By Judy Shields
Rancho Cucamonga, California (The Hollywood Times) 10-02-2020
The Hollywood Times caught up with David Frizzell this past week to talk about his upcoming ‘WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour airing Friday, October 30 at 6pm ET and Wednesday, November 4 at 3:30pm ET.
This special episode is ‘A Country Tribute to Buddy Holly’ featuring David Frizzell and Helen Cornelius, paying homage to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member and benefiting the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.
WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour airs around the world, on RFD-TV and on American Forces Network, among others. Check your local listings or visit www.woodsongs.com for airing information.
We also talked about David Frizzell celebrating the 40th anniversary of “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma,” a duet with Shelly West which was released in 1980 and reached number one in 1981. Although turned down by countless labels, it was featured in Clint Eastwood’s film “Any Which Way You Can,” providing the boost needed to be heard. Once released, it shot to number one and secured a contract for the duo with Warner Brother Records. The duet was even ranked in CMT’s 100 Greatest Duets in country music, reaching number six.
Listen to our conversation here:
David Frizzell is one of the greatest voices in country music with a haunting resemblance to his older brother, the ultimate stylist, Country Music Hall of Fame member Lefty Frizzell. Both share that raw, forlorn quality that is essential to the interpretation of traditional country themes. Even during the duet years with Shelly West, David Frizzell continued his solo career as well with “I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home.” As producer of the popular Frizzell & Friends series of projects, David brings together some of the top performers in the business for both live and recorded projects such as Crystal Gayle, T. Graham Brown, Johnny Lee, Lacy J. Dalton and more.
About David Frizzell:
David Frizzell was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, in 1941. He began touring with his legendary brother, Lefty Frizzell at the age of 12 throughout the 1950s and 60s. After serving in the Air Force, Frizzell signed with Columbia Records in 1970 and charted his first Billboard Top 40 with “L.A. International Airport” followed by “I Just Can’t Help Believing.”
During the 1970s, Frizzell appeared regularly on Buck Owens’ All American TV Show and began recording for Capitol Records. In 1981, he recorded his first number-one country hit, “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” a duet with Shelly West. The song won the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year and Vocal Duet of the Year awards in 1981, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and was featured in Clint Eastwood’s film ‘Any Which Way You Can.’ Frizzell and West also won the Academy of Country Music award for Vocal Duo of the Year in 1981 and 1982.
In 1982, Frizzell released “I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home,” which made its way to number one. In recent years, Frizzell created his own label Nashville America Records and has released several albums including Frizzell & Friends: This Is Our Time which includes a bonus track, written in honor of Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, and traditional music in general. “Lefty, Merle & Me” features David with Marty Haggard.
David Frizzell is a timeless and tireless entertainer who continues to share his many gifts to the delight of fans old and new across the US and throughout the world.
David Frizzell wrote a book about this brother Lefty published in 2011 called I Love You a Thousand Ways: The Lefty Frizzell Story. It is the story of one of the most loved, respected, and imitated singer/songwriters in the history of country music, a man whose songs touched the lives of millions of people. Lefty Frizzell’s relaxed style of singing proved to be a huge influence on a wide variety of country and pop music stars such as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones, John Fogerty, George Strait, and Tim McGraw. In addition to his incredible vocal talents, Lefty was widely recognized for his songwriting skills. He had four songs in the country top ten at the same time in 1951–a feat that would only be repeated one more time on any chart, when The Beatles had five songs on the pop chart in 1964. Among Lefty’s many hits are: “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time,” “Mom and Dad’s Waltz,” “The Long Black Veil,” and “Saginaw, Michigan.” Willie Nelson’s 1977 album, To Lefty From Willie, was a tribute to Frizzell and consisted entirely of cover versions of Frizzell songs. Fellow Texan Roy Orbison was also a devout fan of Frizzell’s sound. In 1988, as a part of the Traveling Wilburys, Orbison chose the name “Lefty Wilbury” in honor of his musical hero. Lefty was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
