17 Honky Tonk Songs, Webb Pierce, LP

"Love, Love, Love", the public certainly loved Webb Pierce, the hillbilly loving, Gene Autry obsessed honky-tonk vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. With 13 releases making top spot in the country charts and a whole string of hits, Pierce was without doubt one of the most successful country recording artists of the 50's. Renowned for his distinctive nasal voice, he influenced the music industry for years to follow. On this 17-track collection we hear his greatest songs over an 8-year period from 1952-59, including all 13 of his No. 1 hits. Epitomising Pierce's selling power, In The Jailhouse Now, spent 37 weeks in the country chart during 1955, 21 of them at No. 1. Although some of his late '50s and early '60s recordings nodded in the direction of the emerging smoother Nashville sound, with the steel guitar and fiddle giving way to vocal choruses and strings, and forays into distinctly pop/rock 'n' roll territory, he remained reluctant to depart from his honky-tonk roots. He was an iconic and highly distinctive personality during a glorious heyday of country music