Jimmy Donley
Jimmy Donley (August 17, 1929 – March 20, 1963) was an American singer-songwriter. James Kenneth Donley, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, began his musical career playing in local bars. He served briefly in the Army before being discharged on psychological grounds, then revived his musical career. Donley wrote many songs, such as "Born To Be A Loser", that went on to be hits by other artists, including Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. Some of his songs were credited to Rev. J. Charles Jessup, a preacher to whom Donley sold the rights to his output. Married six times, and prone to bouts of both heavy drinking and domestic violence, Donley saw his musical career decline in the early 1960s. At the age of 33, he committed suicide, by asphyxiating himself with his car's exhaust fumes. At the time of his death, he was married to Lillie Mae Ugas Donley, who has since died. They are laid to rest next to each other in Saucier, Mississippi. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 17, 1929, Died March 20, 1963
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1957 - 1960
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | NA 9700 | 2/26/1957 | Child love | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 9701 | 2/26/1957 | Baby how long-1, 2 | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 9702 | 2/26/1957 | Kickin' my hound around-2 | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 9703 | 2/26/1957 | Come along | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 9856 | 6/26/1957 | South of the border | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 9857 | 6/26/1957 | The trail of the lonesome pine | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 9858 | 6/26/1957 | I gotta go | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10011 | 11/21/1957 | Born to be a loser-1 | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10012 | 11/21/1957 | Please baby come home | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10013 | 11/21/1957 | Child love | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10365 | 8/12/1958 | I'm alone-1 | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10366 | 8/12/1958 | Radio, jukebox and T.V.-2 | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10664 | 3/27/1959 | Arleeta | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10665 | 3/27/1959 | The shape you left me in | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10666 | 3/27/1959 | What must I do | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10804 | 7/30/1959 | Give me my freedom | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10805 | 7/30/1959 | Now I know | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 10806 | 7/30/1959 | I can't love you | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 11096 | 4/14/1960 | Our love | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 11097 | 4/14/1960 | I've been there | Jimmy Donley | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 11098 | 4/14/1960 | My baby's gone | Jimmy Donley | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Donley, Jimmy," accessed November 8, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/312618.
Donley, Jimmy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/312618.
"Donley, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 8 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Donley, Jimmy - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93046018
Wikidata: Jimmy Donley - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6200004
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/55823468
MusicBrainz: Jimmy Donley - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7e2b3e5e-99a5-4414-80f9-c949a2308fba
ISNI: 0000 0000 8134 8869 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000081348869
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