Dickey Lee
Dickey Lee | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Royden Dickey Lipscomb |
Born | September 21, 1936 |
Origin | Memphis, Tennessee |
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1957–present |
Labels | Tampa, Sun, Smash, TCF Hall, RCA, Mercury |
Royden Dickey Lipscomb[1] (born September 21, 1936),[2] known professionally as Dickey Lee (sometimes misspelled Dickie or Dicky), is an American pop/country singer and songwriter, best known for the 1960s teenage tragedy songs "Patches" and "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)". He also has a number of hit songs on the country charts in the 1970s, including "Rocky" and "9,999,999 Tears", and has written or co-written songs recorded by other singers, such as "She Thinks I Still Care", "The Door Is Always Open" and "The Keeper of the Stars".
Career
Lee formed a country trio while he was still at school at the age of 16, performing at his school and local functions.[3] In 1957–58, Lee made his first two
Later that year, "Patches", written by
Lee had a No. 14 hit in 1963 with a song he co-wrote, a conventional rocker, "I Saw Linda Yesterday".[2] In 1965, he returned to teen tragedy with "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)",[2] a song related to the urban legends known as the vanishing hitchhiker and Resurrection Mary. He focused primarily on production and songwriting in the late 60s.[2]
Lee returned to Nashville in 1969 and signed with RCA, and started releasing songs to the country chart in 1970. His 1970s country hits as a singer include two remakes of pop songs,
Lee co-wrote several songs with
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.[6] Lee is included as co-writer and singer on singer-songwriter Michael Saxell's 2005 album Wonky Windmill on the song "Two Men." In 1987 Dickey Lee became a lifetime member of the prestigious Nashville, Tn. organization (R.O.P.E.) Reunion of Professional Entertainers.
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [7] |
US | |||
1962 | The Tale of Patches | — | 50 | Smash |
1965 | Laurie and the Girl from Peyton Place | — | — | TCF Hall |
1971 | Never Ending Song of Love | 12 | — | RCA Victor |
1972 | Ashes of Love | 16 | — | |
Baby, Bye Bye | — | — | ||
1973 | Crying Over You | 42 | — | |
Sparklin' Brown Eyes | — | — | ||
1975 | Rocky | 8 | — | |
1976 | Angels, Roses and Rain | 27 | — | |
1979 | Dickey Lee | — | — | Mercury |
1980 | Again | — | — | |
1981 | Everybody Loves a Winner | — | — |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [8] |
US [9] |
CAN Country [10] |
CAN [10] | |||
1962 | "Patches"
"More Or Less" |
— | 6 | — | — | The Tale of Patches |
1963 | "I Saw Linda Yesterday" | — | 14 | — | — | — |
"Don't Wanna Think About Paula" | — | 68 | — | — | ||
"I Go Lonely" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Day the Sawmill Closed Down" | — | 104 | — | — | ||
1964 | "To the Aisle" | — | — | — | — | |
"Me and My Teardrops" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Big Brother"
"She's Walking Away" |
— | 101 | — | — | ||
1965 | "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)" | — | 14 | — | 6 | Laurie and the Girl From Peyton Place |
"Girl from Peyton Place" | — | 73 | — | 23 | ||
1966 | "Good Girl Goin' Bad" | — | — | — | — | — |
"Good Guy" | — | — | — | — | ||
1968 | "Red, Green, Yellow and Blue" | — | 107 | — | — | |
1970 | "All Too Soon" | — | — | — | — | |
"Special" | — | — | — | — | Never Ending Song of Love | |
1971 | "The Mahogany Pulpit" | 55 | — | — | — | |
"Never Ending Song of Love" | 8 | — | 31 | — | ||
1972 | "I Saw My Lady" | 25 | — | — | — | Ashes of Love |
"Ashes of Love" | 15 | — | — | — | ||
"Baby, Bye Bye" | 31 | — | 15 | — | Baby, Bye Bye | |
1973 | "Crying Over You" | 43 | — | — | — | Crying Over You |
"Put Me Down Softly" | 30 | — | — | — | Sparklin' Brown Eyes | |
"Sparklin' Brown Eyes" | 49 | — | — | — | ||
1974 | "I Use the Soap" | 46 | — | — | — | Rocky |
"Give Me One Good Reason" | 90 | — | — | — | ||
"The Busiest Memory in Town" | 22 | — | 15 | — | ||
1975 | "The Door Is Always Open" | — | — | — | — | |
" Rocky "
|
1 | — | 9 | — | ||
1976 | "Angels, Roses and Rain" | 9 | — | 1 | — | Angels, Roses and Rain |
"Makin' Love Don't Always Make Love Grow" | 35 | — | — | — | ||
"9,999,999 Tears" | 3 | 52 | 3 | 85 | ||
1977 | "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" | 20 | — | 17 | — | — |
"Virginia, How Far Will You Go" | 22 | — | 12 | — | ||
"Peanut Butter" | 21 | — | 39 | — | ||
1978 | "Love Is a Word" | 27 | — | — | — | |
"My Heart Won't Cry Anymore" | 49 | — | — | — | ||
"It's Not Easy" | 58 | — | — | — | ||
1979 | "I'm Just a Heartache Away" | 58 | — | — | — | Dickey Lee |
"He's an Old Rock 'N' Roller" | 94 | — | — | — | ||
1980 | "Don't Look Back" | 61 | — | — | — | |
"Workin' My Way to Your Heart" | 30 | — | — | — | Again | |
"Lost in Love" (with Kathy Burdick) | 30 | — | — | — | ||
1981 | "Honky Tonk Hearts" | 37 | — | — | — | Everybody Loves a Winner |
"I Wonder If I Care as Much" | 53 | — | — | — | ||
1982 | "Everybody Loves a Winner" | 56 | — | — | — |
References
- ^ "Lee's entry on the BMI database". Broadcast Music Incorporated. Archived from the original on November 24, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Dickey Lee | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Artist Biography: Dickey Lee". Billboard. Vol. 74, no. 36. September 8, 1962.
- ^ a b c "Meet Dickey Lee, One of Country's Greatest Living Songwriters". Saving Country Music. June 30, 2022.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Thanki, Juli (July 30, 2015). "Country Music Hall of Fame to salute songwriter Dickey Lee". The Tennessean.
- ^ "Dickey Lee Chart History: Top Country Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Dickey Lee Chart History: Hot Country Songs". Billboard.
- ^ "Dickey Lee Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard.
- ^ a b "Results: RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. July 17, 2013.
External links
- Allmusic
- Dickey Lee Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (July 10, 2015)