Sleepy LaBeef
Sleepy LaBeef | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals Guitar |
| Years active | 1954–2019 |
| Labels | Starday, Columbia, Plantation, Sun, Charly, Rounder |
Thomas Paulsley LaBeff (July 20, 1935 – December 26, 2019),[1] known professionally as Sleepy LaBeef, was an American singer and musician.
Early life
LaBeef was born in Smackover, Arkansas,[2] the youngest of 10 children.[3] The family name was originally LaBoeuf.[4] He was raised on a farm growing cotton and watermelons, and received the nickname "Sleepy" because he had a lazy eye.[2]
LaBeef became a fan of George Jones, Bill Monroe, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.[1] He learned guitar, and moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 18.[4] There, he sang gospel music on local radio and put together a bar band to play venues as well as radio programs such as the Houston Jamboree and Louisiana Hayride. LaBeef stood 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall.[3]
Career
In the 1950s, as the rockabilly component of rock and roll became evident, LaBeef began recording singles in the genre, initially credited as Sleepy LaBeff or Tommy LaBeff.[1] His first, "I'm Through", was issued on Starday Records in 1957.
In 1964, he moved to
LaBeef transferred to Sun Records in the 1970s and continued releasing albums and touring widely; his popularity faded in the United States but rose in Europe.[6] The 1980s saw him sign to Rounder Records, where he released albums into the 1990s.
As a musician, he was noted for his extensive repertoire, and for his live performances, at one time undertaking some 300 performances a year. He described the music he performed as "...root music: old-time rock-and-roll, Southern gospel and hand-clapping music, black blues, Hank Williams-style country. We mix it up real good."[1] He toured regularly in Europe, and performed at many music festivals both in Europe and the US. In January 2012, LaBeef traveled to Nashville to record and film a live concert and record in historic RCA Studio B, all produced by noted bassist Dave Pomeroy. A documentary/concert DVD, Sleepy LaBeef Rides Again and the soundtrack CD was released on April 22, 2013, by Earwave Records.[7] His last performance was in September 2019.[1]
He had
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | "I’m Through" / "All Alone" | Starday Records |
| 1957 | "I’m Through" / "All Alone" | Starday-Mercury Records |
| 1957 | "All The Time" / "Lonely" | Starday-Mercury Records |
| 1958 | "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" / "Eskimo Pie" | Dixie Records |
| 1958 | "Oh, Oh, I’m Falling In Love Again" / "One Week Later" | Dixie Records |
| 1960 | "Found Out" / "Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind" | Gulf Records Records |
| 1961 | "Turn Me Loose" / "Ridin’ Fence" | Crescent Records |
| 1962 | " Ride On Josephine " / "Walkin’ Slowly" |
Wayside Records |
| 1963 | "Tore Up" / "Lonely" | Wayside Records |
| 1963 | "Drink Up And Go Home" / "Teardrops On A Rose" | Finn Records |
| 1963 | "Ride On Josephine" / "Lonely" | Picture Records |
| 1965 | "You Can’t Catch Me" / "Everybody’s Got To Have Somebody" | Columbia Records |
| 1966 | "A Man In My Position" / "Drinking Again" | Columbia Records |
| 1966 | "I’m Too Broke" / "I Feel A Lot More Like I Do Now" | Columbia Records |
| 1961 | "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" / "The Ways Of A Woman In Love" | Columbia Records |
| 1969 | "Blackland Farmer" / ? | Columbia Records |
| --- |
|
not issued |
Albums
- 1974: The Bull’s Night Out
- 1976: Western Gold
- 1978: Rockabilly 1977 (Sun Records)
- 1978: Beefy Rockabilly
- 1979: Early, Rare and Rockin’ Sides
- 1979: Downhome Rockabilly (Sun Records)
- 1979: Downhome Rockabilly (Charly Records, UK)
- 1979: Rockabilly Heavyweight (with Dave Travis)
- 1979 "Sleepin' in Spain" (AUVI records, Spain)
- 1979: Sleepy LaBeef and Friends (Ace Records)
- 1979: Sleepy LaBeef and Friends (Ace-Chiswick Records)
- 1980: Early, Rare and Rockin’ Sides (re-release)
- 1980: Downhome Rockabilly (re-release)
- 1981: It Ain’t What You Eat, It's the Way How You Chew It (Rounder Records)
- 1982: Electricity (Rounder Records)
- 1987: Nothin’ But The Truth (Rounder Records) [live]
- 1994: Strange Things Happen
- 1995: The Human Jukebox (Rounder Records)
- 1996: I’ll Never Lay My Guitar Down (Rounder Records)
- 1996: Larger Than Life (6 CD-Box, compilation)
- 1997: A Rockin’ Decade
- 1999: Flyin’ Saucer Rock’n’Roll: The Very Best Of Sleepy LaBeef
- 1999: The Bulls’s Ride Out & Western Gold
- 2000: Tomorrow Never Comes
- 2001: Rockabilly Blues
- 2001: Road Warrior
- 2003: Northern Blues)[9]
- 2008: Roots (Ponk Media)
- 2008: Sleepy Rocks (Bear Family anthology)
- 2012: Rides Again
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Willman, Chris (2019-12-26). "Sleepy LaBeef, Enduring Rockabilly Cult Hero, Dies at 84". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
- ^ The Wisconsin State Journal. January 13, 2000.
Thomas Paulsey LaBeff was born in 1935 on a farm in Smackover, Ark....LaBeef (who got his nickname due to a lazy eye) said he felt his calling when he first saw Elvis Presley in his early days.
- ^ a b "Sleepy LaBeef Returns". The Cincinnati Post. November 30, 2000.
He is 66 years old, stands 6 feet 6 inches tall... He's the last of 10 children born to the LaBoeuf family of Smackover, Ark.
- ^ a b "Sleepy LaBeef (1935–2019)", Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 27 December 2019
- ^ a b Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
- Allmusic
- ^ "Sleepy LaBeef Rides Again - DVD". Earwave Store. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (29 December 2019). "Sleepy LaBeef, a Rockabilly Mainstay, is Dead at 84". The New York Times.
- ^ LaBeef does a version of "Frankie and Johnny", referred to as "Frankie's Man". The original song appears on the This Is Johnny Cash compilation album (Harmony, 1969; reissued 1973), among others.
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