Singer Don Winters (1928-2002) had a few modest hits in the 1950s, but really made his mark as a member of the Marty Robbins band, a gig he landed in the early '60s and stuck with through the years, right up until Robbins' death in 1982. Winters frequently sang in a harmony trio along with Marty Robbins and Bobby Sykes; in the early '70s he had a brief side career recording several albums of country covers and generic tribute albums along with the studio band, The Country Ramblers. The son of a professional musician himself, Don Winters helped his own kids learn music and form a band; The Winters Brothers recorded both as a solo band and with their dad. Don Winters also recorded a long string of singles with his sister, Rita Robbins, back in the 1950s, though other than a UK bootleg (listed below) apparently those tracks have not been anthologized on an album.
Don Winters & The Country Ramblers "Sing Songs Made Famous By The Carter Family" (RCA Camden, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Chet Atkins & Ethel Gabriel)
Sleek Nashville Sound-era recordings of several Carter Family classics, sweetly sung by Don Winters, who was best known as a key member of Marty Robbins' band. This isn't a mind-blowing album, but it's nice stuff; modern Music City paying homage to its earliest roots, and Winters is always a fine singer.
The Country Ramblers "My Love And Other Country Hits" (RCA Camden, 1971-?) (LP)
There are also a couple of these Country Ramblers albums that don't explicitly mention Don Winters by name... It's likely he was on these LPs, though also conceivable that the label just used the Ramblers name for random soundalike records... Without musician credits or session info, there's no way to know for sure.
The Country Ramblers "...Sing Cattle Call And Other Songs Made Famous By Eddy" (RCA Camden, 1971) (LP)
Don Winters & The Country Ramblers "Snowbird And Other Country Favorites" (RCA Camden, 1971) (LP)
Features covers of countrypolitan-era hits such as "Rose Garden," "Snowbird" and "Waiting For A Train."
Don Winters & The Country Ramblers "...Sing Marty Robbins" (RCA Camden, 1971) (LP)
Don Winters & The Country Ramblers "Kiss An Angel Good Morning And Other Country Favorites" (RCA Camden, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ethel Gabriel, Leslie Ladd & Mike Shockley)
Don Winters & The Winters Brothers "The Yodeling King" (Startrack Records, 1984) (LP)
