Webb Pierce
Michael Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was an American honky-tonk vocalist, songwriter and guitarist of the 1950s, one of the most popular of the genre, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In the Jailhouse Now", which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one. Pierce also charted number one for several weeks each with his recordings of "Slowly" (1954), "Love, Love, Love" (1955), "I Don't Care" (1955), "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "More and More" (1954), "I Ain't Never" (1959), and his first number one "Wondering", which stayed at the top spot for four of its 27 weeks' charting in 1952. He recorded country gospel song "I Love Him Dearly" also. His iconic hit "Teenage Boogie" was covered by British band T. Rex as "I Love to Boogie" in 1974, but credited as being written by the group's lead singer Marc Bolan and not Pierce. The music of Webb was also made popular during the British rockabilly scene in the 1980s and 1990s. For many, Pierce, with his flamboyant Nudie suits and twin silver dollar-lined convertibles, became the most recognizable face of country music of the era and its excesses. Pierce was a one-time member of the Grand Ole Opry and was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A tribute album in his honor (produced by singer-songwriter Gail Davies) was released in 2001 entitled Caught in the Webb – A Tribute To Country Legend Webb Pierce. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 8, 1921 (West Monroe), Died February 24, 1991
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1945 - 1972
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 470 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | D5AB-0856 | 10-in. | 11/19/1945 | Tomorrow begins another year | Harmie Smith ; Southern Swingsters | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Decca | 88892 | 11/18/1955 | I don't care | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 101921 | 3/18/1957 | I owe it to my heart | Johnnie Bailes | vocalist | |||
Decca | 101922 | 3/18/1957 | You make me live again | Johnnie Bailes | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106715 | 3/3/1959 | He's got the whole world in His hands | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106716 | 3/3/1959 | I'm bound for the Kingdom | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106717 | 3/3/1959 | Hold fast to the right | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106718 | 3/3/1959 | Whispering hope | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106719 | 3/3/1959 | I'll fly away | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106720 | 3/3/1959 | Leaning on the everlasting arm | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106721 | 3/3/1959 | When God dips His love in my heart | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106722 | 3/3/1959 | Where we'll never grow old | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106723 | 3/3/1959 | The old country church | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106724 | 3/3/1959 | I'll meet you in the morning | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106725 | 3/3/1959 | If we never meet again | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 106726 | 3/3/1959 | I feel like travelling on | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | 111299 | 7/22/1961 | You are my life | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | L 6450 | 9/26/1951 | Riley's daughter-1 | Danny Kaye | vocalist | |||
Decca | L 6451 | 9/26/1951 | Eat, eat, eat! | Danny Kaye | vocalist | |||
Decca | L 6452 | 9/26/1951 | Santa Claus looks like my Daddy | Danny Kaye | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 2333 | 3/7/1951 | Drifting Texas sand | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 2334 | 3/7/1951 | If crying would make you | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 2335 | 3/7/1951 | California blues (Blue yodel no. 4) | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 2336 | 3/7/1951 | You scared the love right out of me | Webb Pierce | vocalist | |||
Decca | NA 2464 | 8/13/1951 | New silver bells | Webb Pierce | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Pierce, Webb," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106869.
Pierce, Webb. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106869.
"Pierce, Webb." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Webb Pierce
Discogs: Webb Pierce
Allmusic: Webb Pierce
Grove: Webb Pierce
IMDb: Webb Pierce
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Pierce, Webb, 1921-1991 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93045169
Wikidata: Webb Pierce - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1347695
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/55823336
MusicBrainz: Webb Pierce - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/cbd197c2-1c29-4f46-acc6-0565a916d143
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