Floyd Tillman
Source: Alchetron
Born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on 8 December 1914 to sharecroppers, Floyd Tillman was a telegraph operator when young and performed guitar at dances come the thirties. A move to San Antonio in 1938 saw him joining Adolph Hofner's country swing operation before signing up with Mack Clark's band. Russell's CMR has Tillman's first recording sessions on November 20, 1936, in San Antonio with Leon Selph's Blue Ridge Playboys to contribute electric guitar and/or vocals to 12 tracks like 'Anything', (Vocalion 03526), 'Blue Monday' (Vocalion 03589), 'Rhythm in the Air' (Vocalion 03460), 'Take Me Back to West Texas' (03558) and 'Can't Nobody Truck Like Me' / 'Whose Honey Are You' (Vocalion 03425), none issued until 1937 per 45 Worlds. (Not all those titles are listed at Praguefrank's where Russell's CMR has been edited to include Tillman's vocal tracks only.) Other than Selph on fiddle the latter's Playboys consisted at that time of Herman Standler (guitar), Gus Plant (banjo), Moon Mullican (piano), Chuck Keeshan (guitar) and Hezzie Bryant (string bass).
'Gimme My Dime Back' Floyd Tillman w the Blue Ridge Playboys
20 Nov 1936 in San Antonio Matrix SA-2542-1 Perfect 7-06-55
Violin / vocal: Leon Selph
Guitar: Chuck Keeshan / Herman Standlee / Tillman (electric)
Banjo: Gus Plant Piano: Moon Mullican Bass: Hezzie Bryant
Composition: Leon Selph
Tillman was in session with the Playboys again in Houston on March 6 of 1939 for such as 'What Difference Does It Make' / 'Someday' (Decca 5663). Selph's operation was a completely different group by then consisting of Dickie McBride (guitar), Joe Thames (banjo), Bob Dunn (steel), Cliff Bruner (fiddle), Mancel Tierney (piano) and Hezzie Bryant (string bass).
'What Difference Does It Make' Floyd Tillman w the Blue Ridge Playboys
6 March 1939 at the Rice Hotel in Houston Matrix 65156 Decca 5663
Violin: Leon Selph
Guitar: Gus Plant / Herman Standlee (electric) / Tillman (vocal)
Banjo: Howard Oliver Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Chet Miller
Composition: Tillman
Tillman led his first name sessions on August 29, 1939, in Houston to lay out such as 'I Didn't Know' / 'Don't Be Blue' (Decca 5741). His partners on that were Dunn, Bruner, Bryant, Moon Mullican on piano and Leo Raley on electric mandolin.
'Don't Be Blue' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
29 Aug 1939 at the Rice Hotel in Houston Matrix 66328 Decca 5741
Violin: Cliff Bruner Mandolin: Leo Raley (electric)
Steel guitar: Bob Dunn
Guitar: Gus Plant / Herman Standlee (electric)
Banjo: Johnny Thames Piano: Moon Mullican Bass: Hezzie Bryant
Composition: Tillman
Tillman joined the Village Boys on August 11 of 1940 for 'I'll Come Back to You' / 'Daisy May' (Decca 5845), et al. Other than Bryant that group was composed of Grady Hester (fiddle), JD Standlee (electric steel), Anthony Scanlin (piano) and Dickie McBride (guitar).
'Daisy May' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal) w the Village Boys
11 April 1940 at the Rice Hotel in Houston Matrix 92090 Decca 5845
Violin: Buddy Ray Steel guitar: J. D. Standlee
Guitar: Cameron Hill (electric) / Dickie McBride
Banjo: Johnny Thames Piano: Anthony Scanlin
Composition: Tillman
Tillman was back to leading his own band, his Favorite Playboys, for tracks on April 30, 1941, in Dallas like 'It's Been a Long Long Time' / 'All Because of You' (Decca 5982). Tillman was everybody's darling in the forties from 'They Took the Stars Out of Heaven' which found #1 on Billboard's new Country chart in 1944. He placed seven more titles in the Top Ten to 'I Gotta Have My Baby Back' at #4 in 1949:
They Took the Stars Out
of Heaven Jan 1944 #1 Tillman's best-selling title overall
G.I. Blues Dec 1944 #5
Each Night at Nine Dec 1944 #4
Drivin' Nails in My Coffin Aug 1946 #2
I Love You So Much It Hurts
July 1948 #5
Slipping Around July 1949 #5
I'll Never Slip Around Again Oct 1949 #6
I Gotta Have My Baby Back Dec 1949 #4
'They Took the Stars Out of Heaven'
Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal) & His Favorite Playboys
30 April 1941 in Dallas Matrix 93739 Decca 6090
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: Bob Dunn
Guitar: Cameron Hill (electric) / Dickie McBride
Banjo: Joe "Jo Jo" Thames Piano: Moon Mullican Bass: Hezzie Bryant
Composition: Tillman
'Why Do You Treat Me This Way'
Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal) & His Favorite Playboys
30 April 1941 in Dallas Matrix 93741 Decca 6090
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: Bob Dunn
Guitar: Cameron Hill (electric) / Dickie McBride
Banjo: Joe "Jo Jo" Thames Piano: Moon Mullican Bass: Hezzie Bryant
Composition: Tillman
'I Love You So Much It Hurts' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
29 Dec 1947 in Nashville Matrix CO 38774 Columbia 20430
Mandolin: Leo Raley Violin: Woody Carter / Darold Raley
Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Lew Frisby
Composition: Tillman
'Slipping Around' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
April 1949 in Houston Matrix CO 40616 Columbia 4-3305
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: J.D. Standlee
Violin: Woody Carter / Darold Raley
Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Lew Frisby
Composition: Tillman
'This Cold War with You' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
2 Aug 1949 at the ACA Studio in Houston Matrix CO 41611 Columbia 20615
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: J.D. Standlee
Violin: Woody Carter / Darold Raley
Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Lew Frisby
Composition: Tillman
'Just One More Time' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
1 Dec 1952 in Houston Matrix CO 48590 Columbia 21200
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: Herb Remington
Violin: Woody Carter / Darold Raley
Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Lew Frisby
Composition: Tillman
'One More Day Wasted Away' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
7 Jan 1954 at the ACA Studio in Houston Matrix CO 50725 Columbia 21303
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: Herb Remington
Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Lew Frisby
Composition: Tillman
'Sometime, Somewhere, Somehow' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
7 Jan 1954 at the ACA Studio in Houston Matrix CO 50726 Columbia 21303
Mandolin: Leo Raley Steel guitar: Herb Remington
Piano: Ralph "Smitty" Smith Bass: Lew Frisby
Composition: Tillman
'Floyd's Song' Floyd Tillman (guitar / vocal)
Early 1956 in Houston Daffan 113
Tillman's album, 'Let's Make Memories' arrived in 1962 on Starday Records SLP 310. 'Slippin' Around with Floyd' followed a couple years later.
'Two Stubborn People' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
From the 1962 album 'Let's Make Memories' on Starday Records SLP 310
Violin: Keith Coleman Steel guitar: Leon McAuliffe
Piano: Clarence Cagle Bass: Ken Cobb Drums: Sol Gamboa
Composition: L. Chambers
'It Makes No Difference Now' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
From the 1964 album 'Slippin' Around with Floyd Tillman' on Sims Records 110
Album personnel:
Violin: Bob White / Brenton Banks / Cecil Brower Guitar: Kelso Herston
Piano: Bill Pursell Bass: Autry Inman Drums: Willie Ackerman
Composition: Jimmie Davis / Tillman
'I Reap What I Sow' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
From the 1967 album 'Floyd Tillman's Country' on Musicor Records MS 3136
Composition: Tillman
'I Gotta Get Outta This House' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
From the 1967 album 'Floyd Tillman's Country' on Musicor Records MS 3136
Composition: Tillman
'All I've Got to Lose Is Everything' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
From the 1967 album 'Floyd Tillman's Country' on Musicor Records MS 3136
Composition: Mollie Ward / Ted Daffan
'Half a House' Floyd Tillman w Merle Haggard (vocal)
From the 1981 album 'Floyd Tillman & Friends' on Gilley's Records MG 5004
Other album personnel:
Mandolin / violin: Johnny Gimble Steel guitar: Herb Remington
Guitar: Dick Gimble / Willie Nelson Piano: Clyde Brewer Drums: Leo Dolan
Vocals: Mickey Gilley / Johnny Lee / Willie Nelson / Ernest Tubb
Composition: Floyd Tillman
'I Am Music' Floyd Tillman (vocal)
From the 1981 album 'Floyd Tillman & Friends' on Gilley's Records MG 5004
Other album personnel:
Mandolin / violin: Johnny Gimble Steel guitar: Herb Remington
Guitar: Dick Gimble / Willie Nelson Piano: Clyde Brewer Drums: Leo Dolan
Vocals: Mickey Gilley / Merle Haggard / Johnny Lee / Willie Nelson / Ernest Tubb
Composition: Floyd Tillman
Tillman's final album, 'The Influence', was issued in 2004, the year after his death on August 23, 2003, in Bacliff, Texas. That disc recorded in 2002 in Martindale, Texas, includes contributions by numerous big names from Dolly Parton to Hank Thompson to Merle Haggard to Lawton Williams, et al. See also Bear Family or Discogs.
Sources & References for Floyd Tillman:
James Manheim (All Music) VF History (notes) Wikipedia
Audio of Tillman:
Internet Archive
YouTube
Compositions:
Music Brainz
Music VF
Second Hand Songs
Tillman in Film / Television:
IMDb
Recordings: Catalogs:
45 Cat
45 Worlds
Discogs
Qobuz
Rate Your Music Rocky Productions
Recordings: Compilations:
Collector's Choice: Best of Floyd Tillman (1999)
Columbia Historic Edition (1985)
Country Music Hall of Fame Series (1991)
Recordings: Select:
Floyd Tillman & Friends
(Gilley's Records MG 5004 / 1981)
Floyd Tillman's Country
(Musicor Records MS 3136 / 1967)
Recordings: Sessions:
DAHR
(1936-1955)
Praguefrank's
(1936-2002)
Other Profiles:
Floyd Tillman
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