|
Photograph © Jim Glaser
Jimmy Payne -
the man, his world and his music.
This is what his
close friend and song writing colleague, Jim
Glaser, has to say about him:
JIMMY PAYNE is a
tall and lean native of Southeast Missouri in
the United States. He was once firmly implanted
in its cotton fields, once lost in the mists of
spray paint in St. Louis, once a soldier
climbing the hills of Yakima, Washington, and at
one time or another has been nearly everything,
except what his heart loved and his soul
survived on: A singer of Country Music.
With this love in
his heart and his mind set on singing, he pulled
his roots from the cotton fields with the intent
of transplanting himself in Nashville, Tennessee
– the home of Country music – where he would be
close enough to at least see what the music
business was all about, even if he couldn't
touch it.
But just as music
had touched him, his music touched the hearts of
everyone who listened to him sing. Once you hear
him sing you feel you know him, and once you
know him you love him. You love him not just
because he's one of the greatest people you've
ever met, but because he is sincere and gives
everything he can give with each performance of
each song he sings.
Jimmy Payne has a
talent that captivates the listener and they are
never disappointed. His heart is always in his
music. He is a true singer of songs.
JIMMY PAYNE is
undoubtedly one of the greatest story-telling
songwriters in country music history as this
album ("Pieces Of Life") conclusively reveals.
There have been over 200 recordings of Jimmy
Payne songs.
Jimmy's interest
in country music inspired him to learn guitar at
the age of sixteen. Whilst still in his teens,
he and his niece, Betty, had their own radio
show on station KTCB in Malden, Missouri.
Encouraged by the renowned songwriter Jack
Campbell, Jimmy remembers how Jack would often
stop by and help Jimmy tune his guitar. Jack had
written some quality songs for many people
including Jimmy "You Are My Sunshine" Davis and
the Singing Rambos.
It seemed like
Jimmy's musical ambitions were going to take a
back seat when he was 'called up' by Uncle Sam
for Army service. However, the opposite happened
as it brought him into contact with Chuck Glaser
of the Glaser Brothers. This meeting led Jimmy
to becoming lead guitarist in Chuck's band in
Fort Lewis, Washington. Chuck told Jimmy to
contact him when he got out of the Army and join
him in Nashville.
After leaving the
Army Jimmy returned to St. Louis, playing music
there and visiting Nashville occasionally until
Chuck secured his signature for a five-year
contract with the Epic label. Before this, he
had already made his recording debut in 1962
with "Ladder To The Sky" on Kark Records, with
the Glaser Brothers as backing singers. Several
label moves followed where he recorded "Rusty
Old Halo," "Every Little Pretty Girl" and "Don't
Try To Tell Me," which he co-wrote with Jim
Glaser. However, Jimmy's recording success story
really took off when he joined Epic Records and
he entered the country charts with "What Does It
Take (To Keep A Woman Like You Satisfied)" in
1966. This was followed by "Woman, Woman" in
1967 which he co-wrote with Jim Glaser. Gary
Puckett and the Union Gap took it to the top of
the charts, as the song became a big hit
worldwide.
In 1969 Jimmy had
his first hit as a singer with "L.A. Angels."
Other hits included "Ramblin' Man," "Where Has
All The Love Gone" and "Turnin' My Love On." He
graced the British pop charts with "Sweet
Fantasy" and his popularity was sufficient to
provide British album releases on the Pye, Word
and RCA labels following well-received tours in
the UK, at the Peterborough Country Music
Festival and the Wembley Country Music Festival.
In the United States he played the Grand Ole
Opry, the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas and the
Wheeling Jamboree in West Virginia. He also
enjoyed international success with visits to
Japan, the Philippines, Norway and the
Netherlands.
Jimmy married
Virginia Holmes in 1969, the sister of Bill
Holmes, bass player with the Nashville Studio
Band. The Payne's made their home in Nashville,
with their daughter Amanda, where he has his own
recording studio and publishing company
specializing in vintage 'pop' hits and new
copyrights.
When asked
about his ambitions in life he said, "I guess my
goal is to be successful enough as an
entertainer and a songwriter to provide a good
living for my family and a good income when I am
older. And with God's help I intend to write
more hit songs and do more touring in Europe."
When further pressed and asked whether he would
wish to be a superstar, Jimmy stretched out his
long legs, pushed his trademark flat hat further
down on his head, flashed his wide grin and with
that Southern drawl in his voice, answered as
though somebody has asked him if he'd like a cup
of coffee…. "Oh, I'd take it!" (Paul Davis.)
|
|
Photograph by Susan Myers
JIMMY PAYNE was
born in Leachville, Arkansas, in the United
States. The family moved to Gideon, Missouri in
1944 and Jimmy enjoyed Country music and singing
in church. He had a gospel program on the radio
on Saturdays and was picking cotton during the
week. In 1957, he moved to St. Louis to work as
a professional Country singer. He met Chuck
Glaser whilst in the U.S. Army and went on to
play guitar with Chuck's army band. Chuck Glaser
then took over Jimmy's management when he formed
his own band, the Payne Gang. He made several
recordings including "Ladder To The Sky," "What
Does It Take (To Keep A Woman Like You
Satisfied)" and "My Most Requested Song."
Jimmy Payne first
appeared on the famous Grand Ole Opry in 1966.
He cut several singles including his own
composition "Woman, Woman" which had national
success in 1967 when it was recorded by Gary
Puckett and the Union Gap. He continued to have
only minor success as a solo artist. He did,
however, continue to have success as a
songwriter with Charley Pride recording Jimmy's
composition "My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You"
which became a number one selling single in the
States. Jimmy wrote the popular title track of
his gospel album "Walk With Me The Rest Of The
Way" with Jim Glaser. In 1986 he recorded a duet
with Tompall Glaser titled "Ugly Women And
Pickup Trucks."
More about Jimmy
Jimmy Payne is an entertainer who
comes from the heart of rural America.
He was born in
Arkansas and raised in Missouri and is the
youngest of eleven children.
He learned to play the guitar at the age of
sixteen and whilst still in his teens he and his
niece Betty had their own radio show on KTCB in
Malden, Missouri.
In 1966 he signed a five-year
contract with Epic Records. His first single
with them – "What Does It Take" - became a hit
in a few markets and sold several thousand
records but never gathered enough momentum to
break into the Billboard
national charts. Six months later his close
friend Jim Glaser was working on a new song and
asked Jimmy to help finish it. They worked on it
all night and by morning it was finished. In a
couple weeks Jimmy recorded it for his second
single under the direction of legendary producer
Billy Sherrill. That song was "Woman, Woman" and
a couple of months later his record was playing
on a radio station in Los Angeles when Columbia
Records producer Jerry Fuller heard it and took
it to a group he had just signed - Gary Puckett
and the Union Gap. The song has since been
recorded around a hundred times.
In 1969 Jimmy recorded the Dick
Feller song "L.A.Angels" taking it to number 21
in the national charts. Other national charts
records were "Ramblin' Man," "Where Has All The
Love Gone," "Tonight's The Night Miss Sally
Testifies" and "Turnin' My Love On."
Prestigious venues Jimmy has played include the
Grand Ole Opry, the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas,
the Wheeling Jamboree in West Virginia, the
Wembley Festival and the Peterborough Festival
in England.
In 1974 and 1975 he was voted "Most Promising
Artist" to the British audiences by
Billboard/Music week.
Also in 1975 he
graced the British Pop Charts with a Hoyt Axton
song titled "Sweet Fantasy."
Jimmy's
international success is well documented with
tours in Japan, the Philippines, Norway, the
Netherlands, Great Britain and South Korea.
As a songwriter
Jimmy Payne has had songs recorded by Charley
Pride, Ray Price, Bill Anderson, Glen Campbell,
Grandpa Jones, Jim Glaser, Tompall and the
Glaser Brothers, Cal Smith, Connie Smith, Jo-El
Sonnier, Jeanne Pruett, Tammy Wynette, Dottie
West, Daniel O'Donnell, Frank Ifield, Frank
Jennings and many others.
Charley Pride had
a number one million selling hit with "My Eyes
Can Only See As Far As You" that was written by
Jimmy and Naomi Martin.
Jimmy has recorded for Epic, Vanguard, Veejay,
RCA, Jasmine, Ocean, Word, Cinnamon, Lyco, Ric,
Sounds Upon Cumberland, Kik and K-Ark,
In 1969 Jimmy married his long-time sweetheart
Virginia (Jo) and they are still living in the
same home they bought the year that they
married. The have a lovely daughter, Amanda who,
with her husband Matt, lives close by.
His latest CD "When Mama Prayed" (released
February 2003) marks the ninth album project for
Jimmy. |
