Rasie Michael Bailey (February 14, 1939 – August 4, 2021), better known as Razzy Bailey, was an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. In the early 1980s, he scored 5 No. 1s on the Billboard country music charts.
Early life Bailey was born in Five Points, Alabama, United States, and raised on a farm in La Fayette, Alabama. Bailey got his first experience of musical performance as a member of his high school's Future Farmers of America string band. After graduation, he married and had children immediately and had little time to pursue his career, but he spent many years playing occasional gigs at honkytonks in Georgia and Alabama and developing his songwriting.
Early releases In 1966, Bailey took his material to Bill Lowery at Atlantic Records, who arranged for him to record "9,999,999 Tears" backed by a studio band featuring Billy Joe Royal, Joe South, and Freddy Weller. The song failed to hit the charts at that time, but Bailey was encouraged, forming the pop trio Daily Bread which released a pair of albums on small labels. Another group, The Aquarians, followed in 1972; in 1974, Bailey recorded the album I Hate Hate simply as "Razzy." It sold over half a million copies before being picked up by MGM Records.
Career at RCA In 1976, Dickey Lee recorded "9,999,999 Tears", and it became a country and pop hit in 1976, and in 1977, Lee repeated this with another Bailey tune, "Peanut Butter," which also went into the charts. As his songwriting talents became known, Bailey signed with RCA Records and, in 1978, began releasing singles of his own songs. His first hit as a singer-songwriter, "What Time Do You Have To Be Back to Heaven?", was on the charts for over four months. Bailey charted a total of seven No. 1 singles on Billboard's "Country" charts and another eight Top 10 in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His sound combines R&B influences with country; his version of Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" was a country hit. His last country No. 1 hit was with "She Left Love All Over Me" in 1982.
Bailey had three double sided number 1's in succession on the Country chart, a feat never accomplished by any other artist.
He also operated Razzy's Hit House, his recording studio where he helped other artists with their projects.
Personal life Politically, Bailey was a member of the Republican Party. Bailey died in August 2021, at the age of 82.'80s Hitmaker Razzy Bailey Dies at Age 82, Wideopencountry.com
Discography Albums Year Album Chart Positions LabelUS CountryUS 1974 I Hate Hate MGM 1979 If Love Had a Face 33 RCA 1980 Razzy 12 1981 Makin' Friends 8 183 1982 Feelin' Right 10 176 A Little More Razz 59 1983 Greatest Hits 33 1984 The Midnight Hour 36 1985 Cut from a Different Stone 38 MCA 1986 Arrival 2006 Decades of Hits Spectra 2009 Damned Good Time SOA
Singles YearSingleChart PositionsAlbumUS CountryCAN Country 1966 "9,999,999 Tears" — — Single only 1974 "I Hate Hate" (as Razzy)A — — I Hate Hate 1976 "Keepin' Rosie Proud of Me" 99 — Single only 1978 "What Time Do You Have to Be Back to Heaven" 9 20 If Love Had a Face "Tonight She's Gonna Love Me (Like There Was No Tomorrow)" 6 5 1979 "If Love Had a Face" 6 33 "I Ain't Got No Business Doin' Business Today" 10 18 "I Can't Get Enough of You" 5 — Razzy 1980 "Too Old to Play Cowboy" 13 — "Loving Up a Storm" 1 10 "I Keep Coming Back" / "True Life Country Music" 1 3 1981 "Friends" / "Anywhere There's a Jukebox" 1 9 Makin' Friends "Midnight Hauler" 1 1 "Scratch My Back (And Whisper in My Ear)"B 8 — "She Left Love All Over Me" 1 2 Feelin' Right 1982 "Everytime You Cross My Mind (You Break My Heart)" 10 9 "Love's Gonna Fall Here Tonight" 8 11 A Little More Razz "Poor Boy" 30 — 1983 "After the Great Depression" 19 23 Greatest Hits "This Is Just the First Day" 62 48 1984 "In the Midnight Hour" 14 32 The Midnight Hour "Knock on Wood" 29 — Cut from a Different Stone "Touchy Situation" 43 — 1985 "Modern Day Marriages" 51 — "Fightin' Fire with Fire" 78 — Arrival "Old Blue Yodeler" 48 — 1986 "Rockin' in the Parkin' Lot" 63 42 1987 "If Love Ever Made a Fool" 69 — Singles only 1988 "Unattended Fire" 58 — "Starting All Over Again" 73 — 1989 "But You Will" 65 — 1991 "Fragile (Handle with Care)" — 36 A"I Hate Hate" peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 50 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada. BB-side to "Midnight Hauler."
Music videos Year Video 1980 "Friends" 1981 "Anywhere There's a Jukebox" "Midnight Hauler" "I've Had My Limit (Of Two-Timing Women)" 1982 "Night Life" 1985 "Old Blue Yodeler"
References
External links Razzy Bailey's home website