Wynn Stewart
| Wynn Stewart | |
|---|---|
Stewart in the 1950s
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Winford Lindsey Stewart |
| Also known as | Wynn Stewart |
| Born | June 7, 1934 |
| Origin | Morrisville, Missouri |
| Died | July 17, 1985 (aged 51) |
| Genres | country, Bakersfield sound |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1954–1985 |
| Labels |
Capitol Records Playboy Records Jackpot Records |
| Associated acts | Jan Howard, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens |
| Website | Wynn Stewart Official Site |
Winford Lindsey Stewart (June 7, 1934 – July 17, 1985), better known as Wynn Stewart, was an American country music performer. He was one of the progenitors of the Bakersfield sound. Although not a huge chart success, he was an inspiration to such greats as Buck Owens , Merle Haggard and Nick Lowe.
Wynn Stewart was born in Morrisville, Missouri in 1934, during the Depression. He spent most of his childhood moving around the country with his sharecropping family. After World War II, Stewart spent a year working at KWTO in Springfield, Missouri. In 1948, he moved to California with his family. Stewart originally wanted to become a professional baseball player, but suffered from a hand disease and was also too short to play professional baseball. In high school Stewart formed a band that played at clubs around California. He soon met steel guitarist Ralph Mooney, who joined Stewart's band. The group's lineup consisted of guitarist Roy Nichols and bassist Bobby Austin.
In 1954, Stewart signed a recording contract with an independent record label called Intro Records. He released two singles on Intro. The first was called "I've Waited a Lifetime" and the second was called "Strolling". Both failed to chart on the country music charts. His second released single caught the attention of Skeets McDonald, one of Stewart's idols. He liked the song so much, he arranged an audition with Capitol Records for Stewart. By the summer of 1956, Stewart signed with Capitol. He soon recorded and released his first single from the label, "Waltz of the Angels", that same year. The song went to No. 14 on the country chart, and gave Stewart his first major hit. The song later became a duet hit for George Jones and Margie Singleton. However, Stewart did not stay with Capitol much longer as none of his other singles was gaining much success. His last single for Capitol (until his '60s return) was called "I Wish I Could Stay the Same", released in September 1957.
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