LLOYD McCULLOUGH
Dec 57 (BMI Clearance on 31st March 1958.)
45-686-A - Half My Fault
(McCullough / Bond) (Starrite BMI)
45-686-B - What Can I Tell Them
(Bond / McCullough) (Starrite BMI)
STARDAY RECORDS 686
(Unknown Location - possibly Nashville, TN)
Source: Terry Gordon
Born Lloyd Arnold McCollough, 25 June 1935, Memphis, Tennessee
Died 10 January 1976, Memphis, Tennessee
Lloyd was born as Lloyd Arnold McCollough, 25 June 1935, Memphis, TN and was of Irish descent. Whilst in High School, Lloyd was contemplating a career in baseball but the death of Hank Williams made him decide that perhaps singing would be a better option. By 1952 he was playing locally for family and friends and formed his first band – The Drifting Hillbillies. They recorded some tracks for Sam Phillips at the fames Sun Studios but nothing was released.
Finally, Lloyd got a record deal with the tiny VON label located in Booneville, MS. Both sides were probably classed as “Out-And-Out Hillbilly / Country music, but his feel for what Elvis Presley had been doing was already evident – even if Lloyd wasn’t trying to become a rock & roller at this stage. A quick change of labels (as Von had virtually no distribution) was the EKKO label where he recorded two more polished (and more country sounding) sides. By then, Country was taking a back seat to Rock & Roll and Lloyd saw an opportunity to get on the bandwagon to promote himself whilst keeping to his country roots. His recordings for the Nashville REPUBLIC Records became a classic example of Rock-A-Billy, even if it only caused a few ripples in the pond of R&R. With Bill Helms cranking out some great licks through an amp the size of a postage stamp and Lloyd growling like a man possessed, it was probably too loud and wild for much radio play.
Sometime after these recordings, he hitched up with his band at a recording studio and recorded these two sides. It took 6-8 months before they saw the light of day on Starday Records, but many would say it was worth the wait. Both sides co-written by Eddie Bond, Lloyd managed to belt out two fine sides – showing his vocal dept to the late, great Hank Williams whilst keeping up with those teenage rockers that were appearing out of everywhere. sadly, by the time this disc was released, R&R was beginning to burn out and teen idols seemed to be taking over. Lloyd was never going to be able to compete with the slicked-out artists like Paul Anka.
By this time Lloyd had changed the name of his band to the Rockin' Drifters. While working on the East Coast, as Lloyd was continually hitting the road with his band, he met up with Savoy Records' Herman Lubinsky – a shrewd yet successful label owner. Herman cut six songs with him, but only two were released, on Savoy's subsidiary label, Sharp. The instrumental "Dixie Doodle" (Sharp 108, 1960) was the first record to be credited to "Lloyd Arnold", as he now called himself. In late 1960, Lloyd recorded (probably in Philadelphia) another great rocker, "Red Coat, Green Pants and Red Suede Shoes" (Myers 113). Coupled with the equally strong "Hangout”. The disc did nothing more than get a little local attention and a record to sell at gigs. A much wilder version of Hangout was released on KATCHEE records (possibly before the MYERS disc.)
Lloyd also recorded a few singles for the MEMPHIS Label, owned by Buford Cody and also recorded for K-ARK, MILLIONAIRE and a slew of smaller labels. Leaving R&R behind, he went back to country, whilst some of his Memphis Recordings were pretty darn good and bordering on R&R. But by 1976 Lloyd was having many problems and he sadly took his own life.
Lloyd is an artist who I feel - had been born a few years earlier – could have ridden the coat tails of Hank Williams and maybe even landed on the MGM label as he had that kind of southern drawl in his vocals that could’ve sold records and got more radio play. But whilst he never really made it as an artist nationally, he left behind some great recordings.
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