Meet Gerald Nelson, Mysterious Elvis Songwriter

[jurasic1968]

Well not good songs, by any means.

[colonel snow]

I still know two songs from 1967 with publisher Shelby Singleton.
I doubt there’s a link with Elvis.

Don’t push me too far (Nelson-Burch) - copyright 20-03-67
Fugue for a lost soul (Nelson-Burch) - copyright 21-09-67


colonel snow

[drjohncarpenter]

The revival of this topic spurred me to upgrade the original post, and also see if I could find anything more on Gerald Nelson.

I did.

First off, the songwriter passed away in August 2012, at the age of 76:

https://www.darbyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Gerald-Nelson-1999/#!/Obituary

I was more astonished to learn that "If I Were You" was not a songwriter submission in 1970. It was a single Nelson released in the summer of 1962 which did not chart.

620707_Atco 6233.jpg

It's a cover by Elvis. No one likely had any idea back then, except Gerald . . .






Gerald Nelson "If I Were You" (Atco 6233, July 7, 1962)




Reviews of his Atco single were decent-to-good, but didn't spark anything at radio or retail.

Billboard Jul 14 1962 p30_DETAIL.png

Billboard - July 14, 1962

Cash Box Jul 21 1962_p10_DETAIL.jpg

Cash Box - July 21, 1962




Also went back to 1958's "Tragedy" to see if I could find anything else, given Gene's firmly stated connection to Elvis on that song.

Yes, there's a bit more. Will post it next.


BONUS GERALD BILLBOARD and CASH BOX


'

[drjohncarpenter]

Among other things, it appears "Tragedy" took a very slow path to chart success, released in October 1958, but not peaking until late March 1959, as may be seen in my original post on page 1.

Billboard gave it a pretty good review when it shipped in October:

Billboard Oct 20 1958_p30_DETAIL.jpg

Billboard - October 20, 1958

Locally, Thomas Wayne made at least one TV appearance, likely October 25th, with his backing vocal trio, the DeLons, on Wink Martindale's "Top Ten Dance Party" on WHBQ-TV, Channel 13. It aired every Saturday afternoon at 5pm.

581025_Top Ten Dance Party_Memphis.jpg

Top Ten Dance Party, WHBQ-TV Memphis - Saturday, October 25, 1958

581025_DeLons_Wayne_Top Ten Dance Party_Memphis.jpg

TEEN-AGE TUNES -- Another Humes High singer is attracting attention with a record, and he's backed up by three girls from Central. Thomas Wayne, shown above, recorded "Tragedy" for the Fernwood label established by Scotty Moore, former Presley guitarist, and Moore and Bill Black provide the musical background. The Central trio, the De Lons, are, left to right, Nancy Reed, Sandra Brown and Carol Moss.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Monday, October 27, 1958
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/800004428/

Thomas also played a local benefit show that November, with the DeLons and a backing band made up of Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D.J. Fontana.

That unit sure sounds familiar.

At Auditorium Sunday

Headliners by the Dozens at J.B. Perkins Show

By ROBERT JOHNSON, Press-Scimitar Staff Writer

Ten more headliners are announced today for what is turning into the biggest country music and rock roll show ever -- the J. B. Perkins Memorial Show at Ellis Auditorium at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday.

Here are the latest artists coming forward to give their services to the show:

Jerry Lee Lewis and his pumpin' piano
Ernest Tubb.
Tex Ritter
Sonny Burgess and the Pacers
Thomas Wayne ("Tragedy") with the DeLons and the Presley Trio
Hank Snow
Porter Wagoner
Hawkshaw Hawkins
Jean Shepherd
Webb Pierce

Bob Neal, former Memphian and manager of Johnny Cash, who originated the idea of the show, said efforts are being made to get Conway Twitty, who has the No. 1 record today, "It's Only Make Believe," to arrange his schedule so he can appear. Twitty, of Marianana, Ark., is scheduled to be in New York Monday to tape a show with Perry Como.

More entertainers are volunteering their services daily Neal said, and a big contingent will come to Memphis direct from the Country Music Disk Jockeys Convention in Nashville.

Already announced as participating are Johnny Cash, Homer and Jethro, Lefty Frizzell, the Collins Kids, Merle Travis and Joe Maphis.

The benefit show, which has the sanction of the Memphis Federation of Musicians, is the entertainers' way of taking care of one of their own. J. B. Perkins, brother of Carl ("Blue Suede Shoes") Perkins and rhythm guitar man with him, died of cancer in October. His widow and children were left heavily in debt and with no income.

Central Box Office at Goldsmith's is handling tickets for the show. Reserved seats are $1.25 in advance and $1.50 at the door. General admission will be $1 on the day of the show only. Children's tickets are full price downstairs, 50 cents in general admission, the balcony.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Tuesday, November 18, 1958
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/799939069/

As the single picked up steam, Scotty led Wayne on appearances in the east in February 1959, both on tour and on TV, including Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" in Philadelphia. The touring band included Scotty, Bill, D.J. and Reggie Young. Wow!

They even got booked on a fairly new NBC-TV variety show, broadcast in color and based in Los Angeles, called "The Music Shop," with host Buddy Bregman.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Bregman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Shop_(TV_program)

T-V News and Views

Time a Player in 'Berkeley Square'

By ROBERT JOHNSON
Press-Scimitar Staff Writer

[snip]

Strange Success Story
Thomas Wayne, former Humes High student, will be on Dick Clark's show on Channel 13 at 6:30 tomorrow night, singing "Tragedy," his record release on the Memphis label, Fernwood. As recently reported in this space, this record is having an amazing climb to popularity.

Now comes word from Scotty Moore and Bob Buckalew, partners in the Fernwood label, that Wayne has also been signed for the Buddy Bregman show on NBC Sunday, Feb 15.

The record this week jumped from No. 100 in the popularity chart to No. 74 nationally, and was listed by Billboard as a "best buy" for disk jockeys and coin record machine operators.

It was played briefly in Memphis last summer, hasn't been spun locally for months. It suddenly caught fire up east. This past week Moore, onetime hot guitarist with Elvis Presley, has Wayne on a tour of Cleveland, Chicago, New York and Washington, appearing on big time disk jockey programs as those of Alan Freed and Buddy Dean. They will return to Memphis, then fly Thursday to Hollywood to tape the performance for Bregman's show.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Friday, February 6, 1959
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/799975915/

Television Programs for Today

[snip]

VARIETY: Dick Clark welcomes Dave Apple, Brook Benton, Thomas Wayne, the Bell Notes, Channel 6, 7:30 P. M.

Philadelphia Inquirer - Saturday, February 7, 1959
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177689923/

As "Tragedy" continued to rise, Moore got the kid out to New York to be a part of a huge Alan Freed show at the Fox Theatre in Brooklyn.

590327_New York Daily News.jpg

New York Daily News - Friday, March 27, 1959

T-V News and Views

How Long Will George Be Missing?

By ROBERT JOHNSON
Press-Scimitar Staff Writer

[snip]

But if we've lost Johnny, Memphis still has plenty of youngsters interested in some of that magic overnight musical success. There is Humes High's Thomas Wayne, for instance, who is the brother of Luther Perkins, the bass player with Cash.

I've written recently of the strange success story of Wayne's Fernwood record, "Tragedy," which got a short play in Memphis last summer, then began to break big in the east. This week's Billboard puts it in the No. 15 spot among the 100 best-selling records, and it has been climbing steadily.

"Tragedy" is now No. 15 also on WMPS' Top Forty, which is higher than it reached when it was originally released, as I recall.

Scotty Moore, onetime hot guitarist for Elvis and organizer of Fernwood, said "Tragedy" has already passed the half-million mark in sales, they have their fingers crossed that it will make the Top Ten and hit a million, altho record sales have been off a little recently. Wayne will be on Bill Anthony's Big Beat on WMCT Monday afternoon, then will leave for New York and a 10-day theater appearance with a big Alan Freed rock and roll show.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Wednesday, March 11, 1959
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/800026016/

It was slightly warmer than the previous month's trip to the east.

590300_Wayne_Moore_New York.jpg

Thomas Wayne and Scotty Moore in New York - circa March 1959

Come May 1st, it was time to celebrate a million records sold. Why not the Holiday Inn in Memphis?

Lots of cool folks there that evening, exactly 65 years ago today!

Including "young Gerald Nelson"!

T-V News and Views

WREC-TV Losing Its Kitty Kelly

By ROBERT JOHNSON
Press-Scimitar Staff Writer

[snip]


On the Record
Chalk up one more success story from Humes High -- Thomas Wayne will be given his gold record signifying sale of a million copies of his Fernwood disk, "Tragedy," at a party given in his honor at Holiday Inn on South Third from 7:30 to 12 tomorrow by Scotty Moore and Bob Buckalew, Fernwood partners. Disk jockeys and people closely identified with the Memphis record industry will be guests. Charlie Rich's Memphis Jazz Quartet will perform.

Thomas has jumped off to a good start on his new release, "Eternally." Buckalew said almost 100,000 copies have already been shipped.

The composer of Tragedy," young Gerald Nelson, originally of Paducah but now of Memphis, has started a vocalizing career of his own, singing his new composition, "Eighth Wonder of the World" for Pepper Records.

"The song is strong," said Pepper's Floyd Huddleston. "We've got good reaction on it already and RCA Victor Is bringing out a cover on it just from hearing the dubs, before we even get our own version out. They wouldn't tell us what artist they're using."

Pepper has just released Wayne Hefner's new one, "Little Man In the Well," catchy and beautifully conceived number with a real novel twist, a syncopated splash, and this could be the one which will push Hefner up there big. The song is a Huddleston original. If this doesn't do it, they've got another one waiting which will.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Thursday, April 30, 1959
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/799989604/

This is a neat photo, long unattributed, until today. From the party!

590501_w Burch_Wayne_Nelson_Memphis.jpg

Fred Burch, Thomas Wayne and Gerald Nelson at Holiday Inn South, Memphis - Friday, May 1, 1959
Songwriters Burch and Nelson were celebrating Wayne's million-selling single of "Tragedy."

What a time to be alive.

[drjohncarpenter]

BONUS TRAGEDY


'

[jurasic1968]

Great topic. Thanks a lot, Doc,

[chop983]

I wish Bear Family would release these songs on CD

[colonel snow]

Here you’ll find the registered repertoire of Gerald Nelson (Hiett)

colonel snow

https://repertoire.bmi.com/Search/Search?Main_Search_Text=Nelson%20Gerald%20Hiett&Main_Search=Catalog&Search_Type=all&View_Count=100&Page_Number=4&Part_Type=WriterList&Part_Id=Wp6rikAtYwCSali97%252bDhhQ%253d%253d&Part_Id_Sub=oQ5QPfxeuXXa%252bYwl37rzbA%253d%253d&Part_Cae=%252fNhXTro1m4E0u5SSCTM%252bAQ%253d%253d&Original_Search=Writer%2FComposer

[colonel snow]

I just found for:
Heartbreak city - publisher Champion Music Corp. - copyright 10-10-61;

I just thought you’d like to know - publisher Champion Music Corp. - copyright 18-09-62;
See previous post by Kevan Budd.


colonel snow

[JimmyCool]

I wish Bear Family would release these songs on CD

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/songs-i-wrote-for-elvis-gerald-nelson/qqoxx1k569eqb

[jurasic1968]

He looks like Gary Cooper.

[drjohncarpenter]

I wish Bear Family would release these songs on CD

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/songs-i-wrote-for-elvis-gerald-nelson/qqoxx1k569eqb

This self-produced CD is discussed in detail in my opening post on page 1.

[drjohncarpenter]

They even got booked on a fairly new NBC-TV variety show, broadcast in color and based in Los Angeles, called "The Music Shop," with host Buddy Bregman.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Bregman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Shop_(TV_program)

T-V News and Views

Time a Player in 'Berkeley Square'

By ROBERT JOHNSON
Press-Scimitar Staff Writer

[snip]

Strange Success Story
Thomas Wayne, former Humes High student, will be on Dick Clark's show on Channel 13 at 6:30 tomorrow night, singing "Tragedy," his record release on the Memphis label, Fernwood. As recently reported in this space, this record is having an amazing climb to popularity.

Now comes word from Scotty Moore and Bob Buckalew, partners in the Fernwood label, that Wayne has also been signed for the Buddy Bregman show on NBC Sunday, Feb 15.

The record this week jumped from No. 100 in the popularity chart to No. 74 nationally, and was listed by Billboard as a "best buy" for disk jockeys and coin record machine operators.

It was played briefly in Memphis last summer, hasn't been spun locally for months. It suddenly caught fire up east. This past week Moore, onetime hot guitarist with Elvis Presley, has Wayne on a tour of Cleveland, Chicago, New York and Washington, appearing on big time disk jockey programs as those of Alan Freed and Buddy Dean. They will return to Memphis, then fly Thursday to Hollywood to tape the performance for Bregman's show.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Friday, February 6, 1959
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/799975915/

Just found a nice little PR photo of Buddy Bregman, in support of his short-lived NBC-TV show. It was in color, too!

Nice-looking fellow.

To the best of my knowledge, none of the broadcasts survived the years.


'