Red Sovine

Woodrow Wilson "Red" Sovine (July 7, 1917 – April 4, 1980) was an American country music singer and songwriter associated with truck-driving country songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music. His most noted examples are "Giddyup Go" and "Teddy Bear" (1976), both of which topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Biography Sovine was born in 1917 in Charleston, West Virginia, Faced with limited success, Bailes left to perform as part of the Bailes Brothers. Sovine got married, and continued to sing on Charleston radio, while holding down a job as a supervisor of a hosiery factory.

Career After a year of performing in West Virginia, Sovine moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where the Bailes Brothers were performing on KWKH-AM. Sovine's own early-morning show was not popular, but he gained greater exposure performing on the famed KWKH radio program, Louisiana Hayride. After recording close to 50 sides with Decca by 1959, Sovine signed to Starday Records and began touring the club circuit as a solo act. That same year, Sovine was seriously injured in a car accident that claimed the lives of two of his band members, Douglas Nicks and Johnny Morris.

1960s In 1961, a song copyrighted in 1955 by Sovine and co-writer Dale Noe became a sizeable hit on the pop chart. The tune was the ballad "Missing You", arranged in Countrypolitan style and was recorded by Ray Peterson for his own Dunes label. "Missing You" became a No. 29 Billboard Top 100 hit. In the fall, it peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. In 1963, Sovine passed on the helping hand given him by older performers when he heard the singing of minor league baseball player Charley Pride, suggesting that he move to Nashville, Tennessee. Sovine opened doors for Pride at Pierce's Cedarwood Publishing, but his own career had stalled; "Dream House for Sale", which reached No. 22 in 1964, came nearly eight years after his last hit. The song was eventually released in New Zealand on the Mirage label. "Little Joe" is a tale of a trucker and his devoted canine friend, which became his last hit. This last story features the Teddy Bear character, who can now walk.

On April 4, 1980, Sovine suffered a heart attack while driving his van in southern Nashville, causing him to run a red light and strike an oncoming vehicle.

Discography Studio albums Year Album Chart positions Label US Country AUS CAN 1956 Red Sovine — — — MGM 1961 The One and Only — — — Starday 1962 The Golden Country Ballads of the '60s — — — 1963 Red Sovine — — — Decca 1965 The Heart Rending Little Rosa — — — Starday 1966 Country Music Time — — — Decca Giddy Up Go 4 — — Starday The Sensational Red — — — The Nashville Sound — — — 1967 I Didn't Jump the Fence — — — Dear John Letter — — — 1968 The Country Way — — — Vocalion Phantom 309 18 — — Starday Tell Maude I Slipped — — — Sunday with Sovine — — — Anytime — — — 1969 Classic Narrations — — — Closing Time Till Dawn — — — Who Am I — — — Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town — — — 1970 I Know You're Married — — — 1973 Greatest Grand Ole Opry — — — Chart 1974 It'll Come Back 48 — — 1975 Phantom 309 (reissue) — — — Gusto 1976 Teddy Bear 1 57 67 Starday 1977 Woodrow Wilson Sovine 50 — — 1978 Christmas with Red Sovine — — — 16 New Gospel Songs — — — Gusto

Compilation albums Year Album US Country Label 1975 The Best — Starday Little Rosa — Hit 1977 16 All-Time Favorites — Starday 16 Greatest Hits 47 1980 Teddy Bear — Gusto Phantom 309 — Giddy Up Go — Gone But Not Forgotten — Castle 1986 Sings Hank Williams — Deluxe 1989 Crying in the Chapel — Hollywood Famous Duets — 1991 Best of the Best — Federal 2001 Phantom 309 — Prism Leisure 2002 Pledge of Allegiance — King 20 All-Time Greatest Hits —

Singles Year Single Chart positions Label US Country US AU 1955 "Why Baby Why" (with Webb Pierce) 1 — — Decca "Are You Mine" (with Goldie Hill) 14 — — 1956 "Little Rosa" (with Webb Pierce) 5 — — "If Jesus Came to Your House" 15 — — "Hold Everything (Till I Get Home)" 5 — — 1959 "Yankee, Go Home" (with Goldie Hill) 17 — — 1964 "Dream House for Sale" 22 — — Starday 1965 "Giddyup Go" 1 82 — 1966 "Long Night" 47 — — "Class of 49" 44 — — 1967 "I Didn't Jump the Fence" 17 — — "In Your Heart" 33 — — "Phantom 309" 9 — — 1968 "Loser Making Good" 63 — — "Normally, Norma Loves Me" 61 — — "Tell Maude I Slipped" 33 — — 1969 "Who am I" 62 — — 1970 "Freightliner Fever" 54 — — "I Know You're Married But I Love You Still" 52 — — 1974 "It'll Come Back" 16 — — Chart "Can I Keep Him Daddy" 58 — — 1975 "Daddy's Girl" 91 — — "Phantom 309" 47 — — Starday 1976 "Teddy Bear"A 1 40 12 "Little Joe" 45 102 — "Last Goodbye" 96 — — 1977 "Just Gettin' By" 98 — — "Woman Behind the Man Behind the Wheel" 92 — — 1978 "Lay Down Sally" 70 — — "The Days of Me and You" 77 — — 1980 "It'll Come Back" 89 — — "The Little Family Soldier" 74 — — A"Teddy Bear" also peaked at No. 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart and No. 49 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada. It also hit No. 4 on the UK charts in 1981, the only song of his to chart in that country.