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.
You Can't Be True Dear
Del Wood Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'You Can't Be True Dear' by these artists:
Eddy Arnold You can't be true dear there's nothing more to say I…
Griffin Ken You can't be true, dear There's nothing more to say…
Ken Griffin You can't be true, dear There's nothing more to say…
Ken Griffin & Jerry Wayne You can't be true, dear There's nothing more to say…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Del Wood:
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Sooz
😊 This recording is from the year I was born.
Eddie Fisher had a wonderful voice.
CarlDuke
This was Eddie's first ever appearance on a recording disc. The opportunity was given to him by industry executive Manie Sacks, who helped many in the business become big stars.
wmbrown6
The label seen on this was from the Bridgeport, CT plant. Early pressings of this were among the last pressed by their other plant in Kings Mills, OH, which had the same fonts but used them way differently.
Big Bad White Cracker
Eddie Fisher on Columbia???? Who knew!
wmbrown6
At the time, Hugo Winterhalter (with whom Mr. Fisher would cut many a record at the peak of his career) was one of Columbia's house musical directors; obviously at the time of the recording ban Mr. Winterhalter was cooling his heels. One wonders if Hugo's move to RCA Victor (where Eddie would strike gold) came in the wake of a certain Mitch Miller being hired to run A&R at Columbia in 1950.
Elliot's Oldies
Does the note at the bottom of the label have something to do with the recording ban?
wmbrown6
You asking about the "special permission of the U.S. Attorney General" language? I think that was mostly on all versions of "You Can't Be True, Dear" and limited thereto. It was not on the B side - "Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)." That same language was also on a version of this song on Decca by Dick Haymes with The Song Spinners, and other recordings such as by The Mulcays, even Mr. Griffin's (with or without Mr. Wayne's vocals). Must've been over the German origins of the song. But in any case, it was ordered to be put on all versions recorded by order of its copyright holder in the States - Biltmore Music Corp.
the78prof
I was wondering that myself.....will have to check some of the other 1948 labels.