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Never before on CD!A tragic story matched only by the fabulous swamp pop music!Wrote several of Fats Domino's classic records!Contains every title, issued and unissued, recorded 1957 - 1960 by the legendary Jimmy Donley, plus multiple takes of previously known singles. Includes an extensive, newly researched biography, discography and many never seen pictures from Jimmy Donley's sister. Jimmy Donley has become a cult figure, his fame spreading well beyond the boundaries of Louisiana swamp pop and rockabilly. A prolific songwriter - compared by some to Hank Williams - Jimmy Donley never enjoyed success with his own recordings. Much of his legacy rests on the unlikely musical and personal bond he forged with Fats Domino, who recorded more than half a dozen of his songs. Music aside, the details of Jimmy Donley's tragic life have made him one of the most notorious figures of his era. He is remembered today for the extreme and incessant violence in his life. Prior to his suicide in 1963, Jimmy Donley's aggression was freely directed at his numerous wives, girlfriends, as well as casual patrons in the Gulf Coast bars where he performed. You didn't want to come near him when he was drinking, recalls Jimmy Donley's sister. The trouble was, Jimmy Donley drank nearly all the time.

Jimmy Donley's music has never been reissued with the care and attention to detail it deserves. Bear Family remedies all that with the release of this CD, featuring an extensive bio based on new interview material by Hank Davis, a generous collection of Jimmy Donley's classic sides for Decca Nashville, as well as a special glimpse at the behind-the-scenes events at one of Jimmy Donley's recording sessions. It's all here: every title Jimmy Donley recorded between 1957 and 1960, including multiple takes and previously unissued material. This set offers the best available look into the life and music of one of the Deep South's legendary figures.

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