Jimmy Newman
| Jimmy C. Newman | |
|---|---|
Jimmy C. Newman at 2009 Festivals Acadiens et Créoles
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jimmy Yves Newman |
| Born |
August 29, 1927 Mamou, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | June 21, 2014 (aged 86) Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Country, Cajun |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Acoustic guitar |
| Years active | 1954–2014 |
Jimmy Yves Newman (August 29, 1927 – June 21, 2014), better known as Jimmy C. Newman (the C stands for Cajun), was an American country music and cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry.
Newman was born near Big Mamou, Louisiana. As a child, he listened more to Gene Autry than to the Cajun music of the area, but had a number of Cajun songs in his repertoire when, as a teenager, he joined Chuck Guillory’s Rhythm Boys.
He recorded a few unsuccessful sides for J.D. Miller’s Feature label in the 1940s, but Miller persuaded Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee to give the young singer an opportunity. In 1953, he was signed to Dot Records and the following year recorded "Cry, Cry Darling", which reached No. 4 on the country chart.
His recording success led the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, to hire him as a regular performer. His next four records all reached Top 10 status, and in 1956 he was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. That following year he released his biggest hit, "A Fallen Star", which spent two weeks at No. 2 and also entered the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
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