DAVE'S DIARY - 8 SEPTEMBER 2003
LITTLE
DAVID WILKINS ALIVE AND KICKING
 |
Tennessee
troubadour Little David Wilkins, who rivalled the late Johnny Russell
as the biggest man in country music in the seventies, is alive and
well. When
I interviewed Wilkins in 1978 he was in fine fettle, working the
honky tonks and taverns throughout the south. |
Little David
was born in Parsons, Tennessee, and started on legendary Sun Records in
Memphis at age 22 after learning guitar by mail order at age 15. Sam Phillips
produced two recording sessions on Wilkins with only one release, "There's
Something About You".
Wilkins had hits for Plantation, MCA, Playboy and Epic and is renowned
for the title track of his 1976 MCA disc King Of All The Taverns."
"I'm king of all the taverns because I give them all a try,"
was the wry hook of the hit - one of many he wrote with Tim Marshall.
That disc was produced by Owen Bradley at the famed Bradley's Barn in
Mt Juliet. It featured Harold Bradley on bass and electric guitar, Pete
Wade on lead guitar, the late Pete Drake on pedal steel, pianist Hargus
"Pig" Robbins and Bob Moore guesting on bass.
Wilkins also penned hits for peers.
They included Coming On Strong (Brenda Lee), That's The Only Way Life's
Good To Me (Charley Pride), Cry Like A Baby (Ronnie Dove), Afraid I Want
To
Love You One More Time (Billy "Crash" Craddock) Put A Little
Loving On Me
(Percy Sledge) and Georgia Keeps Pulling On My Ring (Conway Twitty).
Wilkins's other albums include a self-titled 1974 disc, New Horizons for
Playboy in 1977 and Live On The Road.
Eddie Kilroy produced New Horizons, featuring Robbins and Bobby Wood on
piano, late drummer Larrie London, bassist Bobby Dyson, pedal steel player
Russ Hicks and guitarists Steve Chapman, Dave Kirby and Bobby Thompson.
The singer won BMI songwriting awards for Coming On Strong and Georgia
Keeps
Pulling On My Ring and an ASCAP Award for He'll Play The Music.
Among his other radio friendly cuts were Love In The Back Seat, Too Much,
Butter Beans, Hold Back, Not Tonight, I've Got A Headache, Whoever Turned
You On, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, Good Night Special, He'll Play
The Music, It Took A Stranger To Change Her, Before It Begins and Hang
Together.
And, of course, the aptly named It's A Long Way To Heaven.
Little David has recorded a new 17 song CD featuring 2 duets with the
late Johnny Russell. It will be available in 2004.
You can visit David's
web site here
Welcome back Little David - you outlived Sun Records founder Sam Phillips