Sleepy LaBeef

Thomas Paulsley LaBeff (July 20, 1935 – December 26, 2019), known professionally as Sleepy LaBeef, was an American rockabilly musician.

Early life

LaBeef was born in Smackover, Arkansas, the youngest of 10 children. He was raised on a farm growing cotton and watermelons, and received the nickname "Sleepy" because he had a lazy eye.

Career LaBeef began recording rockabilly singles In the 1950s, initially credited as Sleepy LaBeff or Tommy LaBeff. After moving to Plantation Records in 1969, he scored a second hit in 1971 with "Blackland Farmer", which charted at No. 67. The 1980s saw him sign to Rounder Records, where he released albums into the 1990s.

As a musician, he was noted for his extensive repertoire, and for his live performances, at one time undertaking some 300 performances a year. He described the music he performed as "root music: old-time rock-and-roll, Southern gospel and hand-clapping music, black blues, Hank Williams-style country. We mix it up real good." His last performance was in September 2019.

Discography

Singles Year Title Record label 1957 "I’m Through" / "All Alone" Starday Records 1957 "I’m Through" / "All Alone" Starday-Mercury Records 1957 "All The Time" / "Lonely" Starday-Mercury Records 1958 "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" / "Eskimo Pie" Dixie Records 1958 "Oh, Oh, I’m Falling In Love Again" / "One Week Later" Dixie Records 1960 "Found Out" / "Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind" Gulf Records Records 1961 "Turn Me Loose" / "Ridin’ Fence" Crescent Records 1962 "Ride On Josephine" / "Walkin’ Slowly" Wayside Records 1963 "Tore Up" / "Lonely" Wayside Records 1963 "Drink Up And Go Home" / "Teardrops On A Rose" Finn Records 1963 "Ride On Josephine" / "Lonely" Picture Records 1965 "You Can’t Catch Me" / "Everybody’s Got To Have Somebody" Columbia Records 1966 "A Man In My Position" / "Drinking Again" Columbia Records 1966 "I’m Too Broke" / "I Feel A Lot More Like I Do Now" Columbia Records 1961 "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" / "The Ways Of A Woman In Love" Columbia Records 1969 "Blackland Farmer" / ? Columbia Records — "Baby, Let’s Play House" "Don’t Make Me Go" "Somebody’s Been Beating My Time" "I Ain’t Gonna Take It" "Little Bit More" "Shame, Shame, Shame" not issued

Albums 1974: The Bull’s Night Out 1976: Western Gold 1978: Rockabilly 1977 (Sun Records) 1978: Beefy Rockabilly 1979: Early, Rare and Rockin’ Sides 1979: Downhome Rockabilly (Sun Records) 1979: Downhome Rockabilly (Charly Records, UK) 1979: Rockabilly Heavyweight (with Dave Travis) 1979 "Sleepin' in Spain" (AUVI records, Spain) 1979: Sleepy LaBeef and Friends (Ace Records) 1979: Sleepy LaBeef and Friends (Ace-Chiswick Records) 1980: Early, Rare and Rockin’ Sides (re-release) 1980: Downhome Rockabilly (re-release) 1981: It Ain’t What You Eat, It's the Way How You Chew It (Rounder Records) 1982: Electricity (Rounder Records) 1987: Nothin’ But The Truth (Rounder Records) [live] 1994: Strange Things Happen 1995: The Human Jukebox (Rounder Records) 1996: I’ll Never Lay My Guitar Down (Rounder Records) 1996: Larger Than Life (6 CD-Box, compilation) 1997: A Rockin’ Decade 1999: Flyin’ Saucer Rock’n’Roll: The Very Best Of Sleepy LaBeef 1999: The Bulls’s Ride Out & Western Gold 2000: Tomorrow Never Comes 2001: Rockabilly Blues 2001: Road Warrior 2003: Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash (Northern Blues) 2008: Roots (Ponk Media) 2008: Sleepy Rocks (Bear Family anthology) 2012: Rides Again