I Love You a Thousand Ways
The Lefty Frizzell Story
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- $25.99
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
I Love You a Thousand Ways is the story of one of the most loved, respected, and imitated singer/songwriters in the history of country music, a man whose songs touched the lives of millions of people. Lefty Frizzell’s relaxed style of singing proved to be a huge influence on a wide variety of country and pop music stars such as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones, John Fogerty, George Strait, and Tim McGraw.
In addition to his incredible vocal talents, Lefty was widely recognized for his songwriting skills. He had four songs in the country top ten at the same time in 1951—a feat that would only be repeated one more time on any chart, when The Beatles had five songs on the pop chart in 1964. Among Lefty’s many hits are: “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time,” “Mom and Dad’s Waltz,” “The Long Black Veil,” and “Saginaw, Michigan.”
Willie Nelson’s 1977 album, To Lefty From Willie, was a tribute to Frizzell and consisted entirely of cover versions of Frizzell songs. Fellow Texan Roy Orbison was also a devout fan of Frizzell’s sound. In 1988, as a part of the Traveling Wilburys, Orbison chose the name “Lefty Wilbury” in honor of his musical hero.
Lefty was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. I Love You a Thousand Ways is a long overdue, beautiful tribute to one of the most underrated musicians of all time, a man whose music continues to influence new generations of musicians and music fans.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Claiming all previous material on his older brother Lefty to be misleading at best, David Frizzell presents this family-orientated account of the legendary country singer, whose youthful ambition and unmistakable talent outshone his gritty upbringing. Prone to the occasional misdemeanor, it was while serving jail time for rape that Lefty composed the brilliant "I Love You A Thousand Ways:" "Lefty wrote one of the most important songs in country music history sitting on his bunk with tears in his eyes and no guitar in his hands." The book's most honest and captivating episodes focus on Lefty's musical talent. He earned his stage time the hard way, but topped the charts with his unique relaxed vocals, led by the hit single "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time." Though hard-working, Lefty embraced the role of the unreliable star, and David seems to revel in his brother's maverick persona and abusive nature. Succumbing to drinking and womanizing, Lefty's foolhardiness proves to be the root of his sad demise. Lefty's charm glimmers in the book's musical moments, but the book is primarily a raw family drama, and the writing is decidedly, if unapologetically, corny. However, a close-knit country community will be grateful for this understandably biased tribute.
