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"Man With the Blues" is a song by country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. After moving to Fort Worth, Texas, and quitting the music business for a year, Nelson returned to perform on the KCUL's Country Hoedown. Through a booking agent, he was signed as a recording artist by D Records.

"Man With the Blues"
Single by Willie Nelson
B-side	"The Storm Has Just Begun"
Released	July 9, 1959
Recorded	1959 at Manco Studio (Fort Worth, Texas)
Genre	Country
Length	2:07
Label	D
Songwriter(s)	Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson singles chronology
"No Place for Me" (1957) "Man With the Blues" (1959) "What a Way to Live" (1960)

To pay for his first recording session, Nelson gave his booking agent half of the publishing rights of the song. Backed with "The Storm Has Just Begun", the single failed to succeed. Subsequently, Nelson rerecorded it in 1976 and 2010.

Background

In 1957, after failing to land a spot on the Ozark Jubilee, Willie Nelson moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and quit the music business for a year.[1] He sold bibles and vacuum cleaners door-to-door, [2] and eventually became a sales manager for the Encyclopedia Americana.[3]

Returning to the music business, Nelson started to perform on the local show "Cowtown Hoedown" on KCUL. Uncle Hank Craig, the manager that booked the acts to the show helped Nelson to be signed as a recording artist to Pappy Daily's D Records and to his publishing firm, Glad Music.[4]

Recordings

In 1959, Nelson assisted to his first session as a recording artist at Manco Studios in Fort Worth, Texas. His backing was composed of steel guitarist Bobby Penton, drummer Lonnie Campbell, bassist Johnny Smith and the Hoedown artists "The Reil Sisters" as his backing group.[5] To pay for the session, Nelson gave Craig half of the publishing rights for "Man With the Blues". For its release as a single, the song was coupled with Nelson's original "The Storm Has Just Begun" on the flipside. Upon its release, the single failed to meet success.[6]

Nelson recorded again the song in 1976 for his album The Longhorn Jamboree Presents: Willie Nelson & His Friends,[7] and in 2010, for his release Country Music.[8]

Footnotes

References

• Dingus, Anne (1992). "Ernest Tubb Goes Electric and 51 More Moments to Remember Texas' Rich Musical Past". Texas Monthly. Emmis Communications. 19 (2). ISSN 0148-7736.
• Myers, Judy (1969). "Willie Nelson: His Own Story, in his own words". Country Song Roundup. Charlton Publications Incorporated.
• Patoski, Joe Nick (2008). Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Hachette Digital. ISBN 978-0-316-01778-7.
• Thomson, Graeme (2012). Willie Nelson: The Outlaw. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1184-8.
• Plantation Records (1976). The Longhorn Jamboree Presents Willie Nelson & His Friends (booklet). Willie Nelson. Rounder Records. PLP-24.
• Rounder Records (2010). Country Music (booklet). Willie Nelson. Rounder Records. Rounder 11661-3280-2.

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