A Riley Crabtree CD recently issued in Germany showcase the talent of that Texas performer who made his way from Jimmie Rodgers repertoire to the Honky Tonkin’ style of Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb.
RILEY CRABTREE – WHEN HANK WILLIAMS MEET JIMMIE RODGERS 
R. Cabtree autograph
A Riley Crabtree CD recently issued in Germany showcase the talent of that Texas performer who made his way from Jimmie Rodgers repertoire to the Honky Tonkin’ style of Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb. How many of you, country folks, remember that singer with his crutches on the Big D Jamboree who rubbed shoulders with such stars as Ray Price, Billy Walker, Charline Arthur or Lefty Frizzell? Let me tell you his story, if you got the time!
Riley Crabtree was born in Mount Pleasant (Tx) in 1912. At age of two, he contracted infantile paralysis so he depended on crutches for the rest of his life. The life he lived perhaps gives him some same feeling as Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams who had to fight health troubles. Anyway, it brings in his bluesy voice something from the bottom of the heart and a deep sincerity.
In 1945, as a very experienced musician, he established his own band, The Hillbilly Ramblers, who included, in 1949, the young Country Johnny Mathis playin’ steel guitar. Johnny Mathis will cut his first song “Before you call”, for Talent / Star Talent records, after cutting a session with Crabtree in Dallas. Later, Country Johnny Mathis goes solo and then teamed up with the late great Jimmy Lee Fautheree. The first two sessions done by Riley for that same label were cut at Jim Beck’s studio and gave birth to some Jimmie Rodgers covers. Riley’s rendition of “Waiting for a Train”, “T for Texas” or “In the Jailhouse Now” (who pre-date Webb Pierce hit rendition) are simply great and had never sounded better than on that CD.
Joe Price StageProducer Don Law used Jim Beck’s studio too and was not long to see some potential in Crabtree with the raise of the Honky-Tonk sound. In November 50, he signed Riley for “Columbia” and recorded a new version of his big local success “Shackles and Chains”. Soon Riley received an offer from Nashville then to join the “Grand Ole Opry” as regular act but he chose to stay closer to home and joined the Big D Jamboree. The main reason why Crabtree stayed in Dallas was the fact in spite of his success he – as well as his band members – couldn’t make a living out of it. His main income was from his daily job as car mechanic. Rough times when country was still a regional market, isn’t?
His record contract with “Columbia” was over in 1953 and, after a two years interruption, Riley moved to the “Ekko” label were he recorded “Don’t Turn Away From Me”, an earlier Hank Cochran composition. In the 60’s, Riley recorded for a variety of independent labels before he suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheel chair. Fate it him, in 1984, when he lost his life in a fire due to a defective electric blanket.
The CD on Cattle records gather his Talent/Columbia recordings was produced with the help of David Dennard (Dragon street records – Dallas) and Al Turner (Great Britain). It’s a must for all the country fans and a great tribute to that underrated performer. That record should be ordering through Dagmar.Binge@t-online.de who offers a large selection of vintage country music on his web site at www.dagmar-anita-binge.de .
Dominique “Imperial” ANGLARES.
Big D Jamboree inside 11 Dec 54http://bartemon.net/dossiers/dossiers.php?id_dossier=247&PHPSESSID=b4d212a8914fc44b0d385d8e8f49766b
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