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First ever CD release by Lee Emerson! Lee Emerson wrote classic country hits and recorded hillbilly, rockabilly, and even an R&B single! In 1978, Lee Emerson was shot and killed by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler ('The Ballad Of The Green Berets')! Features rare demos and recordings from Lee Emerson's Estate!

Lee Emerson left rural poverty in Virginia for a new life out west. In Cody, Wyoming in 1953 he recorded his first single for Wagon Wheel Records. Friends told him he should go to Nashville, so he did.

Right after arriving, Lee Emerson landed a contract with Columbia and caught the attention of the label's biggest star, Marty Robbins. They taped two duet sessions together - the very few Marty Robbins ever did! Lee Emerson's Columbia issues also included his original version of what is now a bluegrass classic, I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name. Emerson shuttled between hillbilly, rockabilly, and rock 'n' roll. Two unissued Columbia masters are included. In 1961, Lee Emerson recorded an R&B single as Heywood Jenkins for Mercury, but didn't record again until 1976. In between, he wrote one of Marty Robbins' biggest hits, Ruby Ann.

By 1978, Lee Emerson had become a drunk and a pill-head. He was writing songs in Texas with Freddy Fender but returned to Nashville to work with... and date... a female singer. Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler ('The Ballad Of The Green Berets') also dated the woman and on December 2, 1978 Barry Sadler shot and killed Lee Emerson.

This is the full story. Lee Emerson's tragic life and complete output... many new to CD! As a bonus, there are 12 demos of songs that Lee Emerson wrote for Kitty Wells, the Willis Brothers, and others. Wonderfully eccentric and engaging music!

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