Frederick Segrest (Loachapoka, Alabama, December 21, 1926 – October 27, 201… Read Full Bio ↴Frederick Segrest (Loachapoka, Alabama, December 21, 1926 – October 27, 2018), known professionally as Freddie Hart, was an American country musician and songwriter best known for his chart-topping country song and lone pop hit "Easy Loving," which won the Country Music Association Song of the Year award in 1971 and 1972.

Hart charted singles from 1953 to 1987, and later became a gospel singer. He performed at music festivals and other venues until he died.

Hart was born to a sharecropper family in Loachapoka, Alabama, in 1926 and spent his childhood in nearby Phenix City, Alabama, along with his 11 siblings (Nadine, Bo, Junior, Olin, Marrell, Pearl, Lonnie, Sandra, Gail, J.P., Harold, and a child who died in infancy). He learned to play guitar at age 5 and quit school by age 12. At age 15, Hart lied about his age to join the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, seeing combat action on Guam and Iwo Jima. Following the war, Hart lived in California where he taught classes in self-defense at the Los Angeles Police Academy.

Hart got an early career break when singer Carl Smith covered Hart's song "Loose Talk" in 1955. Other artists who recorded his songs included Patsy Cline ("Lovin' In Vain"), George Jones ("My Tears are Overdue") and Porter Wagoner ("Skid Row Joe").

During the early 1950s, Hart and his family moved to California to further the growing country music scene there. In 1951, he joined Lefty Frizzell's band for a year. It was through Frizzell that Hart got his first recording contract with Capitol Records in 1953. He released several singles including his version of "Loose Talk", but none of these were successful. In 1958, Hart signed with Columbia Records and scored his first chart hit with "The Wall" in 1959 which made the Top 20. His biggest hit for the label was the 1960 Top 20 hit "The Key's In The Mailbox".

In 1965, Hart signed with Kapp Records where he would score several Top 40 hits between 1965 and 1968. The biggest of these hits included "Hank Williams' Guitar" (1965), "Born A Fool" (1968) and "Togetherness" (1968).

In 1969, Hart re-signed with Capitol Records and soon became a part of the Bakersfield sound by signing up with Buck Owens' songwriting and management company. In early 1970, he scored a Top 30 hit with "The Whole World's Holdin' Hands". Hart's song "Togetherness", a hit for him in 1968, became a Top 15 hit for Buck Owens and Susan Raye that summer. Hart would score several minor hits during the year.

In 1971, Hart released a song that he wrote called "Easy Loving" which was first recorded in the summer of 1969 for his album California Grapevine, released in 1970. Released in the summer of 1971, "Easy Loving" rapidly began climbing the charts; and by that September, it was No. 1 for three weeks on the country charts and reached No. 17 on the pop charts. It was also played on adult contemporary stations, earning a position on Billboard's Easy Listening survey. The song would ultimately win Hart numerous awards from both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association. The song sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record by the R.I.A.A. in November 1971. The album of the same name also reportedly went gold. The song also won a Grammy Award for Hart.

From this success, Hart and his backup band, the Heartbeats, had a string of Top 5 hits with "My Hang-Up Is You" (six weeks at No. 1 in 1972), "Bless Your Heart" (No. 1 in 1972), "Got the All Overs For You (All Over Me)" (No. 1 in 1972), "If You Can't Feel It (It Ain't There)" (1973), "Super Kind of Woman" (No. 1 in 1973), "Trip to Heaven" (No. 1 in 1973), "Hang In There Girl" (1974), "The Want-To's" (1974), "My Woman's Man" (1975), "The First Time" (1975), "I'd Like To Sleep Till I Get Over You" (1975) and "The Warm Side of You" (1975). He has been called by many fans as "The Heart and Soul of Country Music".[citation needed]

With the success of "Easy Loving" and other songs he wrote, plus a popular concert attraction on the road, Hart became independently wealthy and owned a songwriting company, a school for the blind, a trucking company, and a chain of martial arts studios—his hobby was as a master of karate.

By 1976, Hart continued to have major hits although now his streak of Top 10s were replaced by a streak of Top 20 and Top 30 hits. These included "You Are The Song Inside Of Me" (1976), "That Look In Her Eyes" (1976), "Thank God She's Mine" (1977), "The Pleasure's Been All Mine" (1977), "Toe to Toe" (1978), and "Wasn't It Easy Baby" (1979). His last Top 10 hit came with the hit "Why Lovers Turn to Strangers" in 1977, which peaked at No. 8. This song was written by east Idaho based composer Bobby Fender.

In 1980, Hart signed with Sunbird Records, and immediately scored a Top 20 hit with "Sure Thing" that year. He followed this up with 3 Top 40 hits in 1981. This ended his days as a major country artist. In 1985 and 1987, he had a couple of minor hits on El Dorado and 5th Avenue Records, with his last hit being "The Best Love I Never Had" in 1987 peaking at No. 77.

In 2001, Hart was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame[4] A few years later, Phenix City declared a major east-west street Freddie Hart Parkway in his honor.

Hart released a handful of new albums on CD, showcasing his passion for gospel music, patriotism and the traditional country sound that originally made him famous. These albums prompted him to selectively tour and perform concerts around the world. Hart retains a large following in Europe and the U.S., where he continued to perform at music festivals, universities, churches and industry events.

Hart continued to write and record Gospel Music during the 2000's. He received numerous awards and had several number one songs in the Gospel field. In 2004 he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall Of Fame. In 2017 he performed in Pigeon Forge Tennessee and received the Hall Of Fame award from the North American Country Music Associations International. In March of 2018 he performed for the last time on the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree as a special guest to David Frizzell. Hart sang a new song he had written and just recorded about Lefty Frizzell, titled simply "Lefty". In April 2018 Hart recorded his final album titled "God Bless You". The project, produced by David Frizzell, contains 11 newly written Gospel songs and a remake of his signature song "Easy Loving". The album is set to be released in late 2018.

Hart died as a result of pneumonia on October 27, 2018 in Burbank, California.

You Belong To Me
Freddie Hart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She know how to make me laugh when I'm unhappy
She can make my biggest worries seem so small
And when I get to feeling moody and discouraged
She just holds me close and I feel ten feet tall
I come home most every night to TV dinners
For she's really not the cook I know she'd like to be
Oh but a smile across the table says I love you
And I thank the Lord that she belongs to me

She likes to go around the house wearing blue jeans
Harry Roder's sneakers on her feet
And I catch her doing things she really shouldn't
Like playing baseball with the kids out in the street
When I call her on the phone just say I'm working late
She understands and waits up so patiently
And she welcomes me home to my private heaven

Oh and I thank the Lord that she belongs to me
Mhm I thank the Lord that she belongs to me

Overall Meaning

Freddie Hart's song "You Belong to Me" is a love song that speaks of the happiness and contentment that one can have in a relationship where both partners appreciate each other's company. The song describes how the singer's partner knows how to make him laugh and always makes him feel better even in times of despair. She may not be the perfect cook, but her smile and loving expression is enough to make him feel appreciated.

The song also speaks of how the singer's partner is an independent woman who is comfortable wearing jeans and playing ball with the neighborhood kids. She is also understanding and patient, waiting up for him when he has to work late. The song portrays a happy and supportive relationship where both partners appreciate each other for who they are.

In summary, "You Belong to Me" by Freddie Hart is a love song that celebrates a happy and contented relationship where the partners appreciate each other for their individualities and are supportive of each other's endeavors. It talks about the comfort and security that comes with having a partner who always knows how to make you feel better.

Line by Line Meaning

She know how to make me laugh when I'm unhappy
Even when I'm feeling down, she has a way of making me smile and feel better

She can make my biggest worries seem so small
Her love and support helps me keep things in perspective and not get overwhelmed by challenges

And when I get to feeling moody and discouraged
Sometimes I can feel down, but she is always there to lift me up and make me feel better

She just holds me close and I feel ten feet tall
Her embrace makes me feel strong, confident, and loved - like I can handle anything

I come home most every night to TV dinners
We don't always have elaborate meals, but we enjoy each other's company and cherish our time together

For she's really not the cook I know she'd like to be
Even if she wishes she were a better cook, I love her just the way she is and appreciate all she does for me

Oh but a smile across the table says I love you
We don't need grand gestures to express our love - a simple smile can say it all

And I thank the Lord that she belongs to me
I feel truly blessed to have her in my life and am grateful for our love and companionship

She likes to go around the house wearing blue jeans
She is comfortable and casual at home, and I love her just the way she is

Harry Roder's sneakers on her feet
She doesn't need fancy shoes to be happy - simple and practical is just fine for her

And I catch her doing things she really shouldn't
Sometimes she takes risks and has fun in ways that might not be totally safe or appropriate, but that's just who she is

Like playing baseball with the kids out in the street
She enjoys spending time with children and being active, even if it means getting a little dirty or scraped up

When I call her on the phone just say I'm working late
Sometimes I have to work long hours, but she is understanding and patient, and we talk on the phone so she can stay connected with me

She understands and waits up so patiently
She is supportive and loyal, and never complains or makes me feel guilty for having to work late

And she welcomes me home to my private heaven
When I finally get home, I feel at peace and happy to be with her - it's like our home is a little slice of heaven

Mhm I thank the Lord that she belongs to me
I am so grateful to have her as my partner and cherish every day we spend together

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ARTHUR ZWIRN, HARRY GIOSASI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

@CptMickey1

5y↑2

When you say "Country At Its Finest, you are not kidding with the smooth wonderful voice of Freddie Hart who sang as fine as could be. Thank for the post of this tune I hear each week.