Arlie Duff

Arleigh Elton Duff was born on 28th March 1924, in Jack's Branch near Warren, Texas. Originally nicknamed “Pee Wee” Duff, he was an All-State basketball player his senior year. Later, he served his country in the US Navy for three years during World War II. After his discharge, He continued his education and earned a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a Master of Arts in Education degree from Stephen F. Austin State College in Nacogdoches, TX. While attending college, he continued his basketball prowess, being named to the All-Conference team while being captain of the varsity team.

However, it was his music career for which he was to leave his mark. He strated off as a songwriter before recorded with his Western Cherokees for Starday in 1952. Midway through the next year he went to number 7 in the country charts with the BMI award winning single, "Y'All Come". he originally cut is as the theme tune for the Houston Hometown Jamboree, berfore it bust wide open. He was unable to follow up this hit. Arlie married Nancy White after an 18 day courtship on October 10, 1954, during the Louisiana Hayride, with best man Red Foley singing "I love You Truly" and "Every Step of the Way" to the couple. The ushers for the bridegroom included no less than Hawkshaw Hawkins, Porter Wagoner, Billy Walker and Tommy Sosebee. I had a couplew of tossers fromm work and a cousin - that's life.

Most readers of this Blog will be forever in love with Decca for cutting his stab at rockabilly, Alligator Come Across. It sounds a lot like the early rocking catalogue of George Jones. It's a bibs and overalls stomper with heaps of steel and rocking country guitar. The parody of Elvis halfway through is a classic, but all too brief moment of madness. The fiddle solo adds another loveable layer.

He spent years as a DJ in Colorado and Texas. He wrote Ernest Tubb's last solo hit, "Another Story", which went to number 16 in the country charts in 1966. Also "It's The Little Things", a # 1 C&W hit for Sonny James in 1967. In 1983 he published his autobiography, "Y'All Come" (Austin : Eakin Press), now out of print. Sadly, Arlie passed away on July 4, 1996.

Among the artists to cover were Bing Crosby (!), Patti Page, Bill Monroe, Bobby Bare, Faron Young, George Jones, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Porter Wagon and Little Jimmy Dickens.


DISCOGRAPHY

Decca

Rec. No. Side Song Title
29243 A Courtin' In The Rain
29243 B She's A Housewife That's All
29428 A I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven
29428 B Lie Detector
29589 A Take It Easy On Me
29589 B Pass The Plate Of Happiness Around
29866 A Home Boy
29866 B Oh How I Cried
29987 A So Close And Yet So Far
29987 B Alligator Come Across
302 A What A Way To Die
302 B You've Done It Again

Salvo

Rec. No. Side Song Title
2861 A In The Big Woods
2861 B Croppo Le Blanc

Smartt

Rec. No. Side Song Title
1001/1002 A Send Me An Angel
1001/1002 B You're The One For Me
1003/1004 A A Dark Night, A Lonely Street
1003/1004 B Mama, You've Had Your Day

Starday

Rec. No. Side Song Title
104 A You All Come
104 B Poor Ole Teacher
106 B Stuck In-A-Mud Hole
127 A When The Saint’s Go Marching In
127 B Country Singin' (Alongside The Road)
132 A Let Me Be Your Salty Dog
132 B Back To The Country
176 A Fifteen Cent's A Sop
176 B Courtin's Here To Stay
302 A What A Way To Die
302 B You've Done It Right