Lefty Frizzell

Lefty Frizzell (1928-1975) was one of the most influential country vocalists in history. His smooth, slurred vocal phrasing — bending and stretching syllables in ways that were completely original — directly influenced Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Keith Whitley. In 1951, he had four songs in the country Top 10 simultaneously, a feat unmatched until the Beatles. If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time, I Love You a Thousand Ways, Always Late (With Your Kisses), and The Long Black Veil are country standards. His vocal technique was so distinctive that Haggard built his entire early career imitating it. Despite chronic alcoholism that shortened his career and his life, Frizzell's influence on country singing is second only to Hank Williams. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982.