Sleepy LaBeef
Sleepy LaBeef is the stage name of Thomas Paulsley LaBeff (born July 20, 1935), an American rockabilly musician.
Early life
LaBeef was born in Smackover, Arkansas,[1] the youngest of 10 children,[2] he was raised on a melon farm. He received the nickname "Sleepy" as the result of a lazy eye.[1] He moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 18. 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 stands 6.5 ft (2.0 m) tall.[2]
Career
In the 1950s, as the rockabilly component of rock and roll became evident, LaBeef began recording singles in the genre; his first, "I'm Through", was issued on Starday Records in 1957. In 1964, he moved to Nashville and moved to a more solidly country style, recording singles for Columbia Records. His first genuine hit was 1968's "Every Day", which peaked at No. 73 on the U.S. Billboard Country charts.[3] After moving to Plantation Records in 1969, he scored a second hit in 1971 with "Blackland Farmer", which charted at No. 67.[3] Around this time LaBeef also starred in the horror movie The Exotic Ones. LaBeef transferred to Sun Records in the 1970s and continued releasing albums and touring widely; his popularity flagged in America but rose in Europe.[4] The 1980s saw him sign to Rounder Records, where he released albums into the 1990s.
In January 2012, LaBeef traveled to Nashville to record a 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 soundtrack CD was released on April 22, 2013 by Earwave Records.[5]
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: Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash (Northern Blues)[6]
- 2008: Roots
- 2008: Sleepy Rocks (Bear Family anthology)
References
- 1 2 "Spotlight: Sleepy LaBeef". 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.
- 1 2 "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.
- 1 2 Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
- ↑ Sleepy LaBeef at Allmusic
- ↑ "Sleepy LaBeef Rides Again - DVD". Earwave Store. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ↑ 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.