Duane Dee

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Duane Dee is an American country singer known for his many guest appearances at the Grand Ole Opry [1] and also for a series of minor hits on the country charts, sometimes with songs that went on to be major hits for other artists.

<i>Grand Ole Opry</i> radio program

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment, it is the longest running radio broadcast in US history. Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry showcases a mix of famous singers and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music as well as comedic performances and skits. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dee signed a contract with Capitol Records, and his second single was "Before the Next Teardrop Falls", which spent several months on the country charts before reaching #44 in early 1968. (In 1975 Freddy Fender's version topped the pop and country charts.) Later in 1968 Dee's original version of "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" reached #58 on the country charts; Elvis Presley's 1969 version is probably now better known. Moving to Cartwheel Records, Dee had more minor country hits in 1971 with "I've Got to Sing" (#71) and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" (#36; a country version of a #1 hit by The Bee Gees). In 1972 he recorded "Sweet Apple Wine" (#64). Moving to ABC Records, Dee had one more minor hit in 1974 with "Morning Girl" (#88). [2]

Milwaukee Largest city in Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin and the fifth-largest city in the Midwestern United States. The seat of the eponymous county, it is on Lake Michigan's western shore. Ranked by its estimated 2014 population, Milwaukee was the 31st largest city in the United States. The city's estimated population in 2017 was 595,351. Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee metropolitan area which had a population of 2,043,904 in the 2014 census estimate. It is the third-most densely populated metropolitan area in the Midwest, surpassed only by Chicago and Detroit, respectively. Milwaukee is considered a Gamma global city as categorized by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network with a regional GDP of over $105 billion.

Wisconsin A north-central state of the United States of America

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state by total area and the 20th most populous. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee, which is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The state is divided into 72 counties.

Capitol Records American record label

Capitol Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label "of note" in the United States in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Glenn E. Wallichs. Capitol was acquired by British music conglomerate EMI as its North American subsidiary in 1955. EMI was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012 and was merged with the company a year later, making Capitol and the Capitol Music Group both a part of UMG. The label's circular headquarter building in Hollywood is a recognized landmark of California.

Dee now lives in Bradenton, Florida.

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References

  1. Lakeland Ledger, Feb. 20, 1976, p. 1D, "Duane Dee Show Gives Good Reasons for Loyal Following", Lynne O'Malley
  2. MusicVF listing for Duane Dee