979, the group also found success with the song “I Don’t Believe You Wanna Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)”.
Their biggest success occurred in the 1980s with songs like “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” (1980), “Humpin’” (1981), “Yearning For Your Love” (1981), “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” (1982), “Early In the Morning” (1982), “Outstanding” (1983), “Party Train” (1983), “Beep A Freak” (1984), “I Found My Baby” (1985), “Going In Circles” (1986), “Big Fun” (1986), “Sweeter Than Candy” (1987) and “All Of My Love” (1989). They also produced and recorded songs in 1988 for the movie, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.
Charlie Wilson dabbled as a solo artist in the mid-1980s and was featured on Zapp’s 1985 hit “Computer Love”. He re-emerged in 2005 with Charlie Last Name, Wilson, which was produced by R. Kelly.
Among the musicians The Gap Band has inspired are R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz, Guy, Blackstreet, Mint Condition, Jagged Edge and Aaron Hall. Their songs have been sampled and covered by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Blackstreet, Shaquille O’Neal, Mia X and Mary J. Blige.
9. Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys (lived in Tulsa)
Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys popularized and changed the rules of western swing music.
The band moved from Waco, Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1934 in search of a bigger market for their music. Bob Wills began broadcasting a noontime show at KVOO radio. The show became an Oklahoma institution, with nearly all the shows broadcast from Cain’s Ballroom. The band also played dances there every Thursday and Saturday.
While Wills was adding horns, reed players and drums to the Playboys, he also added steel guitarist genius Leon McAuliffe. These lineup changes quickly made the band the first superstars of western swing. Wills’ 1938 recording of “Ida Red” served as the model for Chuck Berry’s 1955 version of the same song, named “Maybellene”. “New San Antonio Rose” sold a million records in 1940 and became the signature song of The Texas Playboys. The band would appear in 19 films throughout the 1940s, most notably with Tex Ritter in the 1940 film “Take Me Back to Oklahoma”.
Most of The Texas Playboys left the group in 1942 as World War II began. Wills was medically discharged from the Army in 1943 and sought to reorganize the Texas Playboys in California. The band became much larger there, peaking at 23 members and outdrawing the likes of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman.
The popularity of western swing began to wane in the 1950s and 1960s and Wills dissolved the group in 1965. However, the band’s influence can be heard in many country musicians, such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Asleep at the Wheel and Willie Nelson.
Wills passed away in May 1975. Surviving members of the Texas Playboys reunite every year at Cain’s Ballroom to put on a show and celebrate Bob Wills’ birthday.
8. Leon Russell (born in Lawton; raised in Tulsa)
A singer, songwriter and session musician, Leon Russell is the ultimate rock & roll collaborator, having recorded with the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, George Harrison, B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.
‘The Master of Space And Time’ landed his first musician job at the age of 14, playing behind Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks at a Tulsa nightclub. At the age of 16, he moved to Los Angeles, studying guitar under James Burton and appearing on sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell.
In the 1960s, Russell was a member of Phil Spector’s studio group, The Wrecking Crew, and helped create the famous ‘Wall of Sound’. In the group, he helped record and arrange Ike & Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High”, The Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man”, Gary Lewis & the Playboys’ “This Diamond Ring” and Herb Alpert’s “A Taste of Honey”.
His first songwriting hit came with Joe Cocker’s “Delta Lady” in 1969. In 1970, he organized Cocker’s legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Footage from the tour was put together to make one of the greatest rock films of all time and earned Russell a lot of mainstream exposure. His song “Superstar” was sung by Rita Coolidge on that tour and would become a big hit for The Carpenters.
Russell’s 1970 self-titled solo album included the original version of the popular “A Song for You”. His 1972 album, Carney, reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts and landed him his first pop hit, “Tight Rope”. “Lady Blue” was another hit for Russell in 1975. In 1976, George Benson won a Grammy for the Russell-penned song, “This Masquerade”.
7. Vince Gill (born in Norman, raised in Oklahoma City)
Vince Gill is one of the most decorated country musicians of all-time. He has won more CMA Awards than any performer in history and his 14 Grammys tie him with Chet Atkins for the most ever by a country artist.
Gill started his music career with Pure Prairie League in 1979, scoring a hit song “Let Me Love You Tonight”. He became a solo artist in 1983 and sang a duet with Rosanne Cash on her Grammy-winning song “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me” in 1985. In 1990, he landed huge hits with “When I Call Your Name” and “Never Knew Lonely”.
Other hits for Gill include “Look At Us” (1991), “I Still Believe In You” (1993), “One More Last Chance” (1993), “What The Cowgirls Do” (1994), “You And You Alone” (1997), “If You Ever Have Forever In Mind” (1998).
Gill hosted the CMA Awards every year from 1992 - 2003. He was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
6. Charlie Christian (raised in Oklahoma City)
One of the most important figures (if not THE most important) in the history of the electric guitar, Charlie Christian was also a key figure in bebop, cool and modern jazz.
Originally a pianist, Christian became a local legend as a young teenager in Oklahoma City’s ‘Deep Deuce’ area because of his guitar work. Learning the amplified guitar from jazz guitarist Eddie Durham in 1937, he began touring in his late teens, traveling alongside musicians such as Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. Famous scout and producer John Hammond discovered Christian in 1939 and sent him to Los Angeles to try out with Benny Goodman. For the next two years, Christian would be featured with Benny Goodman’s Sextet.
Christian was also an important figure in the development of bebop. Late night after-hours jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem (with up-and-comers such as Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie) were landmarks in the evolution of bebop.
Charlie Christian died from tuberculosis in March 1942 at the young age of 25.
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Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians: 5-1
To help celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Musicians over the next four weeks, leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day on November 16. Every weekday, we’ll unveil another five Oklahoma musicians or bands that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is viewed from the outside world.
5. The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City)
Known for their melodic sounds and wild larger-than-life live shows, The Flaming Lips are the musical equivalent of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
The band formed in Oklahoma City in 1983 and performed some legendary loud and raucous shows in the Oklahoma City area. One of a few bands in Oklahoma City to own a PA system, the Lips were able to open for such bands as Husker Du, Black Flag and the Minutemen.
After the original singer Mark Coyne left the band, Wayne Coyne became the primary singer and songwriter, while the Lips released Hear It Is in 1986 and Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips in 1987. The band signed with Warner Bros. in 1991 and released the major-label debut Hit to Death in the Future Head in 1992.
With the addition of guitarist Ronald Jones and drummer Steven Drozd, they recorded Transmissions from the Satellite Heart in 1993 and toured with Lollapalooza. It would be almost a year before the album would begun to be noticed commercially, placing the song “She Don’t Use Jelly” on the Top 40 charts. The band went on to play MTV’s Spring Break, tour with Candlebox and Red Hot Chili Peppers and play themselves on an episode of Beverly Hills 90210.
1995’s cult favorite Clouds Taste Metallic produced “Bad Days”, which landed on the Batman Forever soundtrack, as well as “This Here Giraffe”, “Brainville”, “Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles”, “Christmas at the Zoo” and “Guy Who Got a Headache and Accidentally Saves the World”.
The wildly experimental Zaireeka was released in 1997. This four CD album was intended to be hearing by playing all four CDs in separate CD players at the same time. In preparation for the album, the band staged “parking lot experiments”, using 40 car stereos to play tapes simultaneously. The band also performed “boombox experiments”, using 40 boomboxes playing cassettes of different volumes and speeds.
None of their albums would be as critically acclaimed as 1999’s The Soft Bulletin. The orchestrated sounds and harmonies caused many to compare it to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. The album included “Race for the Prize” and “Waitin’ for a Superman” and later went gold.
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots was released in 2002 to much critical acclaim and featured the songs “Do You Realize??”, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt.1″, “Fight Test” and “Are You a Hypnotist??”. It also earned them an appearance on the television show Charmed. Their 2006 album At War with the Mystics featured a stronger political bent and featured the songs “The W.A.N.D. (The Will Always Negates Defeat)” and “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)”.
The Flaming Lips have won three Grammys and have been nominated for two others. A documentary about The Flaming Lips, The Fearless Freaks, was released in 2005.
4. Reba McEntire (born in McAlester, raised in Chockie)
Reba McEntire began her recording career 32 years ago in 1975. Since then, ‘The Queen of Country Music’ has been honored with two Grammys, seven CMAs, 14 American Music Awards and nine People’s Choice Awards.
She found most of her success in the 1980s and 1990s, charting 22 No. 1 hits, five gold albums, six platinum albums, two double-platinum albums, four triple-platinum albums, a quadruple-platinum album and a quintuple-platinum album. In all, she has tallied album sales of 33.5 million domestically. In recent years, she has parlayed her musical success into the acting realm, starring in films, on Broadway and on her Emmy-nominated television show, Reba. Her success in music, film and television has made her the greatest country music crossover star since Dolly Parton.
After being discovered singing “The Star Spangled Banner” at the National Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City, she signed with Mercury Records in 1974. McEntire struggled for a few years before charting two No. 1 singles in 1982 with “Can’t Even Get The Blues” and “You’re The First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving”.
1986’s Whoever’s in New England became her first No. 1 album and 1988’s Reba featured the hits “Do Right By Me,” “Wish I Were Only Lonely” and “New Fool At An Old Game”.
Other hit songs for McEntire include “Cathy’s Clown”, “You Lie”, “Fancy”, “For My Broken Heart”, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, “The Heart Won’t Lie”, “Does He Love You”, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, “How Was I to Know”, “I’ll Be” and “Somebody”.
3. Gene Autry (raised in Ravia)
Gene Autry began singing and playing guitar at local dances in Oklahoma. In 1927, a customer came into Autry’s job at a telegraph office while he was strumming and singing. After listening to him sing for a while, the man told Autry that he had a future in radio and encouraged him to move to New York. And when Will Rogers tells you to do something, you do it.
‘The Singing Cowboy’ signed to Columbia Records in 1931 and would go on to be the biggest selling country & western singer of the middle of the 20th century. Autry’s most well-known songs were “I’ve Got Spurs (Jingle, Jangle, Jingle)”, “The Death of Mother Jones”, “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine”, “Back in the Saddle Again” and many Christmas songs including “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, “Here Comes Santa Claus”, “Frosty the Snowman” and one of his biggest hits ever, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
As popular of a singer as he was, Autry was probably even more popular as an actor, becoming the top Western star by 1937 and peaking in popularity in the early 1940s. From 1940 to 1956, Autry hosted the weekly radio show, Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch.
Autry retired from show business in 1964, having appeared in almost a hundred films and recorded over 600 records. He would go on to invest in real estate, radio and television, making enough money to be featured in Forbes Magazine’s list of the 400 richest Americans in the early 1990s.
Autry is the only person to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in each of the five categories maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Radio Hall of Fame in 2003.
Gene Autry died of lymphoma in October 1998 at the age of 91.
2. Garth Brooks (born in Tulsa, raised in Yukon)
Known for adding a rock sound into his country recordings and live performances, Garth Brooks dominated the country genre in the 1990s and crossed over into the mainstream pop arena. Throughout his career, he charted 70 singles and 15 albums, while breaking records in sales and concert attendance. Earlier this month, the RIAA announced that Garth Brooks is now the Best Selling Solo Recording Artist in Music with sales in excess of 123 million records sold.
After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1984, Brooks began performing in Oklahoma clubs and bars. Three years later, he moved to Nashville and scored a recording contract within the year.
His self-titled debut was released in 1989, peaking at No. 2 on the country charts. It featured two No. 1 songs (”Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)”, “The Dance”) and one No. 2 song (”Not Counting You”). His sophomore album, 1990’s No Fences would become his best-selling album with over 16 million units sold. It spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and peaked at No. 3 on the pop charts. It featured four No. 1 songs in “Friends in Low Places”, “The Thunder Rolls”, “Unanswered Prayers” and “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House”.
1991’s Ropin’ the Wind made Brooks the first country artist to enter the pop charts at No. 1. Included in the album were the songs “What She’s Doing Now”, “The River”, “Papa Loved Mama” and a cover of Billy Joel’s “Shameless”. With his previous still albums still selling well, Brooks became the first country artists with three albums listed in the pop top 20 in the same week.
Other Brooks hits include “We Shall Be Free” (1992), “Somewhere Other Than the Night” (1993), “That Summer” (1993), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (1993), “American Honky-Tonk Bar Association” (1993),
Citing a need and want to spend more time with his family, Brooks semi-retired from recording and performing in 2000. Although he has re-emerged for the occasional performance, Brooks has said that he will stay retired until his youngest daughter turns 18.
Throughout his career, Brooks has tallied two Grammys, 16 American Music Awards, 11 CMAs, 10 People’s Choice Awards, 24 Billboard Music Awards and seven Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.
1. Woody Guthrie (born in Okemah)
Woody Guthrie is the most important American folk musician of the first half of the 20th century, serving as the mentor to many folk musicians of the 1960s, notably Bob Dylan and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, despite being hospitalized for more than a decade.
Songwriting was Guthrie’s greatest influence, penning the anthem “This Land Is Your Land”, as well as popular folk songs “Deportee,” “Tom Joad,” “Do Re Mi,” “Grand Coulee Dam,” “Hard, Ain’t It Hard,” “Hard Travelin’,” “I Ain’t Got No Home,” “1913 Massacre,” “Oklahoma Hills,” “Blowin’ Down the Road,” “Pastures of Plenty,” “Philadelphia Lawyer,” “Pretty Boy Floyd,” “Ramblin’ Round,” “So Long It’s Been Good to Know Yuh,” “Talking Dust Bowl” and “Vigilante Man.” Nearly every folk singer since Guthrie, as well as many pop, rock and country singers, has covered one of these songs.
In the 1940s, Guthrie was a recording artist, a published author and a nationally broadcast radio personality. No matter how popular it may seem he was to become, Guthrie’s personality wouldn’t allow it. Guthrie was a unique individual, refusing to stick to the convential way of doing things and shying away from media and financial success. Guthrie’s left-wing political views also hampered him from gaining the status he probably deserved.
Guthrie’s career really didn’t take off until 1950s, in which he was permanently hospitalized. His songs and his approach served as inspiration for the folk revival in the early 1960s. His recordings were reissued and discarded unreleased recordings were released. Even his writing was released in book versions.
He died of complications from Huntington’s Disease in 1967. After his death, books continued to be published with Guthrie’s works and the Guthrie estate asked artists like Billy Bragg and Wilco to write music from Guthrie’s large collection of unpublished lyrics.
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