Dallas Frazier

Dallas Frazier (born October 27, 1939) is an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 60s.^[1]

Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma but was raised in Bakersfield, California. As a teenager, he played with Ferlin Husky and on the program Hometown Jamboree; and released his first single, "Space Command," at age 14 in 1954.^[1]

Frazier's 1957 song, "Alley Oop", later taken to number one in the US by The Hollywood Argyles, was his first hit. After Hometown Jamboree went off the air, Frazier moved to Nashville, Tennessee and found work as a songwriter. Among his early successes was "Timber I'm Falling", a hit for Husky in 1964. In 1966, he released a solo album, Elvira. His follow-up, 1967's Tell It Like It Is, was also a success.^[1]

Frazier became an oft-covered songwriter; his tunes were recorded by George Jones (who recorded an entire album of Frazier's songs in 1968), Engelbert Humperdinck, Jack Greene, Connie Smith, Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee, Carola, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Moe Bandy, Roy Head, Rodney Crowell, and Ronnie Hawkins. Many of the songs became hits into the 1980s; examples include the Oak Ridge Boys cover of "Elvira" and Emmylou Harris's version of "Beneath Still Waters." George Strait, Randy Travis, and Patty Loveless have all also recorded Frazier tunes.^[1] Frazier himself charted eight times on the U.S. country charts.

He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976.

In 1988, Frazier left the music industry and became a minister.^[1]

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

Notes

Further Reading

• Nashville Songwriters Foundation