Discover Lefty Frizzell

In the world of American honky-tonk music, they don’t come much bigger than Lefty Frizzell.

The Country Music Hall of Fame legend has been cited as an influence on musicians Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and George Jones—and countless other musicians.

The Texas native released a number of hits mid-2oth century, despite the fact that his heyday was also the heyday of rock-and-roll.  Noteworthy singles include “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time”, “I Want to Be With You Always”, “Always Late (With Your Kisses)” and “The Long Black Veil”.  Many of these topped both pop and country music charts, securing Frizzell a number of Grammy nominations.

Lefty Frizzell was known for a signature Paul Bigsby guitar, retrofitted with a custom neck and pick guard  crafted by the guitar maker himself. In a 2003 interview, performer Merle Haggard recalled, "When I was a teenager, Lefty got me onstage [at the Rainbow Garden in California] and handed me that guitar. That is the first guitar I played on a professional stage.”

His singing style was one-of-a-kind, featuring a laid-back, wistful quality.  Frizzell was equally capable of handling a haunting ballad like “Long Black Veil”, noted for its tragic imagery, as well as the impudent comedy of a tune like “I’ve Got The Time”. There’s little wonder that his style spawned innumerable imitators, as well as innovators who used his influence as a basis for their own signature sound.

"The impact Lefty had on country music is not even measurable,” as Merle Haggard recalled in another interview. “No one could handle a song like Lefty. He would hold on to each word until he finally decided to drop it and pick up the next one. Most of us learned to sing listening to him.”

To learn about Lefty Frizzell’s life and music, visit Corsicana’s Lefty FrizzellMuseum.