Wowie, zowie! What a biography! Shirley Collie Nelson (1931-2010) was a truly twangful gal who worked and recorded with some of country music's greatest talents, and cut dozens of tracks, released under several different names, though alas, she hasn't gotten the reissue treatment in the digital era.
Shirley Angelina Simpson was born in Chilcothe, Missouri and found her way onstage while still a teen, landing a spot on the Kansas City-based Brush Creek Follies, an early regional "opry" style show packed mostly with local talent. From there, she headed down to Texas where she worked for Bob Wills and his brother, Johnnie Lee Wills, before heading back to Missouri in 1955 after joining the cast of the Ozark Jubilee. As a Jubilee cast member, she used the stage name Shirley Caddell; around this time she also landed her first recording contracts, with ABC Records and then with Columbia, and recorded a duet with honky-tonk legend Lefty Frizzell.
Caddell had already been married in her teens, but a late-1950s gig touring with the Philip Morris Country Music Show led to a marriage with show promoter/hillbilly singer Biff Collie, best known as a country DJ from Los Angeles. As Shirley Collie, she appeared on the Town Hall Party TV show, one of the most influential West Coast country shows, and was signed to the Liberty label, which was gearing up its country division. Collie cracked into the Top 40 with "Dime A Dozen" and a version of "Why Baby Why," a robust duet with Warren Smith. This in turn led to her being paired up with Liberty Records labelmate Willie Nelson, who was struggling to establish himself as a solo performer.
In 1962 Collins and Nelson scored a Top Ten hit with "Willingly," the first of several duets they recorded, and also the start of their romantic involvement. Shirley Collie joined Willie Nelson on the road, playing in his band until they got married in 1963. After that, she mostly put her career on the back burner and worked as a housewife up until their divorce in 1971. During this time she wrote a few songs in the 'Sixties, notably "Little Things" (co-written with Willie) and "I Hope So" (1969) and "Once More With Feeling," which she wrote but he cut as singles in his pre-Austin days. Now Shirley Collie Nelson, she eventually returned to Missouri and performed occasionally down in Branson, although later in life she also developed a non-music professional career, doing social work for the state of Missouri. Here's a quick look at her work -- I'm not sure this list is complete, but if not, feel free to drop me a line!
Shirley Caddell (ABC-Paramount Records, 1956-?) (#45-9704) (7")
A: "Where Did The Sunshine Go?" (c: Boudeleux Bryant & Felice Bryant)
B: "I Think You're Lying" (c: Phelps)
(Producer not listed)
Shirley Caddell (Columbia Records, 1957-?) (#4-40939) (7")
A: "Oh Yes, Darling!" (c: Jerry Organ)
B: "Part-Time Gal" (c: B. Land & Jon Sheldon)
(Producer not listed)
A couple of odd notes regarding this single. Originally waxed by Ray Price, "Oh Yes, Darling!" was re-released as a Shirley Collie single in the early 'Sixties with a new flipside. The original flip, "Part-Time Gal," was apparently published Elvis Presley's company and had a separate 1957 release by a mystery duo called the Bobbsey Twins, who were the focus of a gimmicky contest that was announced in Billboard: "First deejay to identify the two gals hiding behind the name, The Bobbsey Twins, will win an RCA Color TV set. Gals, well-known in radio and/or TV, are heard on... Cadence Records' next release." (As far as I know, Shirley Caddell was not on this recording, but it sure shows how hard they were trying to plug this song!)
Shirley Caddell (Columbia Records, 1957-?) (#4-41044) (7")
A: "I've Never Been In Love (Like I'm In Love With You)" (c: Wayne Walker & G. Sherry)
B: "You're The Only Good Thing" (c: J. Toombs)
(Producer not listed)
Shirley Caddell & Lefty Frizzell (Columbia Records, 1957-?) (#4-40938) (7")
A: "No One To Talk To (But The Blues)" (c: Wayne Walker & G. Sherry)
B: "Is It Only That You're Lonely" (c: Schroeder & Weisman)
(Producer not listed)
Side A features a duet with honky-tonk legend Lefty Frizzell; Frizzell sings solo on the flipside.
Shirley Collie (Liberty Records, 1960-?) (#F-55268) (7")
A: "My Charlie" (c: Audrey Allison)
B: "Didn't Work Out, Did It" (c: Dave Rich)
(Producer not listed)
Shirley Collie (Liberty Records, 1960-?) (#F-55291) (7")
A: "Sad Singin' And Slow Ridin' " (c: Texas Ruby & Curly Fox)
B: "I'd Rather Hear Lies" (c: Joe Allison & Joe Johnson)
(Producer not listed)
Shirley Collie (Liberty Records, 1961) (#F-55324) (7")
A: "Oh Yes, Darling" (c: Jerry Organ)
B: "Dime A Dozen" (c: Harlan Howard)
(Producer not listed)
Shirley Collie & Warren Smith (Liberty Records, 1961-?) (#F-55361) (7")
A: "Why I'm Walking" (c: Stonewall Jackson)
B: "Why Baby Why" (c: Darrell Edwards & George Jones)
(Produced by Joe Allison)
A couple of country duets with onetime rockabilly idol Warren Smith, who was trying really hard to imitate George Jones... She's awesome on her solos, though he overpowers her when they harmonize
Shirley Caddell & The Aristocrats (Lesley Records, 1963) (#AL-1927) (7")
A: "The Big Bounce" (c: Jackie Leonard)
B: "Don’t Hurt A Good Thing" (c: Jackie Leonard)
(Producer not identified)
The A-side is a fun, goofy rock-pop number, while the B-side is more of a bland teenpop ballad...
Shirley Nelson & Dave Kirby (Boone Records, 1969) (# B-1086) (7")
A: "Two Story Home" (c: Glenn Martin & Dave Kirby)
B: "We Go Together" (c: Shirley Nelson & Dave Kirby)
(Produced by Dave Kirby)
Neat! This one combines the talents of two of my favorite underrated obscuro-country talents, super-picker Dave Kirby (a session player best known for writing the mega-classic, "Is Anybody Going To San Antone") and singer Shirley Nelson, an excellent hard-country singer. They co-wrote the B-side, "We Go Together," while "Two Story Home" is notable as a collaboration with Glenn Martin, who also co-wrote "San Antone," which -- by the the way -- had not yet been taken to the top of the charts by country star Charley Pride. Anything by these two is bound to grab my attention!
Shirley Caddell (Confederate Records, 1970) (# 1013) (7")
A: "Motions" (c: Robert Kelley & Charles Smith)
B: "Doubles Of Troubles" (c: Charles Smith)
(Producer not identified)
Shirley Caddell (Confederate Records, 1970) (# 1013) (7")
A: "Ten Foot Three" (c: Charles Smith)
B: "Chair Legs" (c: L. W. McDaniel)
(Produced by Dave Kirby)
It's a goofy song title, but "Chair Legs" is a great, great country weeper!
Shirley Caddell (Capitol Records, 1976) (# P-4233) (7")
A: "Sing Sweet Song Bird" (c: Don Delaney)
B: "Everything I Know About Cheatin' " (c: Larry Gatlin)
(Produced by Grady Martin)
As far as I know, no one has compiled her single and duets onto an album... but they really should!!
"Scrapbooks In My Mind: Featuring Shirley And Willie Nelson and Many Others"
Written by Shirley Caddell Collie Nelson
(Booklocker.com, 2009)
