SHELBY SINGLETON
An American record holding producer “Shelby Singleton” died on Yesterday after a battle with brain cancer. He lost his battle in Nashville, Tennessee hospital. He took over as the boss of Memphis-based Sun Records during late 1960s. He also left a mark for himself in the World of music. He was also a renowned talent manager. He was also a record label owner. He may be the only producer to record three No. 1 country records in one day on three different artists.
BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Singleton was a renegade producer, record executive, song-hunter and promoter.He was born on 16 November, 1931 in Waskom, Texas. He graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport, Louisiana at 15. Two years later he married Margaret Ebey, who was his first wife. She later became famous in the country music scene as Margie Singleton. After 16 years of marriage, they divorced. Singleton married three more times. He has four children, Stephen, Sidney, Shana, and Stuart. Stephen, Sidney, and Shana all have their own children as well. Singleton and his family reside in Nashville, Tennessee. He died on October 7, which was his favorite number. He will be remembered as a music legend and great and generous man. He helped fuse country and R&B music in the 1960s and who achieved the Sun Records label since 1969. He joined the Marine corps and after his military discharges, he was hired by the Shreveport Louisiana branch of Mercury Records doing promotional work. He became famous in the company as a record producer and executive. In 1969 he achieved his first hit single. It became number two on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the following year.He spent nine years at Mercury and its sister label. At that time, he was involved in producing several hits. Some of them includes “Walk On By”, Leroy Van Dyke, “Ahab the Arab”, Ray Stevens, “Wooden Heart”, Joe Dowell and producing acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Roger Miller, Charlie Rich, Dave Dudley and Brook Benton. In 1962 he brought the master recording of “Hey Paula” by Jill and Ray. He issued a song on Mercury’s newly acquired label. The song spent three weeks number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He left Mercury in 1966 and created the Shelby Singleton Corporation in Nashville. After launching Plantation Records, he produced Riley’s recording of “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” a pop crossover record that sold more than 8 million copies. In the following year, he purchased Sun Records from Sam Phillips, including its classic rock and roll catalog. He is on the nominating committee of Hit Parade Hall of fame.
