His biggest hit was "In the Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one. Pierce also charted number one for several weeks' each with his recordings of "Slowly" (1954), "Love, Love, Love" (1955), "I Don't Care" (1955), "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "More and More" (1954), "I Ain't Never" (1959), and his first number one "Wondering," which stayed at the top spot for four of its 27 weeks' charting in 1952.
For many, Pierce, with his flamboyant Nudie suits and twin silver dollar-lined convertibles, became the most recognizable face of country music of the era and its excesses. Pierce was a one-time member of the Grand Ole Opry and was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Born in West Monroe, Louisiana in 1921, as a boy Pierce was infatuated with Gene Autry films and his mother's hillbilly records, particularly those of Jimmie Rodgers and Western swing and Cajun groups. He began to play guitar before he was a teenager and at 15 was given his own weekly 15-minute show, Songs by Webb Pierce, on KMLB-AM in Monroe.
He enlisted in the US Army, and in 1942 he married Betty Jane Lewis. After he was discharged, the couple moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where Pierce worked in the men's department of a Sears Roebuck store. In 1947, the couple appeared on KTBS-AM's morning show as "Webb Pierce with Betty Jane, the Singing Sweetheart". Pierce also performed at local engagements, developing his unique style that was once described to be "a wailing whiskey-voiced tenor that wrang out every drop of emotion."
In 1949, California-based 4 Star Records signed the Webbs under separate contracts, with his wife signed for duets with her husband under the name Betty Jane and Her Boyfriends. However, success only came for Pierce, and in the summer of 1950, the couple divorced.
He moved to KWKH-AM and joined Louisiana Hayride during its first year and devised a plan to achieve instant "stardom." Before the show, he bought tickets for several young girls in line and asked them to sit in the first row, and after each of his songs to scream and beg for more. It worked; their enthusiasm spread throughout the audience.
Pierce assembled and performed with a band of local Shreveport musicians, including pianist Floyd Cramer, guitarist-vocalist Faron Young, bassist Tillman Franks and vocalists Teddy and Doyle Wilburn. He also founded a record label, Pacemaker; and Ark-La-Tex Music, a publishing company, with Horace Logan, the director of the Hayride. On Pacemaker, Pierce made several records between 1950 and 1951 designed to attract radio play around Louisiana.
In 1951, Pierce got out of his 4 Star contract and was quickly signed by Decca Records. His second single, "Wondering", became his breakthrough hit, climbing to No. 1 early in 1952. Pierce moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he met and married his second wife, Audrey Greisham. In June 1952, he had his second No. 1 single with "That Heart Belongs to Me".
In September 1953, the Grand Ole Opry needed to fill the vacancy left by the firing of Hank Williams, and Pierce was invited to join the cast. After Williams' death, he became the most popular singer in country music; for the next four years, every single he released hit the top ten, with ten reaching No. 1, including "There Stands the Glass" (1953), "Slowly" (1954), "More and More" (1954), and "In the Jailhouse Now" (1955). His singles spent 113 weeks at No. 1 during the 1950s, when he charted 48 singles. Thirty-nine reached the top ten, 26 reached the top four and 13 hit No. 1.
Other hits included "Back Street Affair", "Why Baby Why", "Oh, So Many Years", and "Finally"; the latter two being duets with Kitty Wells. His 1954 recording of "Slowly" was one of the first country songs to include a pedal steel guitar.[2] He made regular appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee including as a guest host once a month during 1956. In 1958, he recorded a rockabilly record, "The New Raunchy"/"I'll Get by Somehow" for Decca under the name Shady Wall. (Shady Wall (1922–1985) was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and a banker from West Monroe. It is not known if Pierce knew the political Wall or merely made up the name for the record and was unaware of the actual Shady Wall.)
On February 19, 1957, Pierce resigned from the Opry after he refused to pay commissions on bookings and for associated talent.
Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 hits; and he toured extensively and appeared in the movies Buffalo Guns, Music City USA, Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar, and Road To Nashville.
As his music faded from the spotlight, Pierce became known for his excessive lifestyle. He had North Hollywood tailor Nudie Cohen, who had made flamboyant suits for Pierce, line two convertibles with silver dollars. He built a $30,000 guitar-shaped swimming pool at his Nashville home which became a popular paid tourist attraction—nearly 3,000 people visited it each week—causing his neighbors, led by singer Ray Stevens, to file suit and prevail against Pierce to end the tours.
He remained with Decca and its successor, MCA, well into the 1970s, but by 1977 he was recording for Plantation Records. Even though he had occasional minor hits, charting in a 1982 duet with Willie Nelson, a remake of "In the Jailhouse Now," he spent his final years tending to his businesses, and his legend became clouded due to his reputation as a hard drinker. Webb and daughter Debbie recorded the ballad "On My Way Out" as The Pierces, and she was a member of the Country group "Chantilly" in the early 1980s.
Pierce waged a long battle with pancreatic cancer, which he lost on February 24, 1991, and was buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
Pierce has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1600 Vine Street. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2001 and into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
Caught In The Webb–a Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce was released on Audium Records in 2001. Produced and arranged by singer-songwriter Gail Davies, this album features Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, The Del McCoury Band, Charlie Pride, Allison Moorer, Dwight Yoakam, Pam Tillis, The Jordanaires and other great artists. Proceeds go to benefit The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. Ms. Davies herself first charted in 1978 with "No Love Have I," a No. 26 Billboard Country hit that Pierce had recorded (and taken to No. 4) in 1959.
Footage of Pierce singing "There Stands the Glass" was featured in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home by Martin Scorsese about early influences on Bob Dylan. Pierce's hit single "More and More" was played in the title credits of 2006 horror film, The Hills Have Eyes.
Sweet Memories
Webb Pierce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I wonder now and then of all the things that might have been
Thinking of the things we used to do
What do words would have meant then will never mean the same again
I'll still have memories sweet memories of you
(Memories) of the past (dreams of things) that didn't last
I'll still have memories sweet memories of you
A memory of love I thought was true
Regret some things I made that you always planned but never do
That's what brought memories sweet memories of you
(Memories) of the past
In the lyrics of Webb Pierce's song "Sweet Memories," the singer expresses a poignant reflection on memories of a past relationship. The opening lines convey a sense of longing and nostalgia as the singer acknowledges that they will always carry sweet memories of the person they are reminiscing about. The repetition of the phrase "sweet memories of you" emphasizes the significance of these memories in the singer's life.
As the lyrics progress, the singer delves into thoughts about what could have been in the relationship, highlighting a sense of regret and contemplation about the paths not taken. The mention of "the things we used to do" evokes a sense of shared experiences and moments that now exist only in memory. The wistful tone suggests a longing for the past and a recognition of how time has altered the meaning of certain words and actions.
The reference to "dreams of things that didn't last" further underscores the fleeting nature of the past and the bittersweet quality of memories that linger. The contrast between past hopes and present realities is evident in lines like "A memory of love I thought was true" and "Regret some things I made that you always planned but never do." These verses suggest a sense of disappointment and missed opportunities that contribute to the singer's enduring memories.
In the final verses, the singer reflects on the enduring nature of memories and how they can serve as a reminder of both the joys and the sorrows of the past. The repetition of the phrase "memories of the past" reinforces the idea that these recollections are firmly rooted in a time that can never be relived. Overall, the lyrics of "Sweet Memories" paint a vivid portrait of a person grappling with the lasting impact of a past relationship and finding solace in the memories that continue to shape their emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll still have memories sweet memories of you
Despite our separation, I will always cherish the memories we shared
Sometimes I wonder now and then of all the things that might have been
Occasionally, I find myself pondering the possibilities and missed opportunities from our past
Thinking of the things we used to do
Reflecting on the experiences and moments we shared together
What do words would have meant then will never mean the same again
The significance of our conversations and expressions from the past has changed over time
I brought your memory of the past from all the things that didn't last
I carry with me the recollections of our history, despite the things that didn't endure
A memory of love I thought was true
Remembering the love that I believed to be genuine
Regret some things I made that you always planned but never do
Feeling remorseful for the actions I took that prevented your dreams from becoming reality
That's what brought memories sweet memories of you
These thoughts and emotions are what keep the sweet memories of you alive in my mind
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mickey Newbury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Milton Moore
I was really enjoy-
ing Buddy Isaacs
and then at .50
seconds he quit,
then returned for
a short time in
the middle of the
song, then didn't
return again until
the end. I hate it
when the orches-
tractors shut down the pedal
steel guitarists
like this, which
happens so often
in country songs.
Ruth Boykin
Love, love this one by Webb!! Thank you for having published this for me to find!
webbjr37
Haven't heard this one in many years it's one of my many Webb favorites Thanks
Sonny Dave
Webb was one oft finest country singers of any era. Good song. Bud Isaacs on steel.Webb from West Monroe La. worked for sears before he became a singer.
Milton Moore
I was really enjoy-
ing Buddy Isaacs
and then at .50
seconds he quit,
then returned for
a short time in
the middle of the
song, then didn't
return again until
the end. I hate it
when the orches-
tractors shut down the pedal
steel guitarists
like this, which
happens so often
in country songs.
Connie Mitchell
A great one by Webb Pierce
Jorge García
Great song!! I recently discovered the same song but titled "Memories of you" by Big Tom, an Irish country singer. Please search in Youtube: "Big Tom and the Mainliners Memories of You" - Thanks a lot for this Webb´s excelent version!
webbjr37
Webb Changed the words of this one, the version I remember was quite different both very good
Thanks
Allie Grant
never heard this before..was thinking it was a different song with the same title. but a nice one.
dvdman49
Thank for the comments and the listen
dvdman49
Thanks Connie!