Polly Adelaide Hendricks Hazelwood (February 22, 1920 – October 3, 1989), k… Read Full Bio ↴Polly Adelaide Hendricks Hazelwood (February 22, 1920 – October 3, 1989), known professionally as Del Wood, was an American pianist.
Hendricks was born in Nashville, Tennessee. A lifetime resident of Nashville, she was surrounded by the influences of early country music and the remaining vestiges of ragtime, particularly through the guitar pickers. She took up piano at age five, and played ragtime, gospel, and country music. Despite her parent's best efforts to encourage a direction towards classical music, the environment in Nashville, plus the early local programming on radio, convinced her that she wanted to play piano in the honky-tonk style. Her dream goal was the Grand Ole Opry, something she would realize in her early 30s.
Shortening her married name (Adelaide Hazelwood) to something easier to remember (and intentionally non-gender specific), Wood began playing in bands and honky-tonk joints in her 20s. After a decade of building repertoire and reputation, she spent some time as a staff pianist at WLBJ in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was there that she was heard playing "Down Yonder" among other pieces, which led to a gig with a recording group called Hugh `Baby' Jarrett and his Dixieliners. This led to the first of many recording sessions for the Tennessee Records label starting in 1951. "Down Yonder" soon became a national hit in both the country and pop categories in Billboard record charts, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. She is probably the first female country solo instrumentalist to sell a million copies of a record.
This success was turned into appearances on the Grand Ole Opry starting in 1952, which led to an eventual full-time gig there in 1953, fulfilling her long-time dream. Two years later her fame culminated with a contract from RCA Victor Records, where she would make some of the first country/honky-tonk stereo recordings in the late 1950s. While nothing else that she put out had the same success as "Down Yonder", her offerings over the next decade were frequent and consistent. Wood gained the title, Queen of the Ragtime Pianists, sometimes shared with junior fellow plunker Jo Ann Castle. She was also divorced from her stage-namesake, Carson Hazelwood, during this period, but not before adopting a son they named Wesley.
During the Vietnam War, Wood was part of one of the Grand Ole Opry package tours that entertained troops overseas in 1968. Her recordings after the late 1960s were infrequent at best, but her appearances on the Opry continued until just before her death from a stroke on October 3, 1989 at the age of 69.
She was interred in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.
Hendricks was born in Nashville, Tennessee. A lifetime resident of Nashville, she was surrounded by the influences of early country music and the remaining vestiges of ragtime, particularly through the guitar pickers. She took up piano at age five, and played ragtime, gospel, and country music. Despite her parent's best efforts to encourage a direction towards classical music, the environment in Nashville, plus the early local programming on radio, convinced her that she wanted to play piano in the honky-tonk style. Her dream goal was the Grand Ole Opry, something she would realize in her early 30s.
Shortening her married name (Adelaide Hazelwood) to something easier to remember (and intentionally non-gender specific), Wood began playing in bands and honky-tonk joints in her 20s. After a decade of building repertoire and reputation, she spent some time as a staff pianist at WLBJ in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was there that she was heard playing "Down Yonder" among other pieces, which led to a gig with a recording group called Hugh `Baby' Jarrett and his Dixieliners. This led to the first of many recording sessions for the Tennessee Records label starting in 1951. "Down Yonder" soon became a national hit in both the country and pop categories in Billboard record charts, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. She is probably the first female country solo instrumentalist to sell a million copies of a record.
This success was turned into appearances on the Grand Ole Opry starting in 1952, which led to an eventual full-time gig there in 1953, fulfilling her long-time dream. Two years later her fame culminated with a contract from RCA Victor Records, where she would make some of the first country/honky-tonk stereo recordings in the late 1950s. While nothing else that she put out had the same success as "Down Yonder", her offerings over the next decade were frequent and consistent. Wood gained the title, Queen of the Ragtime Pianists, sometimes shared with junior fellow plunker Jo Ann Castle. She was also divorced from her stage-namesake, Carson Hazelwood, during this period, but not before adopting a son they named Wesley.
During the Vietnam War, Wood was part of one of the Grand Ole Opry package tours that entertained troops overseas in 1968. Her recordings after the late 1960s were infrequent at best, but her appearances on the Opry continued until just before her death from a stroke on October 3, 1989 at the age of 69.
She was interred in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Del Wood Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' by these artists:
Anne Murray Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Becki Biggins Close your eyes - close the door You don't have to…
Bernadette Peters Close your eyes Close the door You don't have to worry any…
Bob Dylan Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Bobby Darin Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Brothers & Sisters Close your eyes close that door you don't have to…
Dylan & The Dead Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Dylan and The Dead Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Emmylou Harris (Bob Dylan) Close your eyes, close the door He don't hav…
Goldie Hawn Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Graham Bonnet Close your eyes, close your door You don′t have to worry…
grateful dead & bob dylan Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Hank Williams Jr. Close your eyes close that door You don't have to worry…
Jacob Madsen Kvols & Ulla Henningsen Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Jimmy LaFave Close your eyes, close your door You don′t have to worry…
John Hammond Close your eyes, close the door You don′t have to worry…
José Feliciano Baby tonight, I baby tonight, Girl-night calls me, And into …
Ka'au Crater Boys Close your eyes Close the door You don't have to worry, anym…
Kris Kristofferson Close your eyes, close the door, You don't have to worry…
Kris Kristofferson & Friends Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Close your eyes close the door don't have to worry…
Linda Ronstadt Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Maria Muldaur (Bob Dylan) Close your eyes, close your door You don't h…
Marianne Faithfull Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Moe Tucker Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Norah Jones Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
Rita Coolidge Close your eyes, close the door, You don't have to…
Robert Palmer Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
The Brothers & Sisters Gospel Choir Close your eyes close that door you don't have to…
The Hollies Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
The Statler Brothers Close your eyes close that door you don't have to…
The Waterboys Close your eyes Shut the door You don't have to worry anym…
UB-40 & Robert Palmer Close your eyes, close the door You don't have to worry…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Del Wood:
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