Malcolm Yelvington(1918-2001)
- Soundtrack
Malcolm Yelvington is an American rockabilly and country musician. Born in Covington, Tennessee, Yelvington released a record on Sun Records in 1954, just after Elvis Presley.
Yelvington began performing in local venues at the age of 14, having learned to sing and play guitar as a boy. His voice was a baritone, somewhat comparable to Ernest Tubb. He continued with mostly local engagements into his 20s, and was passed over for military service in World War II because of his health. In the late 1940s, he began playing with Reece Fleming's band, The Tennesseeans, at the Memphis Gem Theater. This group disbanded in 1952, and several of its members, including Yelvington, picked up with local troupe the Star Rhythm Boys. They performed daily on local radio and had a steady and popular gig at the Clover Club. Yelvington began playing side gigs in Memphis whenever he wasn't playing with the Star Rhythm Boys.
Yelvington and guitarist Gordon Mashburn first heard word of Sam Phillips's Sun Records in 1953, and arranged a meeting. Philips was initially unimpressed with Yelvington and the Star Rhythm Boys, because he was not interested in recording straight-ahead country music; however, he thought the band had potential, and had them audition a large number of songs. "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" was one out of only two records Yelvington cut for Sun. In 1955 he released a single, "Yakety Yak", on competitor Meteor Records. The record was released under the name Mac Sales and the Esquire Trio so as to avoid legal action by Phillips, to whom he was still contractually obliged. In 1956, Yelvington recorded again with Sun, releasing the rockabilly track "Rockin' With My Baby".
A live show in the Netherlands during his first European tour in 1988 was taped and released on Collector Records in 1991. In 2006, Bear Family Records reissued his Sun Records recordings on compact disc.
On February 22, 2018, the song "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" b/w Just Rolling Along by Malcolm Yelvington and the Star Rhythm Boys was accepted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
Yelvington began performing in local venues at the age of 14, having learned to sing and play guitar as a boy. His voice was a baritone, somewhat comparable to Ernest Tubb. He continued with mostly local engagements into his 20s, and was passed over for military service in World War II because of his health. In the late 1940s, he began playing with Reece Fleming's band, The Tennesseeans, at the Memphis Gem Theater. This group disbanded in 1952, and several of its members, including Yelvington, picked up with local troupe the Star Rhythm Boys. They performed daily on local radio and had a steady and popular gig at the Clover Club. Yelvington began playing side gigs in Memphis whenever he wasn't playing with the Star Rhythm Boys.
Yelvington and guitarist Gordon Mashburn first heard word of Sam Phillips's Sun Records in 1953, and arranged a meeting. Philips was initially unimpressed with Yelvington and the Star Rhythm Boys, because he was not interested in recording straight-ahead country music; however, he thought the band had potential, and had them audition a large number of songs. "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" was one out of only two records Yelvington cut for Sun. In 1955 he released a single, "Yakety Yak", on competitor Meteor Records. The record was released under the name Mac Sales and the Esquire Trio so as to avoid legal action by Phillips, to whom he was still contractually obliged. In 1956, Yelvington recorded again with Sun, releasing the rockabilly track "Rockin' With My Baby".
A live show in the Netherlands during his first European tour in 1988 was taped and released on Collector Records in 1991. In 2006, Bear Family Records reissued his Sun Records recordings on compact disc.
On February 22, 2018, the song "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" b/w Just Rolling Along by Malcolm Yelvington and the Star Rhythm Boys was accepted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.