Tex Williams
Sollie Paul "Tex" Williams (August 23, 1917 – October 11, 1985) was an American Western swing musician. He is best known for his talking blues style; his biggest hit was the novelty song, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)", which held the number one position on the Billboard chart for sixteen weeks in 1947. "Smoke" was the No. 5 song on Billboard's Top 100 list for 1947, and was No. 1 on the country chart that year. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 23, 1917 (Illinois), Died October 11, 1985 (California)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1944 - 1958
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | D7VB-0592 | 10-in. | 7/7/1947 | Smoke, smoke, smoke (that cigarette) | Phil Harris ; Phil Harris Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-1384 | 10" | 10/16/1947 | Tell a woman | Riders of the Rio Grande ; Johnny Tyler | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-1885 | 10-in. | 11/11/1947 | Never break your promise to a woman | Bill Boyd ; Jim Boyd ; Cowboy Ramblers | Male vocal duet, with string band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D9VB-0910 | 10-in. | 2/18/1949 | A letter asking for my broken heart | Elmer Newman ; Sleepy Hollow Gang | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | H1157 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Forgive me one more time | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | H1158 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Shame on you | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | H1159 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | I guess I've been dreaming again | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | H1160 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | I've taken all I'm gonna take from you | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | H1161 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | A pair of broken hearts | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO1488 | 10-in. | 7/24/1945 | You can't break my heart | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO1638 | 10-in. | 1/3/1946 | Detour | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO1639 | 10-in. | 1/3/1946 | Crazy 'cause I love you | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO1640 | 10-in. | 1/3/1946 | Hide your face | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO1870 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | You better do it now | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO1871 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | You never miss the water (till the well runs dry) | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | HCO2247 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | The leaf of love | Gene Autry | String band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | HCO2472 | 10-in. | 7/22/1947 | Smoke! smoke! smoke! (that cigarette) | Johnny Bond | String band, with male vocal solo and male vocal group | songwriter | |
| Decca | L 7067 | 3/2/1953 | Changeable | Tex Williams Orchestra | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7068 | 3/2/1953 | The big, big lie | Tex Williams Orchestra | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7169 | 4/29/1953 | Don't call my name | Roberta Lee ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7170 | 4/29/1953 | Hey, Mr. Cotton Picker | Roberta Lee ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7587 | 3/1/1954 | Money | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7588 | 3/1/1954 | That's the good Lord sayin' good mornin' | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7589 | 3/1/1954 | River of no return | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7633 | 4/16/1954 | Down in the meadow | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7634 | 4/16/1954 | They were doing the mambo | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7780 | 8/3/1954 | This ole house | Rex Allen ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7782 | 8/3/1954 | Two Texas boys | Rex Allen ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7793 | 8/17/1954 | Elmer's tune | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7794 | 8/17/1954 | Take the A train | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7795 | 8/17/1954 | Perdido | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7796 | 8/17/1954 | That's what I like about the West | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7821 | 8/24/1954 | San Antonio rose | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7822 | 8/24/1954 | Rancho boogie | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7823 | 8/24/1954 | Lone star rag | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7824 | 8/24/1954 | The leaf of love | Tex Williams and his String Band | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7898 | 9/15/1954 | Sidetracked | Tex Williams Orchestra ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7899 | 9/15/1954 | Can I say the same about you | Tex Williams Orchestra ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7900 | 9/15/1954 | Roses and revolvers | Tex Williams Orchestra ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 7901 | 9/15/1954 | Wild card | Tex Williams Orchestra ; Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8391 | 5/9/1955 | Be sure you're right | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8392 | 5/9/1955 | Old Betsy | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8393 | 5/9/1955 | Big bear boogie | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 8528 | 7/1/1955 | Artichokes | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 9632 | 10/24/1956 | Forgetful heart | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 9633 | 10/24/1956 | I couldn't leave well enough | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 9634 | 10/24/1956 | When I call the roll | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 9635 | 10/24/1956 | You're cold, so cold | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 10821 | 2/21/1958 | Bad man's country | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 10822 | 2/21/1958 | Ballad of Thunder Road | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 10823 | 2/21/1958 | You rocked when you shoulda rolled | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | L 10824 | 2/21/1958 | The killer | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9226 | 11/14/1955 | Shake the hand of a stranger | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9227 | 11/14/1955 | Pauline-1 | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9228 | 11/14/1955 | Reno, town of broken hearts | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9229 | 11/14/1955 | Love is a problem | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9230 | 11/15/1955 | Goofin' off | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9231 | 11/15/1955 | Revival is on its way-1 | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9232 | 11/15/1955 | New nine pound hammer | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9797 | 4/16/1957 | Long lost love | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9798 | 4/16/1957 | Every night | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9799 | 4/16/1957 | My baby spends her money on me | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9803 | 4/18/1957 | Talkin' to the blues | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9804 | 4/18/1957 | Let's go rockabilly | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9997 | 11/17/1957 | False face | Tex Williams | vocalist | |||
| Decca | NA 9998 | 11/17/1957 | Danny boy of San Angelo | Tex Williams | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Williams, Tex," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351065.
Williams, Tex. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351065.
"Williams, Tex." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Tex Williams
Discogs: Tex Williams
Allmusic: Tex Williams
IMDb: Tex Williams
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Williams, Tex - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82096234
Wikidata: Tex Williams - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q321178
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/23487754
MusicBrainz: Tex Williams - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/52889ea9-1c52-487e-95a4-8c53f8322ca2
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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