Celebrated and prolific nation songwriter and artist Dallas Frazier, in all probability best possible referred to as the composer of the Oak Ridge Boys’ platinum-selling 1981 spoil “Elvira,” died on January 14 on the age of 82. Different much-loved copyrights of the Nashville Songwriters Corridor of Repute inductee incorporated “Alley Oop,” “There Is going My The whole thing,” and “Underneath Nonetheless Waters.”

“We misplaced a pricey pal lately. Dallas Frazier had a power on our nation tune occupation from the start,” wrote the Oak Ridge Boys on Fb. “He wrote ‘The Baptism of Jesse’ however his affect within the Nineteen Eighties used to be even higher after we recorded his track ‘Elvira.’”

Frazier had 9 nation chart entries of his personal on Capitol Data between 1967 and 1972, the highest-ranked being the Best 30 access “Everyone Oughta Sing A Track.” However it used to be as a author for others that the local of Spiro, Oklahoma, the place he used to be born in 1939, was a Nashville fixture.

In 1957, he launched the unique model of his personal “Alley Oop,” which 3 years later was a US pop chart-topper for the Hollywood Argyles. After setting up his house from house in Nashville, the rustic hits began to accrue, corresponding to for Ferlin Husky, whose recording of Frazier’s “Bushes I’m Falling” went Best 20 in 1964.

Charlie Wealthy reduce his “Mohair Sam” in 1964 in addition to “Raggedy Ann,” “Simply A Little Bit Of You,” and others; Jack Greene had a rustic No.1 in overdue 1966 and the CMA Unmarried of the 12 months together with his “There Is going My The whole thing.” The ballad used to be picked up by way of Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, and ratings extra.

Frazier’s “The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp,” recorded by way of Johnny Darrell in 1967, was a considerable UK pop hit for O.C. Smith, amongst variations by way of Merle Haggard and others. There have been consecutive nation best tenners in 1972 for Connie Smith together with his ‘Simply For What I Am” and “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Depart It Alone).” Willie Nelson made the rustic Best 40 together with his “Johnny One Time” in 1968 and others to take pleasure in his songwriting incorporated Kitty Wells, George Jones, Moe Bandy, and Melba Sir Bernard Law.

Frazier had recorded “Elvira” himself because the name observe of his 1966 debut LP, however it used to be the Oak Ridge Boys’ model 15 years later that might explode on each the rustic and dad charts, turning into a signature for the Tennessee team. Charley Pleasure had the primary of his numerous nation No.1s in 1969 with Frazier’s “All I Must Be offering You (Is Me),” whilst Emmylou Harris took his “Underneath Nonetheless Waters” to the rustic summit in 1980. Later that decade, he left the songwriting global to concentrate on his Christian ministry.

“Dallas Frazier is without doubt one of the biggest nation songwriters of all time,” mentioned Nation Tune Corridor of Repute and Museum CEO Kyle Younger. “He may put across infectious a laugh with ‘Elvira,’ after which write one thing as stunningly unhappy and true as ‘Underneath Nonetheless Waters.’ He used to be a person of kindness, generosity, and religion, who overcame a hardscrabble upbringing to provide smiling presents to all folks.”

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