Disc Jockey, chanteur et compositeur Country né le 28 aout 1928 à Bessemer (Alabama). Dans le milieu des années 40, "Texas" Bill Strength parcouru le Missouri, le Kansas, le Colorado, l' Arkansas et le Tennessee. Il se produisit également au Louisiana Hayride et au Grand Ole Opry tout en poursuivant sa carriere de DJ. Il décedera le 1^er octobre 1973 à la suite d'un accident de voiture. Il sera élu au Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame en 1990.

Although much better known for his career as a radio personality, Texas Bill Strength also cut a series of country and rockabilly efforts, including a session for the legendary Sun Records backed by former Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore. Born August 28, 1928 in Bessemer, Alabama, Strength was all of 16 when he won an amateur contest at Houston's Joy Theater -- local station KTHT was in the market for a cowboy act, and soon he was working part-time on the air. In 1945 Strength began deejaying full-time for St. Joseph, Missouri station KFEQ, followed by a stint singing for Sioux Falls, South Dakota radio KSOO -- after a tenure with Denver's KMYR, he returned to Houston, in quick succession appearing on KLEE, KATL and KNUZ. During this time, Strength also cut a series of little-heard singles for the 4-Star label, among them "Who's the Lucky One" and "I'm Doing a Peach of a Job." In early 1950 he was hired by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) to promote the organization via radio and convention appearances -- for 4-Star, he even cut the labor anthem "We Will Overcome." He also continued his radio career for Atlanta's WGST and Decatur's WEAS, and in late 1950 signed to Coral Records, debuting with "Black Coffee Blues." Strength's "Coral" stint would prove the most successful and long-lived of his peripatetic recording career -- he enjoyed his biggest hit there with "You Can't Have My Love," a duo with the underrated Tabby West, and also scored with singles including "Nobody Knows This More Than Me" and "I Was Only Teasing You."
In 1954 Strength was named "Mr. DJ USA" by influential Nashville station WSM, and by year's end he relocated to Memphis station KWAM, where he witnessed the birth of rock & roll via the emergence of Sun acts Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. After accepting a position with St. Paul, Minnesota's KEYD, home to fellow DJs/singers Roy Drusky and Dave Dudley, Strength signed to Capitol Records for efforts including "Cry, Cry, Cry," "Turn Around" and "Do You Think I'm Happy" -- in the Twin Cities, he also hosted a children's television show, Adventures With Texas Bill. But as his long battle with alcoholism grew more severe, Strength returned to Memphis in mid-'60, accepting Sun promotional manager Cecil Scaife's offer to record for the label -- with Moore on guitar and D.J. Fontana on drums, he cut seven songs, with only "Guess I Better Go" and "Senorita" ever receiving commercial release. After a short stay with Bakersfield, California station KUZZ, Strength returned to the Twin Cities, first for KTCR and later for WMIN. He remained there for the rest of his life, recording the occasional single for labels like Starday ("Nervous as a Cat"), Golden Wing ("Let the Chips Fall") and Bangar ("Paper Boy Boogie"). During the early 1970s, he also penned for the monthly Upper Midwest & Western News Scene a column entitled "Down Memory Lane," documenting stories about his life and experiences in the music business. On August 5, 1973, Strength was paralyzed from the waist down following an auto accident -- he then slipped into a coma, dying on October 1 at the age of 45. He was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1990.

Talents : Singer, Guitar, Songwriter, Disc Jockey

Style musical : Traditional Country, Hillbilly Boogie, Rockabilly

PAPER BOY BOOGIE (1952) CRY, CRY, CRY (1955) THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS (1955) GUESS I'D BETTER GO (1960)

Années en activité :

DISCOGRAPHY

Singles

1949	SP 4 STAR 45-1334 (US)	.	If I Could Buy Your Love / Please Don't Ever Forget Me
1950	SP 4 STAR 45-1402 (US)	.	Action Speaks Louder Than Words / Mister Moon Sailing High
1950	SP 4 STAR 45-1465 (US)	.	Who's The Lucky One / Black Coffee Blues
1950	SP 4 STAR 45-1499 (US)	.	We Shall Overcome / Shall We Gather At The River
1950	SP 4 STAR 45-1532 (US)	.	I'm Doin' A Peach Of A Job / It Could Be A Wonderful World
1951	SP 4 STAR 45-1554 (US)	.	Frown On The Moon / I'm Walking In Heaven
1952	SP CORAL 9-64117 (US)	.	Cherry Pie / Is Someone Else the Lucky One Tonight
1952	SP CORAL 9-64133 (US)	.	Paper Boy Boogie / I Was Only Teasin' You
1952	SP CORAL 9-64139 (US)	.	I Found My Love / It's A Shame
1953	SP CORAL 9-64152 (US)	.	Rain Or Shine / Heart Don't Complain
1954	SP CORAL 9-64171 (US)	.	Alone / Country Love
1954	SP CORAL 9-64177 (US)	.	"Texas" Bill STRENGTH & Tabby WEST - Let's Make Love Or Go Home / You Can't Have My Love
1954	SP CORAL 9-61284 (US)	.	Nice To Be Living / Nobody Knows This More Than Me
1955	SP CAPITOL F3217 (US)	.	Cry, Cry, Cry / The Yellow Rose Of Texas
1955	SP CAPITOL F3282 (US)	.	Turn Around / When Love Comes Knockin'
1956	SP CAPITOL F3394 (US)	.	When The Bright Lights Grow Dim / It Ain't Much Bit It's Home
1956	SP CAPITOL F3477 (US)	.	Where Did My Heart Go / Gotta Lotta Love
1956	SP CAPITOL F3568 (US)	.	North Wind / But Do You Think I'm Happy
1956	SP CAPITOL CR1348 PS (JAP)		North Wind / But Do You Think I'm Happy
1957	SP CAPITOL F3701 (US)	.	I Wanna Ride, Ride, Ride (On Your Merry-Go-Round) / Six Fools
09/1960	SP SUN 45-346 (US)	.	Bill STRENGHT - Guess I'd Better Go / Senorita
1965	SP BANGAR BA 00649 (US)	.	Paper Boy Boogie / Bells Of Memory
196?	SP NASHVILLE NV-5291 (US)	.	The Moment I Found You / The Best Thing In Life Is Love
19??	SP TWIN TOWN 712 (US)	.	Call Of The Wild / Lake Lonely
19??	SP CIRECO 102 (US)	.	Little I and Big You / + Jerry IRBY

Unissued Tracks

Album

1958 ?	LP 12" ? (US)		TEXAS BILL STRENGTH'S GREATEST HITS
02/2007	CD BACM D 186 (UK)		WHEN LOVE COMES KNOCKIN' - Gotta Lotta Love / Where Did My Heart Go / Turn Around / When Love Comes Knockin' / North Wind / But Do You Think I'm Happy / It Ain't Much But It's Home / When The Bright Lights Grow Dim / It's A Shame / I Found My Love And Lost My Heart / Yellow Rose Of Texas / Country Love / Alone / It Could Be A Wonderful World / Is Someone Else The Lucky One Tonight / Cherry Pie / Let's Make Love Or Go Home / You Can't Have My Love/ Six Fools / I Wanna Ride On Your Merry Go Round / Black Coffee Blues / Paper Boy Boogie / Little I And Big You / Who's The Lucky One / Frown On The Face Of The Moon

© Rocky Productions 7/04/2006