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Joseph Glenn "Dick" Damron (March 22, 1934 – March 29, 2025) was a Canadian country music singer and songwriter. Damron experimented with many musical styles in the country genre, including outlaw, rockabilly, and honky-tonk, as well as gospel. Over a recording career spanning 60 years he recorded more than 25 albums, received numerous country music awards, and was inducted into the International Country Music Hall Of Fame, in Beaumont, Texas.
Dick Damron | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph Glenn Damron |
| Born | March 22, 1934 Bentley, Alberta, Canada |
| Died | March 29, 2025 (aged 91) Lacombe, Alberta, Canada |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, banjo, violin, blues harp |
Early career
editDick Damron was born March 22, 1934, in Bentley, Alberta.[1] Damron started his career performing in both rock and country bands, including the Musical Round-Up Gang (on CKRD radio, Red Deer) and the Nightriders. His recording career began in 1959 with his original 45 "Havin' a Party" / "Rockin' Baby". Then, in 1960 he recorded two LPs for his own label, Holiday. In 1961, he issued his first Nashville studio album on Quality Records, then had a Canadian #1 hit with "Hitchhiking" in 1963. He continued recording and touring throughout the 1960s, building up a growing fan base.
Damron had a breakthrough hit in 1970 with "Countryfied" for Apex records.[2] He found further success throughout the 1970s with singles such as "Rise 'n' Shine", "The Long Green Line", "Mother, Love and Country", and "Susan Flowers".
In 1978 Damron signed his first major label contract and began recording for RCA. By this point he had become an established performer in the outlaw style and a well known songwriter. His most popular singles for RCA included "Silver and Shine", "Whisky Jack", "Honky Tonk Angels and Good Ol' Boys", and "Good Ol' Time Country Rock 'n' Roll".
Throughout the years Damron has performed at many notable shows and venues, including the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville (1972). He also toured Europe many times throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including a performance at the Wembley International Country Music Festival in London, England. He spent six seasons as the resident band at Howard Hughes' Desert Inn in Las Vegas from 1985 to 1991. He appeared on Canadian television networks CBC and CTV, and at a concert at the Calgary Stampede.
Musical contacts
editAs a solo artist, Damron played alongside musicians including Jerry Reed and Buddy Emmons in Nashville sessions, and James Burton sitting in at a Las Vegas jam. His main backup group was the Stoney Creek Band, which featured Brian Richard, Sam Taylor, and Myron Szott. His songs have been covered by numerous artists, including Charlie Pride, George Hamilton IV, Wilf Carter, Carroll Baker, Gary Buck, Terry Carisse, Jimmy Arthur Ordge, Orval Prophet, and Rhythm Pals.
Awards
editDamron won the Big Country award for top country music composer in 1976 and 1984, best male country singer award in the years 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1983. "Susan Flowers" was declared the Big Country best country single in 1997. He has won CCMA Awards as best male vocalist (1983), instrumentalist (1985), entertainer (1989), and for best single in 1984 ("Jesus, It's Me Again"). Between 1980 and 1983 he won the Texas Proud Award. He was inducted into the International Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Damron won seven BMI[disambiguation needed] songwriter awards.
Author
editDamron wrote the fictional thrillers Rockabye Baby Blues and Pacific Coast Radio, and the autobiography The Legend and the Legacy.
Death
editDiscography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | ||
| 1961 and 1963 | The Nashville Sound of Dick Damron | — |
| 1967 | Canadiana Souvenir Album | — |
| 1968 | Dick Damron | — |
| 1969 | Lonesome City | — |
| 1971 | Countryfied | — |
| 1973 | The Cowboy and the Lady | — |
| 1974 | Northwest Rebellion | — |
| 1975 | Soldier of Fortune | — |
| 1976 | North Country Skyline | — |
| 1978 | Lost in the Music | 12 |
| 1980 | Life Story | — |
| High on You | — | |
| 1981 | The Best of Dick Damron | — |
| 1982 | Honky Tonk Angel | — |
| 1984 | Last Dance on Saturday Night | 18 |
| 1987 | Night Music | — |
| Dick Damron | — | |
| 1989 | The Legend and the Legacy | — |
| 1992 | Mirage | — |
| 1993 | Wings Upon the Wind: Christian Country Collection | — |
| 1994 | Touch the Sky: Christian Country Collection II | — |
| 1995 | Dick Damron: The Anthology | — |
| 1997 | Still Countrified | — |
| 2002 | Died and Gone to Mexico | — |
| 2004 | The Big Picture | — |
| 2008 | Farewell to Arms | — |
| 2011 | More Than Countryfied: The Early Recordings | — |
| 2012 | Lost in the Music: The Recordings | — |
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1959 | "Gonna Have a Party" | — | — | Non-album songs |
| 1960 | "That's What I Call Livin'" | — | — | |
| 1961 | "I Guess That's Life" | — | — | |
| "Little Sandy" | — | — | The Nashville Sound of Dick Damron | |
| 1962 | "Times Like This" | — | — | |
| 1964 | "Hitch Hikin'" | 1 | — | |
| 1970 | "Countryfied" | 1 | — | Countryfied |
| 1971 | "Rise 'n' Shine" | 1 | — | |
| 1972 | "The Long Green Line" | 4 | 15 | |
| 1973 | "Walk a Country Mile" | — | 27 | |
| "Going Home to the Country" | 19 | — | ||
| "The Prophet" | 28 | — | The Cowboy and the Lady | |
| 1974 | "Bitter Sweet Songs" | 2 | — | |
| 1975 | "Mother, Love and Country" | 5 | — | Soldier of Fortune |
| 1976 | "On the Road" | 1 | 3 | |
| "Good Ol' Fashion Memories" | 3 | — | ||
| "Waylon's T-Shirt" | 13 | — | North Country Skyline | |
| 1977 | "Susan Flowers" | 1 | — | |
| "Charing Cross Cowboys" | 28 | — | ||
| 1978 | "Whiskey Jack" | 9 | — | Lost in the Music |
| "My Good Woman" | 16 | — | ||
| "Silver and Shine" | 7 | — | High on You | |
| 1979 | "High on You" | 12 | — | |
| "The Ballad of T.J.'s" | 14 | — | ||
| 1980 | "Dollars" | 20 | — | |
| 1981 | "If You Need Me Lord" | 29 | — | The Best of Dick Damron |
| "Mid-nite Flytes" | 30 | — | ||
| "Reunion" | 9 | — | Honky Tonk Angel | |
| 1982 | "Honky Tonk Angels and Good Ol' Boys" | 7 | — | |
| "Good Ol' Time Country Rock 'N' Roll" | 9 | — | ||
| "Jesus It's Me Again" | 25 | — | ||
| 1983 | "I'm Not Ready for the Blues" | 30 | — | Dick Damron (1987) |
| 1984 | "A Little More Country Music" | 22 | — | Last Dance on Saturday Night |
| "Riding Shotgun" | 30 | — | ||
| 1985 | "Last Dance on Saturday Night" | 28 | — | |
| 1986 | "Masquerade" | 35 | — | Dick Damron (1987) |
| 1987 | "1955" | 48 | — | |
| "You'd Still Be Here Today" | 28 | — | ||
| "Cinderella & the Gingerbread Man" | 15 | — | ||
| 1988 | "St. Mary's Angel" | 45 | — | |
| "Here We Go Again" | * | — | ||
| 1989 | "The Legend and the Legacy" | 34 | — | The Legend and the Legacy |
| "Ain't No Trains to Nashville" | 20 | — | ||
| 1990 | "Midnite Cowboy Blues" | 32 | — | |
| 1991 | "Wild Horses" | 14 | — | |
Singles with Ginny Mitchell
edit| Year | Title | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | |||
| 1985 | "Falling in and Out of Love" | 27 | Non-album songs |
| "Rise Against the Wind" | 14 |
References
edit- ^ "CCMA Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
- ^ "From the Music Capitals of the World". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 17 October 1970. pp. 1–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Central Alberta country music legend Dick Damron dead at 91". The Red Deer Advocate. March 31, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ^ Oermann, Robert K. (2025-03-31). "Canadian Country Superstar Dick Damrom Passes". MusicRow.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.