David Houston (singer)
Charles David Houston (December 9, 1935 – November 30, 1993) was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s.[1]
David Houston | |
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.png) David Houston in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles David Houston |
| Born | December 9, 1935 |
| Origin | Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | November 30, 1993 (aged 57) |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1963–1989 |
| Labels | Epic |
| Associated acts | |
Biography
Houston was born in Bossier City in northwestern Louisiana on December 9, 1935. He was a descendant of Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas and Confederate General Robert E. Lee. His godfather was 1920s pop singer Gene Austin, no relation to Stephen F. Austin, another founder of Texas. Like Austin, Houston lived briefly as a youth in a house at the intersection of Marshall and Goodwill streets in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Another musician from Minden, Tommy Tomlinson, collaborated with Houston in the single "Mountain of Love".
Houston was one of the earliest artists with National Recording Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1963, he rose to national stardom with "Mountain of Love"; the song, which was different from the tune made famous by composer Harold Dorman, Johnny Rivers, and Charley Pride, rose to number two on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. Another song, "Livin' in a House Full of Love" (1965), did just as well.
In 1966, Houston recorded his breakthrough secular smash, "Almost Persuaded." This song, which is unrelated to the Philip Paul Bliss hymn of the same title, is the tale of a married man managing to resist a temptress he meets in a tavern. Houston's recording of it quickly rocketed to number one that August, eventually spending nine weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. For 46 years, no song equaled or bettered Houston's feat until Taylor Swift matched the nine-week record of "Almost Persuaded" on December 15, 2012, with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." (Swift's song went on to surpass the nine-week run of "Almost Persuaded," spending a 10th week at No. 1 in early 2013.)
Houston was awarded 2 Grammy Awards for Best Country & Western Recording and Best Country & Western Performance, Male in 1967 for "Almost Persuaded".
He entertained troops at Fort Polk, Louisiana in 1968 which was very much appreciated.
"Almost Persuaded" began a string of top five Houston singles through 1973, including six more number ones: "With One Exception" and "You Mean the World to Me" (1967); "Have a Little Faith" and "Already It's Heaven" (1968); "Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)" (1970); and 1967's "My Elusive Dreams" duet with Tammy Wynette. In later years, Houston dueted with Barbara Mandrell on several of her early hits, most notably 1970's "After Closing Time" and 1972's "I Love You, I Love You".
Houston's last Top 10 country hit came in 1974 with "Can't You Feel It", though he continued making records until 1989.
Houston died of a brain aneurysm on November 30, 1993, in Bossier City, one week before his 58th birthday. He had been residing in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, and is now interred in the Rose-Neath Funeral Home Cemetery in Bossier City. Houston is survived by his only child, David L. Houston, who currently resides in Shreveport.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | |||
| 1964 | New Voice from Nashville | — | — | Epic |
| 1965 | Twelve Great Country Hits | — | — | |
| 1966 | Almost Persuaded | 1 | 57 | |
| 1967 | A Loser's Cathedral | 12 | — | |
| Golden Hyms | — | — | ||
| My Elusive Dreams (with Tammy Wynette) | 11 | — | ||
| You Mean the World to Me | 3 | — | ||
| 1968 | David Houston's Greatest Hits | 20 | — | |
| Already It's Heaven | 9 | — | ||
| 1969 | Where Love Used to Live / My Woman's Good to Me | 27 | — | |
| David | 14 | 143 | ||
| 1970 | Baby, Baby | 7 | 194 | |
| The World of David Houston | 35 | — | ||
| Wonders of the Wine | 13 | 170 | ||
| 1971 | A Woman Always Knows | 22 | 218 | |
| David Houston's Greatest Hits, Volume II | 21 | — | ||
| 1972 | The Day That Love Walked In | 14 | — | |
| A Perfect Match (with Barbara Mandrell) | 38 | — | ||
| 1973 | The Many Sides of David Houston | 45 | — | |
| Good Things | 17 | — | ||
| 1975 | A Man Needs Love | — | — | |
| 1976 | What a Night | — | — | |
| 1977 | David Houston | — | — | Starday |
| 1978 | Best | — | — | Gusto |
| 1979 | From the Heart of Houston | — | — | Derrick |
| 1980 | Next Sunday I'm Gonna Be Saved | — | — | Excelsior |
| 1981 | From Houston to You | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | |||
| 1963 | "Mountain of Love" | 2 | 132 | — | New Voice from Nashville |
| 1964 | "Passing Through" | 37 | — | — | |
| "Chickashay" | 17 | — | — | ||
| "One If for Him, Two If for Me" | 11 | — | — | ||
| "Love Looks Good on You" | 17 | — | — | ||
| 1965 | "Sweet, Sweet Judy" | 18 | — | — | A Loser's Cathedral |
| "Rose Colored Glasses" | — | — | — | ||
| "Livin' in a House Full of Love" | 3 | 117 | — | Almost Persuaded | |
| 1966 | "Sammy" | 47 | — | — | single only |
| "Almost Persuaded"A | 1 | 24 | — | Almost Persuaded | |
| "Where Could I Go? (But to Her)" | 14 | 133 | — | A Loser's Cathedral | |
| "A Loser's Cathedral" | 3 | 135 | — | ||
| 1967 | "With One Exception" | 1 | — | — | |
| "You Mean the World to Me" | 1 | 75 | 1 | You Mean the World to Me | |
| 1968 | "Have a Little Faith" | 1 | 98 | 1 | Already It's Heaven |
| "Already It's Heaven" | 1 | — | 1 | ||
| "Where Love Used to Live" | 2 | — | 1 | Where Love Used to Live/ My Woman's Good to Me | |
| 1969 | "My Woman's Good to Me" | 4 | — | 1 | |
| "I'm Down to My Last 'I Love You'" | 3 | — | 4 | A Woman Always Knows | |
| "Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)" | 1 | — | 1 | Baby, Baby | |
| 1970 | "I Do My Swinging at Home" | 3 | — | 4 | Wonders of the Wine |
| "Wonders of the Wine" | 6 | — | 5 | ||
| "After Closing Time" (with Barbara Mandrell) | 6 | — | 4 | ||
| 1971 | "A Woman Always Knows" | 2 | — | 1 | A Woman Always Knows |
| "Nashville" | 9 | — | 24 | David Houston's Greatest Hits, Volume II | |
| "Home Sweet Home" | 32 | — | — | Good Things | |
| "Maiden's Prayer" | 10 | — | 19 | ||
| 1972 | "The Day That Love Walked In" | 18 | — | 20 | The Day That Love Walked In |
| "Soft, Sweet and Warm" | 8 | — | 6 | Good Things | |
| "I Wonder How John Felt (When He Baptized Jesus)" | 41 | — | — | single only | |
| "Good Things" | 2 | — | 3 | Good Things | |
| 1973 | "She's All Woman" | 3 | — | 6 | |
| "The Lady of the Night" | 22 | — | 95 | single only | |
| 1974 | "That Same Ol' Look of Love" | 33 | — | — | A Man Needs Love |
| "Ten Commandments of Love" (with Barbara Mandrell) | 14 | — | 9 | ||
| "Can't You Feel It" | 9 | — | 13 | ||
| 1975 | "A Man Needs Love" | 36 | — | — | |
| "I'll Be Your Steppin' Stone" | 40 | — | 45 | What a Night | |
| "Sweet Molly" (with Calvin Crawford) | 69 | — | — | ||
| "The Woman on My Mind" | 35 | — | — | ||
| 1976 | "What a Night" | 51 | — | — | |
| "Lullaby Song" | — | — | — | singles only | |
| "Come on Down (To Our Favorite Forget-About-Her Place)" | 24 | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "So Many Ways" | 33 | — | — | David Houston |
| "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" | 68 | — | — | ||
| "The Twelfth of Never" | 98 | — | — | ||
| "It Started All Over Again" | 56 | — | — | Best | |
| 1978 | "No Tell Motel" | 72 | — | — | |
| "Waltz of the Angels" | 51 | — | — | From the Heart of Houston | |
| "Best Friends Make the Worst Enemies" | 46 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Faded Love and Winter Roses" | 33 | — | — | |
| "Let Your Love Fall Back on Me" | 57 | — | — | ||
| "Here's to All the Too Hard Working Husbands (In the World)" | 60 | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "You're the Perfect Reason" | 64 | — | — | singles only |
| "Sad Love Song Lady" | 78 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "My Lady" | — | — | — | From Houston to You |
| "Texas Ida Red" | 69 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | "A Penny for Your Thoughts Tonight Virginia" | 85 | — | — | single only |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
- A"Almost Persuaded" also peaked at No. 45 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.
Singles from collaboration albums
| Year | Single | Collaborator | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | ||||
| 1967 | "My Elusive Dreams" | Tammy Wynette | 1 | 89 | — | My Elusive Dreams |
| 1968 | "It's All Over" | 11 | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "We've Got Everything but Love" | Barbara Mandrell | 20 | — | — | A Perfect Match |
| 1972 | "A Perfect Match" | 24 | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "I Love You, I Love You" | 6 | — | 18 | ||
| 1974 | "Lovin' You Is Worth It" | 40 | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||
Notes
Missing from David Houston's 45 Discography are "We Got Love" (1964) and "My Little Lady" (1965).
References
- Roy, Don. (1998). "David Houston". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 249.
External links
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