The Wilburn Brothers were an American country music duo from the 1950s to the 1970s, consisting of brothers Virgil Doyle Wilburn (1930–1982)[1] and Thurman Theodore "Teddy" Wilburn (1931[1]–2003).[2]
The brothers were born in Hardy, Arkansas.[1] They first attracted attention as child performers, beginning in 1937, in an act called The Wilburn Children;[3]Roy Acuff discovered them and brought them to the Grand Ole Opry in 1940.[4] Due to federal child labor laws, the Wilburns were forced to leave the Opry after six months.[1]
After growing up, they continued to travel and were regulars on the similar Louisiana Hayride program in Shreveport from 1948[5] until 1951. After the family act disbanded, and the brothers served stints in the US Army during the Korean War, they continued in 1953 as The Wilburn Brothers touring with Faron Young and Webb Pierce.[6] They signed with Decca Records in May 1954,[7] and had their first hit record the same year, backing Webb Pierce, on "Sparkling Brown Eyes."[8] Other notable hits include "Go Away With Me" (1956), "Which One Is To Blame" (1959), "Trouble's Back In Town" (1962), "It's Another World" (1965), and "Hurt Her Once For Me" (1967).[1]
In 1956, the Wilburns were offered the chance to record "Heartbreak Hotel" before Elvis Presley.[9] After hearing the song they decided against recording it, describing it as "strange and almost morbid".[9]
In addition to being successful artists, the Wilburns formed the Sure-Fire Music Publishing Company (with Don Helms) in 1957,[10] as well as the Wil-Helm Talent Agency in the early 1960s.[6] They were instrumental in launching the careers of many country musicians, most notably Loretta Lynn,[11] whom they signed to their music publishing company. Lynn was the "girl singer" of the Wilburns' touring show between 1960 and 1968,[12] and she made weekly appearances on their syndicated television show from 1963 to 1971.[11] They also helped develop the career of Patty Loveless between 1973 and 1975, by having her tour with them on weekends and during school breaks.
The Wilburn Brothers had a syndicated television program, The Wilburn Brothers Show,[1] that ran from 1963 to 1974, with 354 half-hour episodes produced. Reruns can still be seen on the cable network RFD-TV and in the UK on Rural TV. They were Opry members from 1953 until the time of Doyle's death from lung cancer on October 16, 1982 (at age 52).[1] Teddy continued with the Opry as a solo artist,[1] until his death on November 24, 2003, of congestive heart failure, just six days before his 72nd birthday.[2]
Bush, Johnny – Mitchell, Rick (2007), Whiskey River (Take My Mind): The True Story of Texas Honky-Tonk, University of Texas Press
Carlin, Richard (2003), Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary, Taylor & Francis
Diekman, Diane (2007), Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story, University of Illinois Press
Ellison, Curtis W. (1995), Country Music Culture: From Hard Times To Heaven, University Press of Mississippi
Hefley, James C. (1992), Country Music Comin' Home, Hannibal Books
Hoffman, Frank W. - Ferstler, Howard (2004), Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound, Volume 1, CRC Press
External linksedit
Allmusic entry.
January 01, 1970
wilburn, brothers, were, american, country, music, from, 1950s, 1970s, consisting, brothers, virgil, doyle, wilburn, 1930, 1982, thurman, theodore, teddy, wilburn, 1931, 2003, teddy, left, doyle, wilburn, 1954background, informationoriginhardy, arkansas, genre. The Wilburn Brothers were an American country music duo from the 1950s to the 1970s consisting of brothers Virgil Doyle Wilburn 1930 1982 1 and Thurman Theodore Teddy Wilburn 1931 1 2003 2 The Wilburn BrothersTeddy left and Doyle Wilburn in 1954Background informationOriginHardy Arkansas U S GenresCountryYears active1954 1982LabelsDeccaPast membersDoyle WilburnTeddy Wilburn Contents 1 Biography 2 Discography 2 1 Albums 2 2 Singles 3 Footnotes 4 References 5 External linksBiography editThe brothers were born in Hardy Arkansas 1 They first attracted attention as child performers beginning in 1937 in an act called The Wilburn Children 3 Roy Acuff discovered them and brought them to the Grand Ole Opry in 1940 4 Due to federal child labor laws the Wilburns were forced to leave the Opry after six months 1 After growing up they continued to travel and were regulars on the similar Louisiana Hayride program in Shreveport from 1948 5 until 1951 After the family act disbanded and the brothers served stints in the US Army during the Korean War they continued in 1953 as The Wilburn Brothers touring with Faron Young and Webb Pierce 6 They signed with Decca Records in May 1954 7 and had their first hit record the same year backing Webb Pierce on Sparkling Brown Eyes 8 Other notable hits include Go Away With Me 1956 Which One Is To Blame 1959 Trouble s Back In Town 1962 It s Another World 1965 and Hurt Her Once For Me 1967 1 In 1956 the Wilburns were offered the chance to record Heartbreak Hotel before Elvis Presley 9 After hearing the song they decided against recording it describing it as strange and almost morbid 9 In addition to being successful artists the Wilburns formed the Sure Fire Music Publishing Company with Don Helms in 1957 10 as well as the Wil Helm Talent Agency in the early 1960s 6 They were instrumental in launching the careers of many country musicians most notably Loretta Lynn 11 whom they signed to their music publishing company Lynn was the girl singer of the Wilburns touring show between 1960 and 1968 12 and she made weekly appearances on their syndicated television show from 1963 to 1971 11 They also helped develop the career of Patty Loveless between 1973 and 1975 by having her tour with them on weekends and during school breaks The Wilburn Brothers had a syndicated television program The Wilburn Brothers Show 1 that ran from 1963 to 1974 with 354 half hour episodes produced Reruns can still be seen on the cable network RFD TV and in the UK on Rural TV They were Opry members from 1953 until the time of Doyle s death from lung cancer on October 16 1982 at age 52 1 Teddy continued with the Opry as a solo artist 1 until his death on November 24 2003 of congestive heart failure just six days before his 72nd birthday 2 They are both buried in the Nashville National Cemetery in Nashville Tennessee The brothers long awaited biography Two For The Show will hit bookstores in 2022 Discography editAlbums edit Year Album Chart Positions Label US Country US 1957 Wilburn Brothers Decca 1958 Side by Side 1959 Livin in God s Country 1960 The Big Heartbreak 1961 The Wilburn Brothers Sing City Limits 1962 Folk Songs 1963 Trouble s Back in Town 1964 Take Up Thy Cross Never Alone 1965 Country Gold I m Gonna Tie One On Tonight 1966 The Wilburn Brothers Show 25 Let s Go Country 10 1967 Two for the Show 7 Cool Country 11 1968 It s Another World 23 Greatest Hits 1969 We Need a Lot More Happiness It Looks Like the Sun s Gonna Shine 1970 Little Johnny from Down the Street 31 143 Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy 1971 That She s Leaving Feeling 1973 Portrait MCA 1977 The Wilburn Brothers Sing Hinson and Gaither Calvary 1981 Stars of the Grand Ole Opry 1st Gen Singles edit Year Single Chart Positions Album US Country US 1954 Sparkling Brown Eyes w Webb Pierce 4 singles only Really Love Me Let Me Be the First to Know 1955 I Wanna Wanna Wanna 13 Mixed Up Medley 1956 You re Not Play Love 13 I m So in Love with You 10 Go Away with Me 6 1957 Nothing at All Mister Love w Ernest Tubb 8 I Got Over the Blues 1958 My Baby Ain t My Baby No More Hey Mr Bluebird w Ernest Tubb 9 Till I m the Only One 1959 Which One Is to Blame 4 The Knoxville Girl 18 Somebody s Back in Town 6 A Woman s Intuition 9 1960 Sentenced to Die Big Heartbreak The Big Heartbreak The Best of All My Heartaches 27 singles only 1961 Legend of the Big River Train Blue Blue Day 14 The Wilburn Brothers Sing Tagging Along single only 1962 Trouble s Back in Town 4 101 Trouble s Back in Town The Sound of Your Footsteps 21 1963 Roll Muddy River 4 Never Alone Tell Her So 10 single only 1964 Hangin Around 34 Never Alone Impossible single only I m Gonna Tie One On Tonight 19 I m Gonna Tie One On Tonight 1965 I Had One Too Many 30 It s Another World 5 The Wilburn Brothers Show 1966 Someone Before Me 8 Let s Go Country I Can t Keep Away from You 13 Two for the Show Hurt Her Once for Me 3 1967 Just to Be Where You Are 70 Roarin Again 13 It s Another World Goody Goody Gumdrop 24 Cool Country 1968 I m Leavin Two for the Show She ll Walk All Over You It s Another World We Need a Lot More Happiness 43 We Need a Lot More Happiness 1969 It Looks Like the Sun s Gonna Shine 38 Who Could Ask for More Tag Along single only 1970 Little Johnny from Down the Street 37 Little Johnny from Down the Street Lilacs in Winter I ve Gotta Hang My Hat Upon the Wind That She s Leaving Feeling 1971 That She s Leaving Feeling Bloomin Fools 1972 Arkansas 47 Portrait Opryland single only City s Goin Country Portrait 1973 Simon Crutchfield s Grave 1974 You ve Still Got a Place in My Heart singles only 1975 Milwaukee You re in Trouble 1976 Country Kind of Feeling 1978 Mama s Shoe Box 1981 I Know a Goodbye When I See One Stars of the Grand Ole OpryFootnotes edit a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin ed 1993 The Guinness Who s Who of Country Music First ed Guinness Publishing pp 447 8 ISBN 0 85112 726 6 a b Teddy Wilburn The Independent December 2 2003 Archived from the original on June 20 2022 Retrieved August 11 2021 Diekman 2007 p 17 Billboard February 17 1968 Nielsen Business Media p 30 Hefley 1992 p 177 a b Carlin 2003 p 429 Billboard May 28 1966 Nielsen Business Media p 6 78 Record Webb Pierce Even Tho 1954 45worlds com Retrieved August 11 2021 a b Collins Ace 2005 Untold Gold The Stories Behind Elvis s No 1 Hits Souvenir Press Ltd pp 10 18 ISBN 978 0 285 63738 2 Bush Mitchell 2007 p 91 a b Ellison 1995 p 175 Hoffman Ferstler 2004 p 637 References editBush Johnny Mitchell Rick 2007 Whiskey River Take My Mind The True Story of Texas Honky Tonk University of Texas Press Carlin Richard 2003 Country Music A Biographical Dictionary Taylor amp Francis Diekman Diane 2007 Live Fast Love Hard The Faron Young Story University of Illinois Press Ellison Curtis W 1995 Country Music Culture From Hard Times To Heaven University Press of Mississippi Hefley James C 1992 Country Music Comin Home Hannibal Books Hoffman Frank W Ferstler Howard 2004 Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound Volume 1 CRC PressExternal links editAllmusic entry Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Wilburn Brothers amp oldid 1194288489, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
