Jim Stafford

Most widely known for his humorous nation novelty songs from the mid-’70s, multi-instrumentalist Jim Stafford also enjoyed an extended career being a tv character and live entertainer. Stafford was created in 1944 within the Florida city of Eloise, near Wintertime Haven, and discovered electric guitar from his dad. He began playing in regional bands as an adolescent, including one, the Legends, that included upcoming country-rock tale Gram Parsons, in addition to Kent LaVoie, who later become vocalist/songwriter Lobo. After senior high school, Stafford shifted to Nashville and became a member of Jumpin’ Costs Carlisle’s backing music group. He also done his songwriting and documented some demos of his music, despite his distaste for his personal singing tone of voice. During one program, he created the one-man music group act that could later become section of his live shows, because of a drummer who abruptly strolled out. Stafford was executing in Clearwater, FL, when he went into Lobo and asked if he’d consider documenting Stafford’s first “The Swamp Witch.” Lobo recommended that Stafford record it himself, and helped him property a agreement with MGM; he’d later produce a lot of Stafford’s singles aswell. “The Swamp Witch” scraped underneath of the very best 40 in 1973, nonetheless it was the next year’s “Spiders and Snakes” — a tune co-written with David Bellamy from the Bellamy Brothers — that brought Stafford in to the big style. The tune peaked at number 3 for the pop graphs, went yellow metal, and helped make Stafford children name. His love of life was also showcased for the follow-up strikes “My Girl Costs” and “Wildwood Weed,” the last mentioned another TOP pop strike, and he charted in the very best 40 once again in 1975 with “Your Bulldog Beverages Champagne” and “I ACQUIRED Stoned and I Overlooked It.” By that point, Stafford was more than enough of a superstar to obtain his personal short-lived prime-time range show, which went during the summer time of 1975. It had been there that he fulfilled vocalist Bobbie Gentry, whom he wedded and later on, in 1980, divorced. In 1981, Stafford made an appearance within the Clint Eastwood film Any Which Method but Loose and added his last graph solitary, “Cow Patti,” towards the soundtrack. The next year, he published three tunes for Disney’s cartoon feature The Fox as well as the Hound. He hosted two tv applications, Those Amazing Pets and Nashville on the highway, in the first ’80s and later on within the 10 years served like a article writer for the Smothers Brothers’ go back to prime-time tv. For the time being, he continuing to tour and documented several one-off singles for different brands. In 1990, he resolved in Branson, MO, which includes since turn into a mecca for nation music and family members entertainment; he presently owns his very own theater generally there and has over 350 displays a year.