Lefty Frizzell

de Daniel Cooper

Lefty Frizzell's legacy to country music is unparalleled. His sublime vocal technique and phrasing, the way his voice dips and slurs before fixing on a note, has been imitated so much it is now simply taken for granted by many as the way country music is sung. His contribution aside, Lefty was also one of the most carefree, colorful personalities in the annals of country music, a man whose life was equal parts high times and hard times. Though battered by a sometimes cruel industry, a stormy marriage, and his own considerable demons, he never gave up on the music for which he lived. His creative triumphs continued until his death and included such classic, landmark recordings as the original versions of "The Long Black Veil" and "That's the Way Love Goes.". In this remarkable first biography of Lefty Frizzell, Daniel Cooper tells the singer's honky-tonk story.