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Lucky Hill
Born:  January 11, 1931
KWED Seguin, TX
WTFM Tiffin, OH


About The Artist

Many fans knew Lucky Hill as the "Singing Blues Boy." Around 1953 or so, they had formed a Lucky Hill Fan Club and had more than 300 official members at the beginning. Around this time, he had discontinued performing with his own band and would do personal appearances with the leading groups across the country.

Lucky had a few recordings released, too - songs such as "That Old Sweetheart Of Mine", "Now You Know", "Technical Love". That last tune they said was a bit in the Little Jimmy Dickens style and was a Lucky Hill original. Around 1957, he had signed with Starday Records who had just discovered George Jones and Benny Barnes at the time. His release back then was "Fickle Baby" with "It's Comin' Home".

Lucky remembers that his first radio show was over WTFM in Tiffin, Ohio in 1947. He was nervous back then that the audience wouldn't like his music. And remained so as he knew music was constantly changing. Back in 1947 he mentioned, you were either 'established' or you weren't.

His fan mail picked up more than 500% he relates, shortly after starting his fan club and the announcement that he had signed with Starday records. He was stationed with the Air Force in North Africa for a spell and when he got back, he started getting requests for personal appearances as a result of his release on Starday. In fact, he was quite devoted to his fans, and would often only sleep four nights out of seven just to give his fan mail personal attention.

Lucky Hill was a disc jockey for a couple years during his stint in the Air Force. He also had a band comprised of all GI's during that tenure and had a weekly half hour show on the Armed Forces network and also an hour long television show for the Armed Forces TV network. On August 23, 1957, he was invited to be "Mr. Dee Jay USA" on WSM.

Lucky mentions in a 1957 article some of the influences in his career. He cites Charlie Walker as being the most helpful in more ways than one with his career. He said an appearance with the late Hank Williams taught him a lot, too. In 1954, he worked a couple of shows with Ray Price. Other country music acts he had worked with included Floyd Tillman, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Locklin and others. He said he learned something from each of them and wouldn't forget either.

It seems from the article we've found so far, that at this time he was working mainly out of Texas. He had wrote he was impressed with Jimmy and Leon Short who he thought would bend over backwards to help out. And he thought Floyd Tillman was one "...of the best darn show men in the racket and whenever Floyd starts a-singing, man, them people go hog wild and all in all believe me they have a time that they hain't never gonna forget. As long as I can open my mouth clean to my ears and chaw on some of that good southern fried chicken neighbors, I'll always remember Floyd."

Credits & Sources

  • Cowboy Songs Magazine No. 25; March 1953; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT.
  • Country Song Roundup No. 51; August 1957; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT.

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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)

 
Country Records
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  501 A Just Passin' By
  501 B I'm Checkin' Out
  503 A Just Waitin'
  503 B Don't Go Among Strangers
 
Starday
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  329 A Wait For Me
  329 B I'm Missing You
  45-622 A Fickle Baby
  45-622 B It's Coming Home To You
 
TNT
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  109 A I'm Wondering (w/Rolling Stones)
  109 B The Life of Love (w/Rolling Stones)
  115 A Wait For Me (w/Betty Olive)
  115 B Please Come Home (w/Betty Olive)


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