Cymarron

{{short description|American soft rock group}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | background = group_or_band | name = | image = | image_size = | image_upright = | landscape = | alt = | caption = | origin = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | genre = Soft rock | years_active = 1971-1972 | label = Columbia/Entrance | spinoffs = The Remingtons | past_members = {{hlist|Richard Mainegra|Sherrill Parks|Rick Yancey}} }} '''Cymarron''' was an American soft rock band from Memphis, Tennessee. They are most famous for their song "Rings", a number 17 hit in 1971.<ref>{{cite magazine |author= |title=HOT 100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9kQEAAAAMBAJ&q=cymarron+%26+rings&pg=PA56 |magazine=Billboard |page=56 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc |date=1971-08-14 |access-date=2016-06-04}}</ref> The recording went to No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at number 66 in Australia.<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=80}}</ref> "Rings" was also the first single release on Columbia's Entrance label. The band released a follow-up single, "Valerie" which was not as successful, peaking at 96<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book| last = Whitburn| first = Joel| title = The Comparison Book Billboard/Cash Box/Record World 1954–1982| publisher = Sheridan Books| year = 2015| isbn = 978-0-89820-213-7}}</ref> on the Billboard Hot 100 and 19<ref name="Whitburn AC">{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |authorlink= Joel Whitburn |year= 2007 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2006 |publisher= Record Research| isbn = 978-0-89820-169-7}}</ref> on the Adult Contemporary chart. An album, also called "Rings" was released which reached 187<ref name="Whitburn Albums">{{cite book| last = Whitburn| first = Joel| title = Top Pop Albums 1955-2016| publisher = Prometheus Global Media| year = 2018| isbn = 978-0-89820-226-7}}</ref> on the Billboard 200 album chart. Cymarron was composed of Rick Yancey (December 31, 1947 – September 10, 2021),<ref name="obiRYancey">{{cite web |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/booneville-ms/ricky-yancey-10353687|title=Obituary Ricky Yancey|website=dignitymemorial.com}}</ref> Sherrill Parks (July 21, 1948 - July 24, 2022), and Richard Mainegra.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=611}}</ref> They named their group after ''Cimarron Strip'' - a short-lived TV western from 1967.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

The band's only top 20 hit, "Rings" was written by outside songwriters Eddie Reeves and Alex Harvey, and produced by Chips Moman.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Moman had earlier hired Yancey as a studio musician. Yancey wrote the flip-side of their popular single, the song "Like Children". The song "Rings" was subsequently covered by both Lobo and Reuben Howell in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net/cymarron.html|title=Cymarron - Songs|website=Allbutforgottenoldies.net|access-date=21 August 2021}}</ref> Lobo's version was released as a single which reached 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 8 on the Easy Listening chart. The song was also recorded in 1983 by Leo Kottke for his album, ''Time Step''. Cymarron achieved little other success, despite releasing another album and several other singles.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

In 1991, Yancey and Mainegra joined Jimmy Griffin in forming the country music band The Remingtons.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6fXPucJupIC&q=%22richard+mainegra%22&pg=PA320 |title = Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios|isbn = 9781604734027|last1 = Jones|first1 = Roben|date = 2010-11-12| publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi }}</ref> Yancey and Griffin also performed together as GYG until Griffin's death in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.drewreid.com/html/gyg_cd.html|title=Music|website=Drewreid.com|access-date=21 August 2021}}</ref>

Yancey, singer and guitarist, died in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 10, 2021, at age 73.<ref name="obiRYancey"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Cymarron.html Oldies.com Biography] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050921111604/http://www.pophistorynow.com/popculturefiles/askmrpophistory_q144.htm Mr. Pop History] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um-x9fmXQrE The song "Rings"]

Category:1971 establishments in Tennessee Category:American soft rock music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1971 Category:Musical groups from Memphis, Tennessee