Dallas Frazier

Dallas Frazier
Dallas Frazier in 1966
Background information
Born	(1939-10-27) October 27, 1939 (age 77)
Origin	Spiro, Oklahoma, United States
Genres	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1957–1988
Labels	Capitol, RCA

Dallas Frazier (born October 27, 1939) is an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s.

Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma but was raised in Bakersfield, California. As a teenager, he played with Ferlin Husky and on the program Hometown Jamboree; and released his first single, "Space Command", at age 14 in 1954.

Frazier's 1957 song Alley Oop, later taken to #1 in the US by The Hollywood Argyles was his first hit. After Hometown Jamboree went off the air, Frazier moved to Nashville, Tennessee and found work as a songwriter. Among his early successes was "Timber I'm Falling", a hit for Husky in 1964, and There Goes My Everything, a big hit for Jack Greene in 1966.

In 1966 he released his solo debut album Elvira, containing his song Elvira. His follow-up Tell It Like It Is (1967), was also a success.

While his singing success was limited, Frazier became an oft-covered songwriter. His tunes were recorded by O.C. Smith, George Jones (who recorded an entire album of Frazier's songs in 1968), Diana Ross, Engelbert Humperdinck, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jack Greene, Connie Smith (who also recorded an entire album of Frazier's songs in 1972), Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee, Carola, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Elvis Presley, Moe Bandy, Roy Head, Charlie Louvin, Rodney Crowell, Dan McCafferty, and Ronnie Hawkins. In 1970, Frazier earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song, which is awarded to the songwriter rather than the performer, for "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me), which became a #1 hit for Charley Pride. Many of the songs became hits into the 1980s; examples include the Oak Ridge Boys cover of "Elvira" and Emmylou Harris's version of "Beneath Still Waters". The cover of "Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys was a huge crossover hit, peaking at #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart and #5 on the all genre Billboard Hot 100 and earned Frazier his second Grammy nomination for Best Country song. Anne Murray with Glen Campbell, George Strait, Randy Travis, and Patty Loveless have all also recorded Frazier tunes. Frazier himself charted eight times on the U.S. country charts.