From:   "Dik de Heer"  
Date:  Fri Aug 1, 2003  1:19 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Leon Chappel
 
LEON CHAPPEL (By Kevin Carey)

Born Horace Leon Chappelear, Gilmer, Texas, 1 August 1909
Died 23 October 1962, Gladewater, Texas

One of the founders of what would become known as "Western Swing", Leon
Chappel's career began when he teamed up with two friends, Bob and Joe
Attlesey, as The Lone Star Cowboys in 1929, where they played local shows and
radio slots on KGKB and, after moving to Shrevenport in the early 30's, on
radio station KWKH. 

Leon Chappel's first solo recordings came about in 1932 when, without Bob and
Joe Attlesey, he recorded some sides for the Gennett label based in Indianna.
The Lone Star Cowboys cut their first sides for the Victor (Bluebird?) label in
1933 when they were asked to accompany Jimmie Davis, and recorded further
tracks under their own name, including versions of Deep Elem Blues and Just
Because. With musical differences becoming apparent, the Lone Star Cowboys
split up, with the Attlesey's adopting their mother's maiden name before
resurecting their careers as The Shelton Brothers.

The split with Joe and Bob seems to have given Chappel the momentum to adopt a
much higher charged, jazzed up, version of traditional music pioneered by
Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies, while still retaining the name of
(Leon's) Lone Star Cowboys and holding a regular spot on KWKH; certainly, by
the time the Cowboys recorded for Decca in August 1935, the transition to what
is commonly known as Western Swing was complete.

With the chance of success seeming tantalisingly close, returning from a dance
in September 1935, the car Chappel was travelling in was involved in a
collision which left him hospitalised with head injuries. It is open to
conjecture, but it has been noted that he never fully recovered from the injury.

However, 6 months after the accident, Chappel was again recording for Decca,
playing the local fairs and fulfilling his regular radio spot, although below
par performances led to the band losing their spot on KWKH, before moving to a
smaller station, KRMD, before further personnel changes resulted in a much
tighter sounding 12 piece band emerged in 1937 where they recorded their final
sessions for Decca.

The next 10 years of Chappel's life are shrouded in some mystery. It is known
that he joined the police force during the war, but that his career was cut
short when he was charged with accepting a bribe (some sources suggest he spent
time in prison as a result). 

It wasn't until 1950 that Leon Chappel re-emerged, this time teaming up with
two work friends (by this time Chappel had become a pipe fitter in Texas),
where they performed as The Lone Star Ramblers, but it was when Chappel
resurected his friendship with Jimmie Davis, by then the governor of Lousianna,
that he found himself able to fully re-establish his career, albeit initially
playing in Davis' backing band.

Chappel's long standing friendship with Jimmie Davis clearly gave him a helping
hand when it next came to getting a record contract and with Davis leaving
Decca and joining Capitol, it is no surprise that it was with Capitol that
Chappel recorded with in March, 1950. The move to Capitol also saw a change of
style - gone was the Western Swing style to be replaced by a honky tonk style
reminiscent of Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams.

Chappel continued recording for Capitol until 1953, although sessions were, it
seems, sometimes few and far between and in between spells Chappel took on
truck driving or pipe laying jobs, so it probably wasn't too surprising that
his sessions in April 1953 would be his last with Capitol (despite a good
re-working of 'Do-Right Daddy' and a nice version of 'How Come You Do Me Like
You Do').

From all accounts, Chappel returned to Shrevenport to work as a Superintendant
at the city pound, until ill health - a legacy of his car crash in 1935 -
forced his retirement in July 1962. Plagued by ill health, deeply depressed
following his marraige breakdown and with his musical career a distant memory,
on October 23rd 1962 Leon Chappel visited his sister in Gladewater, Texas,
where he took his own life, with the inquest recording: Self inflicted death by
gunshot wound.

Recommended listening: Leon Chappelear / Leon's Lone Star Cowboys - Western
Swing Chronicles, Vol 2 - Origin Jazz Library OJL 1001(27 early tracks,
including Leon's first solo performances for Gennett label) 
Leon Chappel - Automatic Mama - Bear Family BCD 16254 AH (1950-53 Capitol
recordings).