From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Fri Jun 7, 2002  1:14 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Wynn Stewart
 
WYNN STEWART (By Shaun Mather)

Born Wynnford Lindsey Stewart, 7 June 1934, Morrisville, Missouri
Died 17 July 1985, Hendersonville, Tennessee

Although the chart books may tell a different story, no-one was more
responsible for the success of the Bakersfield sound than Wynn Stewart.
He influenced Tommy Collins, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and helped
create the distinct electric sound which defined the town's best work. Born
in Morrisville, Missouri, he spent his formative years touring the country with
his family of poor sharecroppers. They settled in California in 1948 and
whilst still in school there, he formed his first band, eventually teaming
up with steel guitarist Ralph Mooney, electric guitarist Roy Nichols and
bassist Bobby Austin, all of whom were to be major players in the
Bakersfield movement. Stewart cut a couple of singles for Intro in 1954
before he was persuaded by Skeets McDonald to try his hand with Capitol
Records. He joined in the middle of 1956 and his first release with them,
Waltz With The Angels reached number 14 on the country charts.

In early 1958, following a string of unsuccessful singles he left and joined
Jackpot, a subsidiary of Challenge Records. He retained his hard California
sound and even ventured into rockabilly with Come On, but it wasn't until the
beginning of 1960 that he hit again when Wishful Thinking climbed to number
five. Around this time he moved to Las Vegas to host a TV show and open his
own Nashville Nevada Club. He continued to enjoy moderate chart success
with two great honky tonkers, Big Big Love and Another Day, Another Dollar
as well as Wrong Company, a duet with Jan Howard.

By '65 he'd sold up in Vegas and returned to California and Capitol Records.
He hit number one for them with It's Such A Pretty World Today in 1967 and
developed a softer, less hard edged sound. Still charting on a small scale,
he stayed with Capitol until '72 when he joined RCA. Three years later he
joined Playboy records and returned to the charts with After The Storm and
Sing A Sad Song, a number which he'd given to Merle Haggard for his own
first single.

In 1978 he formed his own WIN label and barely charted with Eyes Big As
Dallas. Following a spell of inactivity he was set for a comeback in the
mid-80's when he died of a heart attack.

Recommended listening:
California Country: The Best of the Challenge Masters - AVI
Wishful Thinking - Bear Family (10CD)