# Sammy Masters > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sammy_Masters > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sammy_Masters.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Masters > Source revision: 1327442927 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American singer (1930–2013)}}{{More citations needed|date=November 2017}} '''Samuel T. Lawmaster''' (July 18, 1930 – March 8, 2013), known by his stage name '''Sammy Masters''', was an American [rockabilly](/source/rockabilly) musician. He is perhaps best known for his 1960 hit, "Rockin' Red Wing". Masters showed skill in music from an early age, debuting at 12 on the radio with [Bob Wills](/source/Bob_Wills). He recorded his first [solo](/source/solo_(music)) [single](/source/single_(music)) in 1950 before serving in the [Korean War](/source/Korean_War), where he often performed for fellow soldiers. He worked at 4-Star Publishing as a [songwriter](/source/songwriter) and [demo tape](/source/demo_tape) recorder from 1954-1957, where [Patsy Cline](/source/Patsy_Cline) [recorded](/source/sound_recording_and_reproduction) his "Turn the Cards Slowly" for a minor [hit](/source/hit_record). Masters wrote for ''[American Music](/source/American_Music_(journal))'' in the intervening years before signing with Lode Records in 1960. His song "Rockin' Red Wing" first became a regional hit in California, eventually reached No. 64 on the [''Billboard'' Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100). It gave Masters his only appearance in the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) when it peaked at No. 36 in June 1960. His song "Who Can I Count On?" became the [B-side](/source/A-side_and_B-side) to Willie Nelson's "[Crazy](/source/Crazy_(Willie_Nelson_song))". In the wake of [Patsy Cline](/source/Patsy_Cline)'s success with the song, singers such as [Bobby Darin](/source/Bobby_Darin) and [Wayne Newton](/source/Wayne_Newton) covered "Who Can I Count On?". That same year Masters founded his own label, Galahad Records. He co-hosted a television program on [KCOP](/source/KCOP) in the 1960s and 1970s, and increasingly found work in TV production in the following decades. In 1997, he released ''Everybody Digs Sammy Masters'', with [Deke Dickerson](/source/Deke_Dickerson) and [Ray Campi](/source/Ray_Campi) and toured the rockabilly revival scene in Europe and [Japan](/source/Japan). ==Early life and military career== Born '''Samuel T. Lawmaster''' in [Sasakwa, Oklahoma](/source/Sasakwa%2C_Oklahoma), United States, Masters showed skill in music from an early age. At age 12, he debuted on the [radio station](/source/radio_station) [KTUL](/source/KTUL) in [Tulsa](/source/Tulsa) with [Bob Wills](/source/Bob_Wills). When he was 16, his family moved to [California](/source/California), and Masters began playing in [country](/source/country_music) groups in the [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles) area alongside [Spade Cooley](/source/Spade_Cooley) and [Ole Rasmussen](/source/Ole_Rasmussen_(musician)). Lawmaster recorded his first [solo](/source/solo_(music)) [single](/source/single_(music)), "Lost Little Nickel in the Big Juke Box" on [Cormac Records](/source/Cormac_Records) in 1950, and followed it with "Crazy River". After these were released Masters served in the [Korean War](/source/Korean_War) in the [Army](/source/United_States_Army), where he often performed for fellow soldiers. == Career == In 1954, he returned to California and signed with 4-Star Publishing as a [songwriter](/source/songwriter) and [demo tape](/source/demo_tape) recorder. [Patsy Cline](/source/Patsy_Cline) [recorded](/source/sound_recording_and_reproduction) his "Turn the Cards Slowly" for a minor [hit](/source/hit_record). Interested in furthering his chances at a successful career in rockabilly, Masters recorded "Pink Cadillac" and "Whop-T-Bop" with guitarist [Jimmy Bryant](/source/Jimmy_Bryant) and released them on 4-Star in 1956, but neither sold well. Follow-ups "Angel" and "Jodie" were no more successful, even after Masters's touring schedule and [television](/source/television) appearances on ''[The Jack Benny Show](/source/The_Jack_Benny_Show)'' and ''[Town Hall Party](/source/Town_Hall_Party)''. His contract with 4-Star ended in 1957, and he wrote for ''[American Music](/source/American_Music_(journal))'' for a few years. "Rockin' Red Wing" was issued on [Warner Bros. Records](/source/Warner_Bros._Records) in September 1959 before signing with Lode Records in 1960. Lode re-issued "Rockin' Red Wing" in January that year, which became a regional hit in Los Angeles and eventually reached No. 64 on the [''Billboard'' Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100).{{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=545}} It gave Masters his only appearance in the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) when it peaked at No. 36 in June 1960.{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 354}} His next single, "Golden Slippers", was released nationally by [Dot Records](/source/Dot_Records), but it was not a success, and neither was "Pierre the Poodle", his last release before losing his [recording contract](/source/recording_contract). He became friends with [Willie Nelson](/source/Willie_Nelson) in 1961, and his song "Who Can I Count On?" became the [B-side](/source/A-side_and_B-side) to Nelson's "[Crazy](/source/Crazy_(Willie_Nelson_song))", a multi-platinum smash for [Patsy Cline](/source/Patsy_Cline). In the wake of "Crazy"'s success, singers such as [Bobby Darin](/source/Bobby_Darin) and [Wayne Newton](/source/Wayne_Newton) covered "Who Can I Count On?". That same year Masters founded his own label, Galahad Records, which was not a [vanity label](/source/vanity_label), though Masters did release an [album](/source/album), ''May the Good Lord Bless You and Keep You'', in 1964, as well as a few singles, on the label. He co-hosted a television program on [KCOP](/source/KCOP) in the 1960s and 1970s, and increasingly found work in TV production in the following decades. In 1997, Masters signed with [Dionysus Records](/source/Dionysus_Records) and released ''Everybody Digs Sammy Masters'', with [Deke Dickerson](/source/Deke_Dickerson) and [Ray Campi](/source/Ray_Campi), hoping to make a comeback on the rockabilly revival scene in Europe and [Japan](/source/Japan). He toured in both areas at the end of the decade. == Death == Masters died on March 8, 2013, at age 82.{{cite web|url=http://obits.ocregister.com/obituaries/orangecounty/obituary.aspx?n=samuel-t-lawmaster&pid=163701321|title=SAMUEL T. LAWMASTER's Obituary on Orange County Register|website=Orange County Register|accessdate=26 November 2017}} ==Discography== ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" ! width="25" | Year ! width="350" | Title ! width="150" | Label |- | 1951 || "Lost Little Nickel" / "May I Call You Darlin’?" || Cormac Records |- | 1956 || "Pink Cadillac" / "Some Like It Hot" || 4 Star Records |- | 1956 || "Pink Cadillac" / "What’s Up" || Modern Records * |- | 1956 || "Whop-T-Bop" / "Flat Fleet" || 4 Star Records |- | 1956 || "Whop-T-Bop" / "2 Rock-A-4" || 4 Star Records |- | 1957 || "Angel" / "My Heart Is A Hobo" || 4 Star Records |- | 1957 || "Tall Grow The Sycamores" / "The Drifter" || Decca Records |- | 1958 || "Jodie" / "If I Could See The World" || 4 Star Records |- | 1958 || "Whop-T-Bop" / "2 Rock-A4" || Moonglow Records |- | 1958 || "Pink Cadillac" / "Some Like It Hot" || Moonglow Records |- | 1959 || "Rockin’ Red Wing" / "Lonely Weekend" || Warner Bros. Records |- | 1960 || "Rockin’ Red Wing" / "Lonely Weekend" || Lode Records |- | 1960 || "Charolette (In The Pink Corvette)" / "Golden Slippers" || Lode Records |- | 1960 || "Charolette (In The Pink Corvette)" / "Golden Slippers" || Dot Records |- | 1961 || "Never" / "Pierre The Poodle And The Puppy Dogs" || Lode Records |- | 1962 || "Stick Around Joe" / "Remind Me Baby" || Galahad Records |- | 1963 || "All Alone In San Antone" / "Roses Remind Me Of You" || Galahad Records |- | 1964 || "[I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)](/source/I_Fought_the_Law)" / "A Big Man Cried" || Kapp Records |- | 1964 || "Louisiana Jane" / "Barcelona Baby" || Kapp Records |- | 1965 || "You Can Have Her" / "You Can Have Her" (instrumental) || D&D Records |- |} * Version of original "Pink Cadillac" with additional drums ===EPs=== {| class="wikitable" ! width="25" | Year ! width="250" | Title ! width="200" | Label |- | 1958 || '''EP''' * "Angel" * "My Heart Is A Hobo" * "Tall Grows The Sycamores" * "The Drifter" || Sammy Masters Label (4 Star Records) |- | ca. 1958/1959 || '''''EP''''' * "Stop The World (And Let Me Off)" * "Pink Cadillac" * "[A Wonderful Time Up There](/source/A_Wonderful_Time_Up_There)" * "Tall Grows The Sycamores" || 4 Star Records |} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p289586/biography|pure_url=yes}} Sammy Masters] at [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic) {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Masters, Sammy}} Category:1930 births Category:2013 deaths Category:American rockabilly musicians Category:Songwriters from Oklahoma Category:4 Star Records artists Category:Country musicians from Oklahoma --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sammy Masters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Masters) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Masters?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.