Publiée le 18 déc. 2012
Joe Price, born Joseph Paul Price,
is another singer who should have attained far more notoriety than he
did. Born in Big Sandy (Tx) in 1927, he started his professional career
after WW II being inspired by Ernest Tubb.
In the early 50's,
Joe Price was working with Bob Shelton and The Sunshine Boys travelling
all over Texas and being broadcasted over WFAA (Dallas) and KTBB (Tyler)
on "Texas Barn Dance" every Saturday night. On that show he shared the stage with Dee Mullin and his sister Treon. Later Dee Mullin recorded
for "Mercury", "Dixie" and "D" being also a Louisiana Hayrider. Early
1953, WFAA started the Saturday Night Shindig witch originated from
Fair Park in Dallas, and Joe was a regular cast member playing with Joe
Bill, Sonny James, Orville Couch, Sid King and The Five Strings and many
others. He also played the "Saturday Nite Frolic", in Fort Worth,
sharing the stage with Bobby Williamson, Tommy Sands, The Sinclair
Sisters or Hank Locklin and on some "All-Star Country Road Show" shows
broadcasted on WBAP with Curtis Gordon, The Imperial Quartet, Jim
Crawford or Billy Edwards.
The first song Joe Price wrote was
recorded by Joe Bill (D'Angelo) when doing its second session for
"Imperial". Then Joe Price was a frequent guest on Joe Bill's "Country
Picnic" on KRLD-TV. He also wrote with Jim Shell a lot of songs that
were sold at $ 50.00 a piece to song publishers like Acuff-Rose,
Ridgeway or Armo. Joe Price was also quite a friend of Big Bill Lester,
recording artist for Everstate and Capitol, who had a photograph shop on
East Grand in East Dallas.
The only performer/songwriter who
remembers hearing the word "rock-a-billy" as early as mid 56 is Joe
Price. He wrote me: Rockabilly was used when Jim Shell, my manager, and I
got a record deal for Mac Curtis with King records. The first session
was set in April 1th, 1956 and produced the all time classics "Just So
You Call Me", "Half Hearted Love", "If I Had Me A Woman" and
"Grandaddy's Rockin'", all great Rockabillies written by Joe Price and
Jim Shell (except Grandaddy's Rockin') issued on King 4927 and 4949. In
Country and Western Jamboree (November 1956 edition), Mac Curtis is
classified Rockabilly singer and that's what he was. These three Joe
Price/Jim Shell songs were copyrighted on April 23, 1956.
A second
session was set on July 9, 1956 and again came a superb Rockabilly
titled "That Ain't Nothing But Right" and "The Low Road" were Joe Price
snaps fingers. These two songs issued on King 4965 were written by Joe
Price and Jim Shell, so Brother Joe must have mixed rockabilly memories
after 56 years. The songs were copyrighted on August 8, 1956. At the
same session were cut "Don't You Love Me" and "You Ain't Treatin' Me
Right". Mac Curtis remember well reading about the word "rock-a-billy"
in Cash Box magazine around 1956 and it was maybe when they first used
it on them June 2, 1956 issue writing about Gene Vincent's first single,
"Be-Bop-A-Lula".
On his own side Joe Price makes three sessions
at Jim Beck's studio and had "Keep The Wolves Away"/" Pay Attention
Please" issued on Starday 155 in July 1954 and "Typhoon"/"It Makes Me
Happy" on Starday 177 in February 1955. The last session left the
unissued "Don't Knock It" that was also recorded by George Morgan. After
its Starday releases, Joe Price left the Country music field to enter
Bible College and prepair for ministry. He stayed out the music business
for twenty-five years before coming back strong in the gospel field
working again with its friends Jimmy Lee Fautheree and Country Johnny
Mathis. I am proud to be called by that great man "a friend".
Imperial
Dec 14, 2012
Sujet: Joe Price 
