Jimmy Heap

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Jimmy Heap (March 3, 1922 - December 3, 1977) was an American country musician who was popular in the 1950s. He was the original artist for Release Me and "The Wild Side of Life".

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Biography

Jimmy Heap was born in Taylor, Texas on March 3, 1922. [1]

Heap became interested in music when musician "Slim" Gensler would stop at the gas station where Heap worked and play his guitar. [1]

He was enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, where he was stationed in Sedalia, Missouri. [1] It was here he met his future wife. [1] After his military service ended, he formed the Melody Masters, which included Horace Barnett, Arlie Carter, Bill Glendining, and Louie Rincon. [2] Starting 1948 they had a radio show on KTAE (AM). [1] The group made their first records for Lasso Records of Austin shortly thereafter. [1] Based on radio exposure and performances at dance halls, and particularly Dessau Dance Hall, he gained a regional following in Texas as was signed to Imperial Records in 1949. [1] [2]

In some time before his first Imperial recordings he hired fiddle player Perk Williams. [2] Perk became the bands vocalist, even though he had no previous experience singing, but it was with Perk the band was associated during its period of greatest success. [1] [2] Heap and the Melody Masters were the first to record "Wild Side of Life", and when Hank Thompson took the song to #1 in March 1952 it provided Heap and his band their big break. [2] In 1954 Jimmy Heap and the Melody Masters had a #5 hit with "Release Me". It was recorded at the Gold Star Studios in Houston. [3] Heap and the Melody Masters served as the house band at KTAE (AM) in 1955. [4] In 1956 he had a minor country hit ( chart position #96) with a song called "Butternut". [3] The Melody Masters released 32 sides for Capitol in all. [2] There were no other hits for Capitol, and Heap began releasing material on his own record labels. [1]

Trying to adapt to changing musical tastes, Heap parted ways with Perk Williams in 1957 because Perk would not change his style. [1] [5]

Heap signed to D Records in 1958. [5] He abandoned the honky-tonk style and attempted to become a rock band, using new vocalists and a saxophonist. [5] Heap released additional records on Fame after his association with D ended. [5]

In the 1960s the group had a residence at the Golden Nugget, an act that included sexual material. [1] A number of party records by the group were released at this time. [1]

Heap made one last solo album for Crazy Cajun Records in 1977, after which he retired from the music business. [1] [5] Heap died on December 3, 1977, when he drowned while fishing. [1] [2] [5]

Style and influence

Jimmy Heap and the Melody Masters have been proffered as "one of the best exemplars of the post-World War II-era style of honky-tonk music." [1]

Although primarily associated with honky-tonk country, he also performed music considered pop and rock and roll. [5]

Heap and his band was an early influence on Sonny Rhodes. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Lannon, Deirdre (October 18, 2015). "Heap, James Arthur [Jimmy] (1922–1977)". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Erlewine, Michael; Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, eds. (1997). All Music Guide to Country Music. San Francisco, California: Miller Freeman. p. 207. ISBN   9780879304751.
  3. 1 2 Bradley, Andy; Wood, Roger (2010). House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios. University of Texas Press. pp. 259–260. ISBN   9780292783249.
  4. ↑ "Folk Talent and Tunes". Billboard. October 15, 1955. p. 48.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Who was/is Jimmy Heap & The Melody Masters?". Bear Family Records. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ Govenar, Alan (2008). Texas Blues: The Rise of a Contemporary Sound. Texas A&M University Press. p. 451. ISBN   9781585446056.


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