Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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CONLEY, Earl Thomas

(b 17 October 1941, Portsmouth OH; d 10 April 2019, Nashville TN) Country singer and songwriter who set a record in 1983: he was the first artist in any genre with four no. 1 singles from the same album. One of eight children, his father a railway worker who lost his job during the conversion from steam to diesel. He rejected a scholarship to art school, travelled, served in US Army, joined a gospel group with his aunt and uncle; then worked days in Huntsville, AL, playing clubs at night. Songs attracted attention: Mel Street had a hit with 'Smokey Mountain Memories', Conway Twitty took 'This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me' to no. 1. He made singles for GRT, WB; hit no. 1 with 'Fire And Smoke' from LP Blue Pearl on Sunbird: RCA snapped up it and him; the LP went as high as no. 23 in the Billboard country album chart in '82.

He had worked with co-producer Nelson Larkin since '71, felt the influence of Merle Haggard, George Jones, but 'never could make those influences work until I started writing and singing for myself.' Beginning with songwriting as a craft (his favourite co-writer was Randy Scruggs, son of Earl Scruggs), he described the process of interpreting the songs as painting pictures. His first RCA LP Somewhere Between Right And Wrong '82 was a hit with a top five title track; Don't Make It Easy For Me '83 had four no. ones: title track, 'Your Love's On The Line', 'Angel In Disguise' and 'Holding Her And Loving You'; and a minor '75 hit, 'I Have Loved You, Girl (But Not Like This Before)' re- entered the chart to reach no. 2. Treadin' Water '84 was no. 2; 'Chance Of Lovin' You', 'Honour Bound', 'Love Don't Care Whose Heart It Breaks' were no. ones. Greatest Hits '85 was understandably a no. 1 album; Too Many Times '86 was no. 3, 'Nobody Falls Like A Fool', 'Once In A Blue Moon' at no. 1; duet 'Too Many Times' with Anita Pointer was no. 2. He claimed to have come from Bluegrass, but the duet with Pointer showed his affinity for Soul music; he subsequntly appeared wih her on TV's Soul Train. 'I Can't Win For Losin' You' reached no. 1 '87. The Heart Of It All '88 was thought to be his best album, again with four no. 1 country hits including 'We Believe In Happy Endings' (with Emmylou Harris) and 'What I'd Say'. After a layoff due to a dispute with RCA he came back with Yours Truly '91 (including hit duet 'Brotherly Love' with Keith Whitley), then the label dropped him and one of the biggest country stars of the '80s had no label. He came back in '98 and was active for another decade, but the market had turned to younger people who had been inspired by him.