Tommy Spurlin and the Southern Boys
One Eyed Sam
Tommy Spurlin is one of the artists who achieved nothing financially or chart wise during the 50’s but became a near legendary name following the rockabilly revival. To me he’s one of those exciting names that conjure up images of hard rockin’ hillbilly shitkickers, like Groovey Joe Poovey or Hershel Almond. They might have only had one or two songs to get excited about, but they were enough.
Tommy Spurlin was brn in Elba, Alabama in 1928 and formed a band with his half brother, Benny Dumas, Virgil Powell, Jimmy Slade and Bill Johnson. A couple of country singles led to them joining Harold Doane’s Perfect label. One Eyed Sam is a country bopper of gambling and double dealing where one sore guy who cotton’s on to the scam says, “I know who’s cheatin’, but his name I won’t shout, but if he don’t look out, I’ll shoot his good eye out”. Also from the same 1956 session was the a-side, and future rockabilly classic, Hang Loose which has seen action on hundreds of rockabilly compilations.
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