Jump to content

Elton Britt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Marcocapelle (talk | contribs) at 03:08, 2 September 2016 (category merged per Wikipedia:Categories_for_discussion/Log/2016_August_25#Category:People_from_Marshall.2C_Arkansas). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Elton Britt
Britt in 1950.
Britt in 1950.
Background information
Birth nameJames Elton Baker
Born(1913-06-27)June 27, 1913
Marshall, Arkansas, United States
DiedJune 22, 1972(1972-06-22) (aged 58)
GenresCountry
OccupationSinger-songwriter
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1942–1970
"Listen to the Mocking Bird" record label

Elton Britt (June 27, 1913 – June 22, 1972),[1] was an American country music guitarist and singer-songwriter.

Biography

Elton Britt was born James Elton Baker, in Marshall, Arkansas, a small town in Searcy County, United States. He recorded over 600 sides and 60 albums for RCA and other labels in more than a 30-year span, and is best known for such hit songs (several of which he wrote or co-wrote) as "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)," "Detour," "Chime Bells," "Maybe I'll Cry Over You," "Pinto Pal," and the million-selling wartime hit "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere".The recording had sold a million discs by 1944 and it was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[2]

A singer, bandleader, radio and television performer, songwriter and standard-setting yodeler, he starred in at least two films in the late 1940s, and had hit records as late as 1968 with "The Jimmie Rodgers Blues".

He died on June 22, 1972, five days before his 59th birthday, due to a heart attack.

He had at least four children, at least three boys and one daughter. His father was James Baker, and he had two sisters, Gretta Sanders and Druse Baker, and several brothers.

Discography

Albums

Year Album US Country Label
1956 Yodel Songs RCA Victor
1959 The Wandering Cowboy ABC
1960 Beyond the Sunset
I Heard a Forest Praying
1963 The Best 1 RCA Victor
1965 Singing Hills ABC
1966 Somethin' for Everyone 31
1968 The Jimmie Rodgers Blues RCA Victor
1970 Sings Modern Country Certron
1972 The Best 2 RCA Victor
16 Great Country Performances ABC
1983 Days of the Yodeling Cowboys Cowgirlboy
1984 More Days of the Yodeling Cowboys
1986 Star Spangled Stardust

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions
US Country US
1942 "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" 7
1945 "I'm a Convict with Old Glory in My Heart" 7
1946 "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)" 2
"Wave to Me, My Lady" 3 19
"Blueberry Lane" 4
"Detour" 5
"Blue Texas Moonlight" (w/ The Skytoppers) 6
"Gotta Get Together with My Gal" 4
1948 "Chime Bells" (w/ The Skytoppers) 6
1949 "Candy Kisses" (w/ The Skytoppers) 4
1950 "Beyond the Sunset" (w/ The Three Suns & Rosalie Allen) 7
"Quicksilver" (w/ Rosalie Allen) 3
1952 "The Rovin' Gambler"[3]
1956 "Cannonball Yodel" -
1968 "The Jimmie Rodgers Blues" 26
1969 "The Bitter Taste" 71
  • The song "Uranium Fever" is featured in the open-world video game, Fallout 4, on the in-game radio.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Elton Britt". Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  2. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 27. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  3. ^ "Elton Britt - The Rovin' Gambler (1952)". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  4. ^ "The Full Diamond City Radio Playlist From Fallout 4"