Stampley, Joe (6 June 1943-Present)

Pianist and singer from Louisiana who grew up listening to Hank Williams and started out playing piano before his tenth birthday.

At fifteen years of age, he was already laying down some demonstration tracks with Merle Kilgore, a local disk jockey. Although none of these songs ever translated into chart success, the pair enjoyed regional popularity as members of The Uniques. (The name is not unique, as it is shared by a Jamaican band and a doo-wop outfit.) The Uniques recorded “All These Things” and “Not Too Long Ago” which managed to capture the imagination of the American South. The group was pretty prolific, cranking out about one album per year. In 1970, The Uniques went their separate ways.

Joe inked a deal with Algee Music and Al Gallico opened up some doors for him at Paramount Records. Some of his early hits include “If You Touch Me You’ve Got to Love Me” and “Take Time to Know Her”. He label-hopped to ABC-Dot in 1971 and put out seven LPs in about four years, cementing a reputation as a hit-maker. His cover of “All These Things” raced to the top of the Billboard country chart. Then he moved to Epic Records, where he recorded a staggering thirteen LPs. During America’s bicentennial year, he hit the charts eight times and Billboard Magazine named him their “Single Artist of the Year”.

At the end of the decade, he began an artistic collaboration with Moe Bandy that would last for several years. In 1980, they were named “Vocal Duo of the Year” by the Country Music Association. They enjoyed the view from the top of the Billboard chart with good-natured ditties like “Where’s the Dress” and “Just Good Ol’ Boys”. The video for the former was named “Video of the Year” by the American Video Association in 1984.

After the Orwellian year, Joe released one more album and continued to chart, although all of his singles sputtered in the bottom half of the Top 100. His latest album is entitled Somewhere Under the Rainbow and the title track has seen some airplay.

Joe made the most of his incredible run in the 1970s and 1980s, charting sixty times. For his efforts, he has been enshrined in The Texas Country Music Association Hall of Fame and The Louisiana Country Music Hall of Fame.

Joe Stampley recordings
Backslidin’ (Lewis Anderson/Paul Craft)
Cry Like a Baby (Spooner Oldham/Dan Penn)
Everything I Own (David Gates)
Sheik of Chicago (Tom Wheeler)

Sources:

Stampley, Joe (6 June 1943-Present)

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