Floyd Tillman

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Floyd Tillman


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Background = solo_singer
Born = birth date|1914|12|8
Ryan, Oklahoma
Died = death date and age|2003|12|22|1914|12|8
Bacliff, Texas
Origin = Flagicon|USFlagicon|Texas San Antonio, Texas, United States
Instrument = Guitar
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Genre = Country music, Western swing, Honky tonk
Occupation = musician, songwriter
Years_active = 1938-2004
Label = Decca, Musicor, RCA Victor, Columbia, Heart of Texas
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Floyd Tillman (8 December 1914 – 22 August 2003) was a country musician who, in the 1930s-40s, helped create the western swing and honky tonk styles of music. Tillman was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.

Early life

Tillman grew up in the cotton-mill town of Post, Texas as a sharecropper's son. One of his early jobs was with Western Union as a telegraph operator. In the early 30s He played mandolin at local dances and eventually took up the guitar.

Musical career

Floyd moved to San Antonio played lead guitar with Adolph Hofner, a western swing bandleader and soon developed into a songwriter and singer.

He then took a job with Houston pop bandleader Mack Clark in 1938, with western swing groups fronted by Leon “Pappy” Selph and Cliff Bruner. He also worked with Ted Daffan and singer-piano player Moon Mullican.

Tillman recorded as a featured vocalist with Selph’s Blue Ridge Playboys in 1938 and that same year Floyd scored his first major songwriting hit, "It Makes No Difference Now," giving him his own Decca recording contract. Jimmie Davis purchased the song from Floyd for $300, the rights to which he got back 28 years later.

Floyd's only number one song as a singer was "They Took The Stars Out of Heaven." It reached the top of the charts in 1942.

His 1944 hit, "Each Night At Nine," struck a chord with lonely servicemen during World War II. Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose played it heavily to encourage desertion.

A big hit for Floyd and also for Jimmy Wakely was 1948's "I Love You So Much It Hurts". His 1949 "Slippin' Around," one of the first country western "cheating" songs, was a hit for Tillman as well as Ernest Tubb, Texas Jim Robertson and the duo of Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely. Tillman had another successful song with his own answer, "I'll Never Slip Around Again," as did the Whiting/Wakely duo.

Floyd slowed down on his performing in the early 1950's.

Floyd's final album recorded in 2002-2003 titled "The Influence" paired Floyd with some Country Music artists that were influenced by his style and performing. Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Leona Williams, Dolly Parton, Justin Trevino, Ray Price, Frankie Miller, Hank Thompson, Connie Smith, Lawton Williams, Mel Tillis, Darrell McCall, Johnny Bush and George Jones recorded some of Floyd Tillman's hit songs with him. The project, released in April of 2004, features liner notes by Dr. Bill Malone, Bill Mack, Hank Thompson and Willie Nelson. It was produced by Justin Trevino on Heart of Texas Records.

elected works

References & External links

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* [http://countrymusichalloffame.com/site/inductees.aspx?cid=190 Country Music Hall Of Fame]
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