Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "whole-step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signature playing style was a cornerstone of the pop-oriented "Nashville sound" of the 1950s and 1960s. Cramer's "slip-note" or "bent-note" style, in which a passing note slides almost instantly into or away from a chordal note, influenced a generation of pianists. His sound became popular to the degree that he stepped out of his role as a sideman and began touring as a solo act. In 1960, his piano instrumental solo, "Last Date" went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart and sold over one million copies. Its follow-up, "On the Rebound", topped the UK Singles Chart in 1961. As a studio musician, he became one of a cadre of elite players dubbed the Nashville A-Team and he performed on scores of hit records. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Shreveport (parish seat of Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States), Died December 31, 1997 (Nashville (capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1952 - 1969
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, organ
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 484 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | NA 9326 | 4/12/1956 | Jimmie Rodgers' last blue yodel | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9327 | 4/12/1956 | Travelin' blues | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9409 | 6/12/1956 | You're the only good thing | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9410 | 6/12/1956 | I've got the blues for Mammy | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9411 | 6/12/1956 | I dreamed of an old love affair | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9412 | 6/12/1956 | I know my baby loves me in her own peculiar way | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9413 | 6/13/1956 | Mississippi gal | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9414 | 6/13/1956 | There's no fool like a young fool | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9415 | 6/13/1956 | I knew the moment I lost you | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9416 | 6/13/1956 | You're breaking my heart | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9417 | 6/14/1956 | When a soldier knocks and finds nobody home | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9418 | 6/14/1956 | This troubled mind o' mine | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9419 | 6/14/1956 | My hillbilly baby | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9420 | 6/14/1956 | Daisy May | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9512 | 9/11/1956 | Beside you | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9513 | 9/11/1956 | I'm counting on you | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9514 | 9/11/1956 | They can't take your love | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9515 | 9/11/1956 | I'm tired of pretending | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9516 | 9/12/1956 | Oh! so many years | Webb Pierce ; Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9517 | 9/12/1956 | One week later | Webb Pierce ; Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9518 | 9/12/1956 | When I'm with you | Webb Pierce ; Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9519 | 9/12/1956 | Can you find it in your heart | Webb Pierce ; Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9520 | 9/13/1956 | Repenting | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9521 | 9/13/1956 | I guess I'll go on dreaming | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 9522 | 9/13/1956 | Each day | Kitty Wells | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cramer, Floyd," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/202179.
Cramer, Floyd. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/202179.
"Cramer, Floyd." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Floyd Cramer
Discogs: Floyd Cramer
Allmusic: Floyd Cramer
Grove: Floyd Cramer
IMDb: Floyd Cramer
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Cramer, Floyd, 1933-1997 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n95112842
Wikidata: Floyd Cramer - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q969629
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/24786776
MusicBrainz: Floyd Cramer - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a7921b29-671a-4378-8a61-539cf73d7588
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1524762 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1524762
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