Stoney Edwards
| Stoney Edwards | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Frenchie Edwards |
| Born | December 24, 1929 |
| Origin | Seminole County, Oklahoma |
| Died | April 5, 1997 (aged 67) |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1970–1992 |
| Labels |
Capitol Music America |
Stoney Edwards was an American country singer. He was one of the first black singers to have a significant presence in country music. He is best known for the song, "She's My Rock," a Top 20 country hit that was later a hit song for Brenda Lee and then for George Jones.
Born Frenchie (or Frenchy) Edwards on December 24, 1929 in rural Seminole County, Oklahoma. He was one of the youngest of seven children born to Rescue Edwards (known as "Bub"), a farmer from North Carolina and his wife, Ollie (known as "Red").
From an early age, Edwards dreamed of performing at the Grand Ole Opry. After moving to the San Francisco area and raising a family there, Edwards would play music in his spare time. However, in 1968, a job-related accident would change his life forever. While working as a forklift operator in a steel refinery, Edwards got trapped in a sealed-up tank and suffered severe carbon dioxide poisoning. He was sidelined for the next two years in either a coma, a near-coma, or in a state bordering on insanity.
As his condition improved, Edwards found work in odd jobs while at the same time devoting more of his energy to music. He sang in a honky tonk style reminiscent of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard. In 1970, while performing at a benefit for his hero, Bob Wills in Oakland, California, Stoney was spotted by a local attorney, Ray Sweeney. In the wake of Charley Pride's breakthrough success, the attorney knew that most labels were looking for a black country singer. Just six months after recovering from his accident, Edwards signed a contract with Capitol Records.
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