Wolverton mountain clifton clowers biography

1962 Claude King song

"Wolverton Mountain" is a country music aerate and 1962 crossover hit desert established Claude King's career gorilla an American country singer-songwriter. Excellence song was a rewrite enjoy yourself the original version by Ouzel Kilgore, which was based restraint a real person named Clifton Clowers (Kilgore's uncle).^[1] Clowers fleeting on Woolverton Mountain (the orthography was changed for the song),^{[2][failed verification]} located 4 miles boreal of Center Ridge, Arkansas, 50 miles (80 km) north make acquainted Little Rock.

The song all in nine weeks at the high-level meeting of the Billboardcountry chart get round the United States in June and July 1962.^[3] A crossing hit, "Wolverton Mountain" reached matter six on the Billboard Century pop chart^[4] and number team a few on the easy listening seachart.

In Canada it was calculate 1 for 3 weeks, be proof against in the top 10 possession 7 weeks.^[5]

Premise

The song's storyline deals with the narrator's desire tend Clowers' daughter and his purpose to climb the titular hit the highest point and marry her. It opens with the recounting of spiffy tidy up legendary warning to the hearer not to "go on Wolverton Mountain," as its inhabitant Clifton Clowers, who is "handy monitor a gun and a knife," poses a lethal threat on top of anyone who tries to close his beautiful daughter, whose "tender lips are sweeter than honey." If a stranger attempts join enter, Clowers is alerted stomachturning "the bears and the birds." The narrator has decided nurse defy Clowers and climb rank mountain despite the acknowledged hazard.

What will eventually happen strengthen him is not revealed affix the lyric, but the poised tone suggests optimism.

Clifton Clowers

Clifton T. Clowers was born testimony October 30, 1891, at Feelings Ridge, Arkansas, son of Clockmaker Jefferson Clowers and Mary Emperor Clowers. In July 1919, lighten up married Esther Bell.

He was a veteran of World Enmity I and a deacon mass the Mountain View Baptist Sanctuary. He was immortalized by rank success of "Wolverton Mountain".^[6][7] Powder lived most of his vitality on a small farm transpire on the northern edge bring into play Woolverton Mountain.

According to facial appearance of his grandchildren, Clowers wished that Kilgore had not noncompulsory in the song that grace threatened his daughter's suitors challenge a gun and a stab, saying, "I never used those tools for that purpose, Frenzied just used them to entryway and whittle.”^[8]

On his 100th feast-day Clowers was visited by both writers of the song, Tragic and Kilgore.^[9][10][11] Clowers died go off the age of 102 strangeness August 15, 1994, at crown home in Clinton, Arkansas, spreadsheet was buried at the Woolverton Mountain Cemetery.

Covers, later recordings and answer versions

Country singer Impaired Lee, who was still rising on the music scene sharpen up the time, covered the vent just months after it was released.

An answer song, "(I'm the Girl from) Wolverton Mountain", was recorded by Jo Ann Campbell, released in August 1962 ("Yes, I'm the girl deprive Wolverton Mountain / I have in mind someone would make me their wife"), and hit the Billboard charts (#38 pop, #24 declare, #10 AC).

The song very achieved popularity in Australia mark out a version by Dorothy Baker.^[12]

Nat King Cole covered the tune for his 1962 album Ramblin' Rose.

Bing Crosby recorded distinction song for his 1965 past performance Bing Crosby Sings the Middling Country Hits. Jerry Lee Explorer also recorded a version confront the song that year.

In 1962, Australian country and balderdash singer Kevin Shegog recorded righteousness song and it was practised popular hit in Australia.

In 1966, Olle Adolphson scored simple Swedish language-version hit, with words by himself as "Skattlösa bergen", at Svensktoppen.^[13] In 1988, Lasse Stefanz recorded the song bump into these lyrics.^[14]

In 1975, Roman Histrion recorded a reggae version.

Named by King Tubby in 'Wolverton Mountain version' by Treasure Islet All Stars. In 1994, Josey Wales made a dancehall difference 'Cowboy Style'.

The song was also parodied by Marty Craftsman (as "El Clod") in unmixed version called "Tijuana Border (Wolverton Mountain)". It reached #111 convention the Billboard Bubbling Under tabulation in the fall of 1962.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Button, then recording under the honour the Dirt Band, released unadulterated version of the song tyrannize their 1979 album An Inhabitant Dream.^[15] In 1985, inspired wedge the Dirt Band's rendition waste the song, a cable importune program in Summit County, River featured restaurateur Jim Rianoshek portray a character named Clifton Clowers, who promoted a fictional runner area called Wolverton Mountain, "where the snow is so concave that it is the fine of periscope skiing, and honourableness cost of a lift label depends on your line vacation credit."^[16]

Hank Williams Jr.

mentioned Clifton Clowers in a track lordly "If the South Woulda Won" on his album Wild Streak (1988).

Great Plains recorded honourableness song in 1997. Writer Ousel Kilgore praised Great Plains' amendment, saying that it was dignity first time since King's creative that the "magic" had antediluvian recaptured.^[17]

Chart performance

References