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Narvel Felts | |
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| Birth name | Albert Narvel Felts |
| Born | November 11, 1938 Keiser, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Origin | Bernie, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, Rockabilly |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1957–present (Local performances only) |
Albert Narvel Felts (born November 11, 1938) [1] is an American country music and rockabilly [2] singer. Known for his soaring tenor and high falsetto, Felts enjoyed his greatest success during the 1970s, most famously 1975's "Reconsider Me".
He was born in Keiser, Arkansas, United States, [1] and raised in Bernie, Missouri, where he attended Bernie High School, Felts was discovered during a talent show at the school. [3] He had been encouraged to participate in the show by some of his classmates, and a talent agent happened to be attending the performance at the time.
Felts recorded his first single, "Kiss-a Me Baby", at the age of 18, [1] and his career skyrocketed with the help of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. Felts enjoyed modest pop success in 1960 with a remake of the Drifters' "Honey Love", [1] which earned a low position on the Billboard Hot 100. He went on to release such songs as "Lonely Teardrops" and "Pink And Black Days", but he did not begin enjoying success on a national level as a country singer until the 1970s. [1] His first major hit came in 1973, with a cover of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away". [1] Felts' version – number eight on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in September 1973 – was midtempo country compared to Gray's blues version. The follow-up single, "All in the Name of Love", just missed hitting the top 10 in December 1973. [1]
Felts continued to enjoy modest success during the next year and a half, when he signed with ABC-Dot Records in 1975. [1] That year, he enjoyed his biggest hit, a cover of Johnny Adams' soul classic "Reconsider Me", [1] which showcased his falsetto and high tenor. The song reached number two that August, and was 1975's second-biggest country hit of the year. [4]
Felts, who became known to fans as "Narvel the Marvel", continued to enjoy success throughout the 1970s. Included in his streak of hits was a remake of "Lonely Teardrops", which became his last top-10 hit in the summer of 1976, and a cover of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away". [1] He also had a number-14 country hit with "Everlasting Love" in 1979.
Narvel Felts' pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
He is married to the former Loretta Stanfield.
Two children resulted from their marriage, although they lost their only son at the age of 31, Albert Narvel Jr. (known as Bub), on September 14, 1995, as the result of an automobile accident. At one time, Bub played drums for his father.[1]
One of his albums is dedicated to his son.
He currently resides in Malden, Missouri, where he continues to perform on occasion.
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Drift Away | 30 | Cinnamon |
| 1974 | When Your Good Love Was Mine | 41 | |
| 1975 | Narvel Felts | 4 | ABC/Dot |
| Greatest Hits Vol. 1 | 20 | ||
| 1976 | Narvel the Marvel | 10 | |
| Doin' What I Feel | 26 | ||
| 1977 | The Touch of Felts | 30 | |
| Narvel | — | ||
| 1978 | Inside Love | — | ABC |
| 1979 | One Run for the Roses | 49 |
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [5] | US [5] | CAN Country | |||
| 1957 | "Foolish Thoughts" | — | — | — | singles only |
| "Cry, Baby, Cry" | — | — | — | ||
| 1958 | "Rocket Ride" | — | — | — | |
| "Rocket Ride Stroll" | — | — | — | ||
| "Vada Lou" | — | — | — | ||
| 1959 | "Cutie Baby" | — | — | — | |
| 1960 | "Honey Love" | — | 90 | — | |
| "Tony" | — | — | — | ||
| "3000 Miles" | — | — | — | ||
| 1962 | "Little Miss Blue" | — | — | — | |
| "Lovelight Man" | — | — | — | ||
| 1963 | "Mountain of Love" | — | — | — | |
| 1964 | "Four Seasons of Life" | — | — | — | |
| 1965 | "You Were Mine" | — | — | — | |
| "Night Creature" | — | — | — | ||
| "Your True Love" | — | — | — | ||
| 1966 | "Girl Come Back" | — | — | — | |
| "I'd Trade All of My Tomorrows" | — | — | — | ||
| 1967 | "86 Miles" | — | — | — | |
| "Don't Let Me Cross Over" | — | — | — | ||
| 1968 | "Dee Dee" | — | — | — | |
| "Since I Met You Baby" | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Rockin' Little Angel" | — | — | — | Drift Away |
| "Drift Away" | 8 | — | 48 | ||
| "All in the Name of Love" | 13 | — | 63 | ||
| 1974 | "When Your Good Love Was Mine" | 14 | — | 14 | When Your Good Love Was Mine |
| "Until the End of Time" (w/ Sharon Vaughn) | 39 | — | — | single only | |
| "I Want to Stay" | 26 | — | 35 | Greatest Hits Vol. 1 | |
| "Raindrops" | 33 | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Reconsider Me" | 2 | 67 | 1 | Narvel Felts |
| "Funny How Time Slips Away" | 12 | — | 45 | ||
| "Somebody Hold Me (Until She Passes By)" | 10 | — | 27 | Narvel the Marvel | |
| 1976 | "Lonely Teardrops" | 5 | 62 | 5 | |
| "My Prayer" | 14 | — | — | Doin' What I Feel | |
| "My Good Thing's Gone" | 20 | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "The Feeling's Right" | 19 | — | 26 | The Touch of Felts |
| "I Don't Hurt Anymore" | 37 | — | 38 | ||
| "To Love Somebody" | 22 | — | — | Narvel | |
| "Please" | 34 | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "Blue Darlin'" | flip | — | — | |
| "Runaway" | 30 | — | — | ||
| "Just Keep It Up" | 31 | — | 25 | Inside Love | |
| "One Run for the Roses" | 26 | — | 38 | One Run for the Roses | |
| 1979 | "Everlasting Love" | 14 | — | 7 | |
| "Moment by Moment" | 43 | — | 37 | singles only | |
| "Tower of Strength" | 33 | — | 26 | ||
| "Because of Losing You" | 73 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Louisiana Lonely" | 67 | — | — | |
| "Fire in the Night" | 84 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "I'd Love You to Want Me" | 58 | — | — | |
| "Sweet Southern Moonlight" | 84 | — | — | ||
| "Roll Over Beethoven" | 64 | — | — | ||
| "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" | 84 | — | — | ||
| "You're the Reason" | 82 | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Cry Baby" | 52 | — | — | |
| "Anytime You're Ready" | 79 | — | — | ||
| "Fool" | 52 | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "You Lay So Easy on My Mind" | 70 | — | — | |
| "Let's Live This Dream Together" | 53 | — | — | ||
| "I'm Glad You Couldn't Sleep Last Night" | 63 | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "Hey Lady" | 51 | — | — | |
| "If It Was Any Better (I Couldn't Stand It)" | 68 | — | — | ||
| "Out of Sight Out of Mind" | 71 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Rockin' My Angel" | 70 | — | — | |
| 1987 | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | 60 | — | — | |
| 1988 | "I Need Somebody Bad" | — | — | — | |
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues.
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