Search - T. Texas Tyler, Texas T Tyler :: Best of

Collector's Choice Should Know Better

08/30/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A company calling itself "Collector's Choice" should know better than to release a CD entitled the "best of" an artist who only HAD eight charted hit singles, and then leave off not only one of those hits, but five of the B-sides as well. What kind of "best of" is this in an 18-selection CD?



"T" Texas Tyler was born David Luke Myrick in Mena, Arkansas in 1916 and for his first hit for the 4 Star label, Filipino Baby [# 5 Country in 1946 b/w You Were Only Teasing Me], he was billed as "T" Texas Tyler and his Oklahoma Melody Boys.



His next hit didn't come until early 1948 when Deck Of Cards reached # 2 Country and crossed over to the Pop charts at # 21 b/w Ida Red, again for 4 Star and billed only to him. That year he put three more onto the charts - Dad Gave My Dog Away [# 10 b/w Beautiful Life], and Memories Of France [# 9] b/w Honky Tonk Gal [# 11].



In 1949 My Bucket's Got A Hole In It peaked at # 4 and was outpaced only by the Hank Williams version which reached # 2. The flip of that was Cry Baby Heart, among the missing here.



There then followed a two-year drought until Bumming Around went to # 5 early in 1953 b/w Jealous Love for the Decca label, both of which are omitted here. In this instance Tyler reached the same pinnacle as Jimmy Dean who, ironically, also had a # 5 for Tyler's old 4 Star label.



His final hit then came for 4 Star in 1954 when Courtin' In The Rain made it to # 3 b/w Old Blue, and billed to T. Texas Tyler and His Band.



After appearing in the film Horseman of the Sierras, and hosting his own LA-based TV show, Range Round-Up, Tyler died of cancer in 1972 at age 55.



Right at the moment this is the best compilation you will find of his hit singles, but surely someone who knows what they're doing will soon give us a complete 16-selection CD presenting all eight hits and their flip-sides.

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