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22 Apr 03 - 02:32 PM (#937908) Subject: Obit: Felice Bryant From: Muskrat Songwriter Felice Bryant Dies in East Tennessee Calvin Gilbert 04/22/2003 Country Music Hall of Fame member Felice Bryant, a partner in one of most successful and prolific songwriting teams in music history, died Tuesday morning (April 22) at her home in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Bryant, 77, had been diagnosed with cancer. She and her late husband, Boudleaux Bryant, are credited with writing more than 800 songs -- including "Rocky Top," "Wake Up Little Susie" and "Bye Bye Love" -- that resulted in international sales estimated at more than 500 million copies. The couple's compositions played a key role in the Everly Brothers' career, and their songs have been recorded by a wide range of artists including Eddy Arnold, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, Simon & Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles. Born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto on Aug. 7, 1925, in Milwaukee, Felice Bryant began her songwriting journey as a child when she began composing lyrics set to traditional Italian melodies. In 1945, she was working as an elevator operator at a Milwaukee hotel where Boudleaux, a classically-trained violinist, was performing. They eloped just two days later and remained married until his death in 1987. She adopted her professional name, Felice, from a pet name her husband called her. Boudleaux Bryant toured with jazz and country bands before the couple settled in his hometown of Moultrie, Ga., where they began to concentrate on their songwriting. Legendary music publisher Fred Rose pitched one of the Bryant's songs to Little Jimmy Dickens. In 1949, "Country Boy" became Dickens' second Top 10 hit. At Rose's urging, the Bryants moved to Nashville in 1950. In doing so, they were among the first to relocate in Nashville solely to pursue a songwriting career. The Bryants are also credited as early pioneers of song promotion and self-publishing in Nashville. They formed their own company, Showcase Music, in 1954 before striking a deal with Rose's company, Acuff-Rose Music Publishing. In an unprecedented move, the Bryants' contract with Acuff-Rose stipulated that the publishing rights to their songs would eventually revert to their ownership. When their Acuff-Rose contract expired in 1966, they assumed ownership of their song catalog to launch their own music publishing company, House of Bryant Publications. The Bryants reaped the financial benefits when rock 'n' roll was born in the '50s. The couple co-wrote most of the Everly Brothers' early hits, including "Bye Bye Love," "Wake Up Little Susie," "Problems" and "Take a Message to Mary." Additionally, Boudleaux Bryant was the lone songwriter on several of the Everly Brothers' other hits, including "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Devoted to You" and "Love Hurts." Buddy Holly recorded the Bryants' "Raining in My Heart" during his final recording session in 1958. Their other hits include "Baltimore" (Sonny James), "Got a Hole in My Pocket" (Ricky Van Shelton), "Out Behind the Barn" (Jimmy Dickens), "Hey Joe" (Carl Smith), "Blue Boy" (Jim Reeves), "The Richest Man in the World" (Eddy Arnold) and link type="artist" id="504301">Chet Atkins' signature instrumental, "Country Gentleman." Their "Rocky Top" was adopted as Tennessee's official state song in 1982. Although Felice Bryant preferred to co-write, one of her solo compositions, "We Could," was recorded by a variety of artists, including George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Kitty Wells, George Morgan, the Louvin Brothers, Charley Pride, Al Martino, John Prine, Reeves, Dickens and others. She wrote the song as a birthday gift to her husband. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991, the Bryants are also members of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Bryants moved to Gatlinburg in 1978 and operated the Rocky Top Village Inn in the Great Smoky Mountains. In the early '50s, the couple recorded four singles for MGM Records, but their only album as performers, A Touch of Bryant, was released in 1979. Funeral arrangements are incomplete but will include a service in Gatlinburg and a memorial at Woodlawn Funeral Home in Nashville. Survivors include two sons, real estate executive Dane Bryant and BMI executive vice president Del Bryant, both of Nashville. Country Music Television (obit source) |
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22 Apr 03 - 04:14 PM (#937979) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: Mark Clark I just noticed this sad news on Google. A great loss to the music world and the rest of us as well. - Mark |
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23 Apr 03 - 02:12 AM (#938276) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: michaelr Include Emmylou Harris in that list -- it was her singing that first introduced me to the Bryants' writing. Go in peace. Michael |
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23 Apr 03 - 03:20 AM (#938296) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: fat B****rd I love the Bryants songs for the Everlys.RIP Felice. |
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23 Apr 03 - 10:13 AM (#938477) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: RangerSteve THanks for all the great songs. |
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23 Apr 03 - 07:47 PM (#938877) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: JudyR No other Everly fans on here? Funny. I think Boudeleaux/Bryant was one of the greatest pop songwriter teams of all time -- certainly my favorite. "Love Hurts" has to be one of the great simple, classic songs. I'm trying to find out when Gram Parsons had his version -- but for some reason, I keep coming up with date unknown. |
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23 Apr 03 - 07:59 PM (#938883) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: catspaw49 Often, a perfect combination will emerge from talented people which is greater than the sum of it's parts. Such was the case when the Bryants met the Everly Brothers. Great songwriters in their own right and a great duo (have you ever heard Phil or Don not in perfect time and tone with the other?) made for something far more wonderful than the sum of the parts. Very sad of course, but she and "Boo-da-loo" left some true winners with us.......Thank you Felice. Spaw |
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24 Apr 03 - 01:59 AM (#939028) Subject: RE: Obit: Felice Bryant From: Stewie Judy I think the first recorded Parsons/Harris 'Love Hurts' is on the live set, Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels, available on CD from Sierra Records [OXCD 6003]. This is a recording of a live radio broadcast for WLIR-FM in Hemstead New York on 13 March 1973. This occurred between 'GP' and 'Grievous Angel'. 'Love Hurts' [a minute shorter than the live version] made its appearance again on 'Grievous Angel' a bit later in 1973. I too add my thanks to the Bryants for their great songs. --Stewie. |