Claude Gray Born:  January 26, 1932 Died:  April 28, 2023 Texas Country Music Hall of Fame (2019) KOCA Kilgore, TX (1958) WDAL Meridian, MS (1959)

About The Artist Claude Gray, known as the "Tall Texan" was born deep in the heart of East Texas, near the town of Henderson and was a graduate of Henderson High School and grew to be about six feet four inches tall. He joined the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and spent almost all of his naval career aboard ships in the Far East and South Pacific. Claude was honorably discharged as a second class petty officer (quartermaster) in the latter part of 1954. Claude mentioned in an interview once that he got his start as a country singer when he just "...kept messin' around with my pickin' and singin' since I was 12 or 13 years old." Claude's recording career began in 1960. At the time, he was working as a disc jockey for radio station WDAL out of Meredian, Mississippi. By that time, he had already made appearances on such nationally known shows as the "Louisiana Hayride" on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana as well as "The Big 'D' Jamboree" over KRLD out of Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas. His first hit record was the classic song, "The Family Bible" which was a country smash at the time, reaching the No. 7 position on the Billboard charts. In 1961, his debut record for the Mercury label was the million seller, "I'll Just Have A Cup Of Coffee Then I'll Go", which he followed with "My Ears Should Burn When Fools Are Talked About". That latter song also made it into the Billboard Top Ten list. It was also written by a good friend of Claude's, Roger Miller. When he was with Mercury at the time, the said he had a reputation as a "...country singer who really sings fromn the heart." In an interview in Country Song Roundup Magazine in 1962, Claude was asked about his being noted for singing with warmth and sincerity—singing with his heart. He replied: "If a song doesn't have any soul in it, I don't sing it. I just don't sing anything unless I like it and it expresses my sentiments." Some of the other hit records for Claude include "I Never Had The One That I Wanted" which Claude co-wrote with a friend of his, Sheb Wooley. That tune was his first release on the Decca record label and reached the No. 2 spot on the national Billboard country charts. The following release "If I Ever Need A Lady, I'll Call You" and the truck-driving classic tune, "How Fast Them Trucks Can Go" are some of Claude's most requested hits. Claude's recording career includes working with the Mercury, Columbia, and Decca record labels. He did a total of sixteen albums, 53 singles of which 18 reached the Billboard Top 20 on the national country charts. He's done personal appearances in a number of European countries and 49 of the 50 United States. Claude has worked with almost all the major country music acts and consders many of them friends. He's also appeared with those who might be considered "pop" entertainers such as Duke Ellington, Marty Allen, the great Dinah Washington, and over a period of several years, worked a number of shows with "Festus" from the TV show, "Gunsmoke". Claude considers Festus to be one of the finest entertainers he ever worked with. He appeared frequently on the Grand Ole Opry in 1961 and from time to time was called upon to host portions of the Friday Night and Saturday Night Opry shows. Claude notes that some of his favorite singers are Don Gibson, Buck Owens, Barbara Streisand, Luciana Pavarotti, Frankie Laine and Brook Benton. Some of his favorite people are folks such as the late Marty Robbins, Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright, who he had the pleasure of working with on many tours through the years, Freddie Hart and true friends, Bill Mack and Morgan Choat. Sound Sample—(YouTube Video Format) My Ears Should Burn (When Fools Are Talked About) Appearance History This Month April 5, 1968 Roanoke, VA Claude Gray April 6, 1968 Philadelphia, PA Claude Gray April 7, 1968 Washington, DC Claude Gray Get The Music British Archives of Country Music

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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   Columbia Rec. No. Side Song Title   43294 A Thank You Neighbor   43294 B Kinderhook bill   43443 A For Losing You   43443 B Thank You For The Ride   D Rec. No. Side Song Title   1059 A I'm Not Supposed To Think Of You Now   1059 B Letter Overdue   1093 A The Best Part of Me   1093 B Loneliness   1118 A The Family Bible   1144 A My Party's Over   1144 B Leave Alone   1154 A When The Light Shines In The Valley   1154 B Home Coming In Heaven   Decca Rec. No. Side Song Title   32039 A I Never Had The One I Wanted   32039 B Effects Your Leaving Had On Me   32122 A Because of Him   32122 B If I Ever Need a Lady (I'll Call You)   32180 A How Fast Them Trucks Can Go   32180 A How Fast Those Trucks Can Go   32180 B Next Time You See Me   32180 B Next Time You See Me   32266 A The Easy Way Out   32266 B Your Devil Memory   32312 A Night Life   32312 B Just Between Us Tears   32566 A Sherry Ann   32566 B Take Off Time   32648 A The Cleanest Man in Cincinnati   32648 B Crazy Arms   32786 A Angel   32786 B Save My Mind   32852 A Baton Rouge   32852 B Your Devil Memory   Granny White Rec. No. Side Song Title   10003 A Vin Rose   1001 A But That's All Right   1001 B Rockin' By Memories   1002 A That's My Baby   1002 B We Fall In Love That Way   1003 B It'll Do   1005 A Slow Dancing   1005 B Late Cup Of Coffee   1006 A If I Ever Need A Lady   1006 B The Bar   1007 A Never Had The One I Wanted   1007 B Late Cup Of Coffee   1009 A Let's Go All The Way (w/Norma Jean)   1009 B We Climbed A Mountain (w/Norma Jean)   1010 A Who Sent My Ex To Texas   1010 B So Sad To Watch Good Love Go Bad   1011 A How Fast Them Trucks Can Go   1011 B Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You   Mercury Rec. No. Side Song Title   71732 A I'll Just Have A Cup Of Coffee And Then I'll Go   71732 B I Want To Be Alone   71826 A My Ears Should Burn (When Fools Are Talked About)   71826 B Crying In The Night   71936 A Stone Heart   71936 B You Take The Table   72088 A First Love Never Dies   72156 A I'm Gonna Lie Again   72156 B Go Home Cheater   72236 A Eight Years (And Two Children Later)   72236 B Lonesome   Million Rec. No. Side Song Title   31 A Woman Ease My Mind   31 B Don't Fight The Feeling   Million Records Rec. No. Side Song Title   18 A What Every Woman Wants To Hear   3 A Jeannie   3 B Straight Down To Heaven   36 A We Could   36 B Loving You Is A Habit I Can't Break   Minor Records Rec. No. Side Song Title   MH-110 A Late Again   MH-110 B Barricade Around My Heart   Sparton Rec. No. Side Song Title   792 A Little Overdue   792 B I'm Not Supposed   871 A Family Bible   871 B Crying In The Night   914 A My Party's Over   914 B Leave Alone   943 A Homecoming In Heaven   943 B When The Light Shines In The Valley