BIOGRAPHY:
In any discussion about
the greatest voices in country music, David Frizzell’s name is certain
to come up — at least among those who know country music. And it’s not
just because he bears a vocal resemblance to his older brother, that ultimate
stylist, Lefty Frizzell. While both share the forlorn, stripped-down quality
of singing that is so essential to interpreting traditional country themes,
David’s voice is even more resonant and nuanced, a perfect instrument for
electrifying the lyrics of a song.
With the release of his new
album, FRIZZELL & FRIENDS THIS IS OUR TIME, David Frizzell reasserts
the vocal stature that has earned him a lengthy string of radio hits, dozens
of awards and prominence on concert stages around the world. This project
is a CD/DVD package containing 20 songs (solos and duets with Frizzell
from the cream of the crop in country music) along with a bonus DVD featuring
“The Making Of Frizzell & Friends” that shows interview segments and
Frizzell performing and recording with a star-studded line-up of his friends.
Produced by Frizzell and
released on his own Nashville America Records label, FRIZZELL & FRIENDS
features guest performances by Merle Haggard, Crystal Gayle, Johnny Lee,
Gene Watson, Joe Stampley, Jeannie Seely, T. Graham Brown, Lacy J. Dalton,
Bobby Bare, Helen Cornelius, Jimmy Fortune (of the Statler Brothers), John
Cowan (New Grass Revival), Johnny Rodriguez, Amy Clawson and brother Allen
Frizzell featuring Tess Frizzell.
The new collection contains
Frizzell’s male/female duets with Crystal Gayle, Helen Cornelius, Jeannie
Seely, Lacy J. Dalton and Amy Clawson. Frizzell pairs with Crystal Gayle
on her favorite pick which was a song David penned titled “Wedding Dress
For Sale.” Frizzell joins Jeannie Seely on a long-time favorite Jimmie
Davis song of hers titled “Nobody’s Darlin’ But Mine.” He teams up with
Lacy J. Dalton on a Kevin Welch tune titled “Something ‘Bout You.” David
asked Helen Cornelius to join him on a song he wrote titled “Could It Be
We Fell In Love Tonight.” Rounding out the male/female duets, David joins
the supremely talented Amy Clawson on his self-penned “Why Wasn’t It Me.”
The new CD collection also
contains Frizzell’s duet with Johnny Rodriguez on a Roger Alan Wade song,
“Warm Spanish Wine,” a duet with Merle Haggard on Lefty’s “If You Got The
Money, I’ve Got The Time,” a duet with Gene Watson on Marijohn Wilkin and
Danny Dill’s “Long Black Veil,” a pairing with Joe Stampley on a song written
by Tom Botkin and Kevin Denney titled “Music (Where Did It Come From?),”
a lively duet with T. Graham Brown on Alex Harvey and Stephen Schuffert’s
“Got To Get To Louisiana,” and a pairing with Bobby Bare, “Cowboy Hat”
(written by Rick Scott, Charlie Moore and Chris Cummings), a duet with
Johnny Lee on a David Frizzell penned song “You Can’t Love Her,” a family
pairing with brother Allen Frizzell featuring his niece Tess Frizzell on
“Three Minutes” (written by David Frizzell), a pairing with Statler’s Jimmy
Fortune on a song David Frizzell wrote titled “Ordinary Joe,” and a duet
with John Cowan on a song title “Reckless Wind,” which was written by Dennis
Knutson, Roger Alan Wade and DeWayne Blackwell.
The stellar vocal event includes
vocal pairings with each of these country greats along with an unprecedented
vocal collaboration on the lead single, “This Is Our Time,” which was written
by David Frizzell, Tom Botkin and Kevin Denney. This single release coincided
with the release of the music video for “This Is Our Time,” edited by Nashville’s
Coleman Teleproductions, which features priceless, home-shot footage of
these stellar country greats recording in the studio, talking, laughing
and sharing stories.
While still a teenager, David
Frizzell left home to perform and tour with his legendary brother. In that
role, he worked the concert circuit with many of the mightiest names in
country music. By his 18th birthday, Frizzell began recording country and
rockabilly albums for Columbia Records. Although a four-year hitch in the
military slowed his emerging musical career, Columbia immediately re-signed
Frizzell after his discharge.
In spite of the difficulty
of working in Lefty’s shadow, David gradually created his own artistic
identity. He recorded and charted the first country version of “L.A. International
Airport” — months before Susan Raye made it a hit-and followed it with
a Top 40 rendition of “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” the B. J. Thomas pop
favorite. Frizzell then parlayed his recording successes into headlining
country shows in Las Vegas. This bold move opened the Vegas gates for many
other country acts.
In the early 1980s, Frizzell
founded the musical duo of Frizzell & West. His partner in this exciting
enterprise was the gorgeous and gifted Shelly West, daughter of country
superstar Dottie West. After recording “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma”
to showcase their fresh-as-Spring sound, Frizzell & West suffered the
indignity of being turned down as an act by every major country label.
Then their producer, Snuff Garrett, played the song for Clint Eastwood.
Eastwood loved it and insisted
on adding “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma” to the soundtrack of his
forthcoming film, Any Which Way You Can. This vote of confidence soon earned
Frizzell & West a record contract with Warner Bros. Then things really
started to happen. A small radio station in Tulare, California was the
first to play it, when it was still an album track. Other stations quickly
followed, prompting Warner Bros. to release it as a single. In short order,
the song that nobody wanted became a smash hit.
Frizzell & West went
on to become one of the hottest and most-awarded acts in the business.
They recorded five albums together, won the Country Music Association’s
Vocal Duo of the Year award for 1981 and 1982, won the Academy of Country
Music award for Vocal Duet of the Year for 1981 and 1982 as well as the
ACM Song of the Year award in 1981 and sold out arenas worldwide. Frizzell
and West garnered Music City News Awards for Duet of the Year in 1982 and
1983 as well as Music City News’ Song of the Year award in 1982.
During his duet years with
West, Frizzell continued his solo career. He scored a huge chart-topping
hit with “I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home.” The record, which
has since become a standard, was recently featured on CMT’s 40 Greatest
Drinking Songs in Country Music, making #17 in the countdown. Also, making
#6 in CMT’s countdown of the 100 Greatest Duets is “You're The Reason God
Made Oklahoma.”
Besides his CMA awards, Frizzell
has won numerous performing and recording trophies from the Academy of
Country Music, Billboard and Music City News. In addition, he has been
nominated for three Grammys, both as part of Frizzell & West duet and
as a solo act.
Apart from taping a live
concert TV special and touring to support his new album FRIZZELL &
FRIENDS – “This Is Our Time”, Frizzell is also working on a television
tribute to Lefty Frizzell and a series of children’s records and books,
projects that promise to keep this prolific artist, producer and songwriter
busier than ever.
David Frizzell Career
Highlights
WINNERS OF THE EUROPEAN CMA
ANNUAL AWARDS “Vocal Collaboration of the Year”
FRIZZELL & FRIENDS “THIS IS OUR TIME”
CMA Awards
1981 “Vocal Duo of The Year”
1982 “Vocal Duo of The Year”
ACM Awards
1981 “Vocal Duet of The Year”
1981 “Song of The Year”
1982 “Vocal Duet of The
Year”
Music City News Awards
1982 “Duet of The Year”
1982 “Song of The Year”
1983 “Duet of The Year”
European Country Music Association
Charts
Frizzell & Friends, Number
1 for five (5) consecutive months.
Videos
I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To
Decorate Our Home
Beautiful Body
Catch The Wind (Special
Olympic Video)
Silent Partners (Duet with
Shelly West)
The One That Got Away (Duet
with Ed Bruce)
Frizzell & Friends -
This Is Our Time
(with David Frizzell and
Gene Watson, Joe Stampley, Jeannie Seely, Crystal Gayle, Johnny Lee, T.
Graham Brown, Allen Frizzell, Jimmy Fortune, Lacy J. Dalton, Helen Cornelius
and Kevin Denney)
Movie Soundtracks
Any Which Way You Can (Clint
Eastwood)
Honky-Tonk Man (Clint Eastwood)
Television & Personal
Appearances
Grand Ol’ Opry
Hee Haw
CMA Award Shows
ACM Award Shows
Solid Gold
Nashville Now
Crook & Chase
Grammy Award Shows
Good Morning America
World Fair
Las Vegas Casino’s: Hacienda,
Tropicana, Golden Nugget And The Aladdin
Lake Tahoe Casino’s: The
Caesar’s Tahoe
Spark's Casino’s: John Ascuaga’s
Nugget
Frizzell & Friends Live
In Concert
(with David Frizzell and
guests Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Joe Stampley, Jeannie Seely, Crystal
Gayle, Johnny Lee, T. Graham Brown, Allen & Tess Frizzell, Jimmy Fortune,
Lacy J. Dalton, Helen Cornelius and Kevin Denney)
Top Ten Songs
#1 You’re The Reason God
Made Oklahoma
#1 I’m Gonna Hire A Wino
To Decorate Our Home
Just Came Here To Dance
Lost My Baby Blues
Honky-Tonk Nights On Broadway
Where Are You Spending Your
Nights
Grammy Nominations
Group or Duo of The Year
Song of The Year — “I’m
Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home”
Song of The Year — “You’re
The Reason God Made Oklahoma”
“Frizzell & Friends
- This Is Our Time” – 9 Nominations
CMT Status
“I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To
Decorate Our Home” #17 in the countdown of the 40 Greatest Drinking Songs
in Country Music
“You’re The Reason God Made
Oklahoma” #6 in the countdown of the 100 Greatest Duets
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