Terry Stafford
| Terry Stafford | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Terry LaVerne Stafford |
| Born | November 22, 1941 |
| Origin | Hollis, Oklahoma |
| Died | March 17, 1996 (aged 54) |
| Genres | Country, pop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1964–1989 |
| Labels | Crusader, Koch Entertainment |
Terry LaVerne Stafford (November 22, 1941 – March 17, 1996[1]) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 U.S. Top 10 hit, "Suspicion", and the 1973 country music hit, "Amarillo by Morning".
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Born to William Nathan Stafford and Juanita J. Stafford in Hollis, Oklahoma, Stafford grew up in Amarillo, Texas, and graduated from Palo Duro High School in Amarillo in 1960. After high school he moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in music.[2][3]
The song "Suspicion", which was released on the Crusader record label and which had previously been recorded by Elvis Presley, made it to number 3 in the U.S. and number 31 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] "Suspicion," with a vocal by Stafford that reminded many listeners of Presley, had the unusual distinction of being at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 4, 1964 just below The Beatles when they made history by holding down the entire top five. The following week is when Suspicion topped out at #3 with The Beatles holding 3 of the other 4 spots of the top 5. Stafford's recording sold over one million copies.[1] His follow-up, "I’ll Touch a Star" made number 25 in America. Both recordings were produced by Bob Summers (brother-in-law of Les Paul), who played all the instruments on the tracks as well as engineering and recording them. Bob released his own version in the 70's as well as a remake with Ed Greenwald on vocals in 2008.
In 1969, Buck Owens re-wrote Stafford's "Big in Dallas", recording it as "Big in Vegas". Owen's version peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[4] and reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[5]
Stafford himself continued to record, but had no more hits, although his 1973 release/joint composition, "Amarillo by Morning", was later covered by George Strait on Strait's 1982 album Strait from the Heart. The song was named "#12 country song of all-time" by Country Music Television. Stafford lived most of his life between Los Angeles and Amarillo and died in Amarillo of liver failure.[3]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | US | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Suspicion! | 81 | Crusader |
| 1973 | Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose | — | Koch |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | US AC | CAN Country | CAN | |||
| 1964 | "I'll Touch a Star" | — | 25 | 4 | — | 10 | Suspicion! |
| "Suspicion" | — | 3 | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" | 35 | — | — | 46 | — | Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose |
| "Amarillo by Morning" | 31 | — | — | 38 | — | ||
| 1974 | "Captured" | 24 | — | — | 39 | — | |
| "Stop If You Love Me" | 69 | — | — | — | — | singles only | |
| 1977 | "It Sure Is Bad to Love Her" | 94 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "Lonestar Lonesome" | 89 | — | — | — | — | |
- 1964: "Suspicion" /"Judy" Crusader 101
- 1964: "I'll Touch A Star" /"Playing With Fire" Crusader 105
- 1964: "Follow The Rainbow" /"Are You A Fool Like Me?" Crusader 109
- 1964-65: "Hoping" /"A Little Bit Better" Crusader 110
- 1963: "You Left Me Here To Cry"(Come On Home" /"Heartache On The way" A&M 707
- 1966: "Out Of The Picture" /Forbidden" Mercury 72538
- 1966: "Soldier Boy' / "When Sin Stops-Love Begins" Sidewalk 902
- 1969: "Big in Dallas" / "Will A Man Ever Learn" Warner Bros. 7286
- 1973: "Amarillo By Morning" / "Say Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" Atlantic Country 4006
- 1974: "Captured" /"It Sure Is Bad To Love Her" Atlantic 4015
- 1974: "Stop If You Love Me" /"We've Grown Close" Atlantic 4026
- 1975: "Darling Think It Over" / Same Melodyland 6009
- 1977: "It Sure Is Bad To Love Her" /same Casino 113
- 1989: "Lonestar Lonesome" /"Falling" Player 134
- ?? : "Deja Vu" / "Texas Moon Palace" Player 113
- ?? : "Loves Been Hell On Me" /Long Haul Fever" Player 115
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 523. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Obituaries: Juanita J. Stafford. - Amarillo Globe-News. - June 21, 2001.
- ^ a b Collins, Dugg. "Terry LaVerne Stafford" - Dick Shuey's Country Music Stories
- ^ "Buck Owens singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buck-owens-p1755/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ "RPM Country Singles for January 24, 1970". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6127&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=asr9e524nssv6cvm3mqmdta226. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
