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About The Artist
Tibby Edwards (born Edwin M. Thibodeaux) had a musical career that landed him a regular spot on the "KWKH Louisiana Hayride" at seventeen and a contract with Mercury Records at eighteen. After military service, he did not pursue his career with much vigor and became a part-time performer. By the 1980's, he was working primarily as a paper hanger, despite having some excellent country and rockabilly numbers in his prime years. Edwards hailed from Garland, Louisiana and had a strong Cajun ethnic background. His father worked in construction and so the Edwards family moved around Louisiana and East Texas frequently. Edwards met aspiring musician Lefty Frizzell about 1949, and became a virtual prot�g� of the older man who's career took off the next year. After that Edwards sang in the clubs around Beaumont as did other aspiring musicians as Benny Barnes and George Jones. Then in December 1952, he landed a regular spot on the Hayride about the same time that Hank Williams left to go on what would be his fatal last trip. Not long afterward, J. D. Miller, a man with some connections, took both Tibby and Jimmie C. Newman to Nashville for an audition with Mercury Records. Although Newman eventually became the bigger name, at the time they accepted Edwards and rejected Newman. Edwards later quipped "looking back on it . . . they may have made a mistake." The eighteen year old had his first Mercury session in August 1953.
 
 
 
 
 
 
With five years at the Hayride and nearly as long at Mercury, Edwards seemed to be propelled to the level of stardom that other KWKH veterans experienced. These included Webb Pierce, Faron Young, George Jones, and eventually Elvis Presley and Johnny Horton, but it never quite happened. His songs were good. He did Jimmie Newman's "Cry, Cry Darling" before the composer did it, but Jimmie had the hit on Dot the next year. When rockabilly hit, his "Flip, Flop and Fly" were as good as any. His session musicians were among the best. Tibby worked with and was friends with all the others — but never made it out of Shreveport — Horton also remained at KWKH, but had the big hits). In 1958, Edwards was drafted and inducted into the army within a few days of when his friend Elvis entered the service (but without all the fanfare). As he later recalled, "Once I got out of the army for one reason or another, I just never got back into it. For some years, he did continue as a part-time performer and cut singles on the smaller labels. Eventually, Tibby settled in Baton Rouge where he worked as a painter and paper hanger. In 1985, Bear Family Records reissued sixteen of his Mercury sides on an album with quality notes by Bob Allen. When he died fourteen years later, his brief obituary in the Baton Rouge Advocate failed to mention that he had once been a star on the KWKH Louisiana Hayride. His tombstone uses only the name Edwin "Bill" Thibodeaux and his birth and death dates. Credits & Sources
Appearance History This Month
Get The Music
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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)
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| Rec. No. | Side | Song Title | ||
| 1081 | A | Memory Of A Lie | ||
| 1081 | B | One More Night | ||
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| Rec. No. | Side | Song Title | ||
| 138 | A | Congratulations To You | ||
| 138 | A | Congratulations To You | ||
| 138 | B | Forever Is A Long Time | ||
| 138 | B | Forever Is A Long Time | ||
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| Rec. No. | Side | Song Title | ||
| 70236 | A | If You Love Me, Let Me Know It | ||
| 70236 | B | Walkin' And A Cryin' With The Blues | ||
| 70314 | A | Too Proud To Wear My Name | ||
| 70314 | B | That's How I Was Lost | ||
| 70347 | A | Mine Forever | ||
| 70347 | B | Cry,Cry Darlin' | ||
| 70408 | A | I'm Still In Love With You | ||
| 70408 | B | If You Lose You'll Understand | ||
| 70454 | A | Try To Understand | ||
| 70454 | A | Try To Understand | ||
| 70454 | B | Uninvited | ||
| 70454 | B | Uninvited | ||
| 70518 | A | Just A Few More Tears | ||
| 70518 | A | Just A Few More Tears | ||
| 70518 | B | What Has Become Of You | ||
| 70518 | B | What Has Become of You | ||
| 70591 | A | Flip, Flop and Fly | ||
| 70591 | A | Flip, Flop And Fly | ||
| 70591 | B | There Ain't No Better Time | ||
| 70591 | B | There Ain't No Better Time | ||
| 70640 | A | Play It Cool Man, Play It Cool | ||
| 70640 | A | Play It Cool Man, Play It Cool | ||
| 70640 | B | Shift Gears | ||
| 70640 | B | Shift Gears | ||
| 70719 | A | C'est Si Tout | ||
| 70719 | B | It'll Be A Long, Long Time | ||
| 70816 | A | You Made A Believer Out Of Me | ||
| 70816 | B | I Can't Forget The Future | ||
| 71036 | A | I Asked For More | ||
| 71036 | B | But I Do | ||
| 71113 | A | Long Time Gone | ||
| 71113 | B | I'd Come Running | ||
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| Rec. No. | Side | Song Title | ||
| 278 | A | Fool That I Was | ||
| 278 | B | I Don't Want To Say I Love You | ||
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| Rec. No. | Side | Song Title | ||
| 1065 | A | Daydreamin' | ||
| 1065 | B | Teenage Trouble | ||
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