Cliff Carlisle (May 6, 1903Social Security Death Index Interactive Search – April 5, 1983) was an American country and blues musician, singer and songwriter. Carlisle was a yodeler and was a pioneer in the use of the Hawaiian steel guitar in country music. He was a brother of country music star Bill Carlisle.
Biography
Carlisle was born in Taylorsville, Kentucky and began performing locally with cousin Lillian Truax at age 16. Truax's marriage put an end to the group, and Carlisle began playing with Wilber Ball, a guitarist and tenor harmonizer. The two toured frequently around the U.S. playing vaudeville and circus venues in the 1920s.
Cliff and Ball first played at Louisville, Kentucky radio station WHAS-AM in 1930, which made them local stars, and later that year they recorded for Gennett Records and Champion Records. In 1931, they recorded with Jimmie Rodgers. Toward the end of 1931, Carlisle signed with ARC and was offered performance slots on several radio stations, including WBT-AM in Charlotte, North Carolina, WLS-AM in Chicago and WLW-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cliff's brother Bill Carlisle became his guitarist after Ball left in 1934. During the 1930s Carlisle, who recorded a large amount of material despite a hiatus from 1934 to 1936, frequently released songs with sexual connotations including barnyard metaphors (which became something of a hallmark).
Carlisle toured with his son, "Sonny Boy Tommy," to occasional consternation from authorities in areas where this contravened local child labor laws. He continued to perform on WMPS-AM in Memphis, Tennessee for several years in the 1940s, but by the 1950s had retired from music.
In the 1960s, The Rooftop Singers covered his tune "Tom Cat Blues"; in its wake, Carlisle and Ball did a few reunion shows together and recorded for Rem Records. On April 2, 1983, Carlisle died at the age of 79 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Legacy Carlisle's 1933 song "Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad" is featured in the 2017 video game Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy.
Discography
Singles YearTitleNotesGennett Records1930My Carolina Sunshine Girl / Down In Jail On My Knees1930Desert Blues / Blue Yodel No.6 with Bill Carlisle1930 (?)I'm Lonely and Blue / I'm On My Way To Lonesome ValleyChampion Records1930Just A Lonely Hobo / Virginia Blues1930Crazy Blues / Hobo BluesB-side with Bill Carlisle1930No Daddy Blues / Brakeman's BluesBrakeman's Blues by Jimmie Rodgers1931Box Car Blues / The Brakeman's Replyunder the pseudonym J. Boone1931High Steppin' Mama / Alone and Lonesome1931Hobo Jack's Last Ride / The Written Letterwith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle Brothers1931Nobody Wants Me / The Plea Of A Motherwith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle Brothers1931Come Back Sweetheart / Memories That Haunt Mewith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle Brothers1931She's Waiting For Me / The Cowboy's Songwith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle Brothers1931The Fatal Run / Memories That Make Me Crywith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle BrothersConqueror Records1931Shanghai Rooster Yodel / Going Back To Alabama1931Memories That Make Me Cry / Dear Old Daddy1931Alone and Lonesome / Where Southern Roses Climb1931Box Car Yodel / Modern Mama 1931Birmingham Jail No.2 / Just A Lonely Hobo1931The Written Letter / I Don't Mind1931My Rocky Mountain Sweetheart / Lonely Valley1931Guitar Blues / I Want A Good Woman1932Memories That Haunt Me / Seven Years With The Wrong Woman1932 (?)Childhood Dreams / Memories That Make Me Cry1932The Brakeman's Reply / Hobo Jack's Last Ride1932Roll In Blue Moon / When It's Roundup Time In Texas1933The Rustler's Fate / The Little Dobie Shackwith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle Brothers1933Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad / Dang My Rowdy Soul1933Don't Marry The Wrong Woman / The Vacant Cabin Door1933Rambling Jack / Wreck Of Freight No. 521933Blue Eyes / On The Banks Of The Rio Grande1933I'm Glad I'm A Hobo / Gambling Dan1933That Ramshackle Shack On The Hill / End Of Memory Lanewith Bill Carlisle as The Carlisle Brothers1933Looking For Tomorrow / Where Romance Calls1933Louisiana Blues / Fussin' MamaA-side with Bill Carlisle1933I'm Traveling Live Along / Sunshine and Daisies1934Hen Pecked Man / Chicken Roost BluesMontgomery Ward1936Rambling Yodeler / Cowboy Johnnie's Last Ride1936A Wild Cat Woman and A Tom Cat Man / Look Out, I'm Shifting Gears1936A Stretch Of 28 Years / My Lovin' Cathleen1936Handsome Blues / In A Box Car Around The WorldB-side with Bill Carlisle1936 (?)When The Cactus Is In Bloom / My Lonely Boyhood DaysB-side under the pseudonym Lallaby Larkers1936You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone / When The Evening Sun Goes Down1936Flower Of The Valley / A Little White Rosewith Sonny Boy Tommy (Tommy Carlisle)1936I'm Saving Saturday Night For You / Waiting For A Ride1936It Takes An Old Hen To Deliver The Goods / When I Feel Froggie I'm Gonna Hop1936The Nasty Swing / It Ain't No Fault Of Mine1937Ridin' That Lonesome Trail / They Say It's The end Of The Trail1937There's A Lamp In The Window Tonight / New Memories Of You That Haunt Me1937Sweet As The Roses Of Spring / Just A Little Bit Of Loving From You1937Rocky Road / Pay Day Fight1937Cowboy's Dying Dream / Pan American Dream1937Waiting For A Ride / Your Saddle Is Empty Tonight1937When My Memory Lies / Lonely1937Rooster Blues / Troubled Minded Blues1937Blue Dreams / Hobo's FateBluebird Records1937Pan American Man / ?1937Riding The Blinds / New Memories Of You That Haunt Me1937Your Saddle Is Empty Tonight / Cowboy's Dying Dream1938Why Did The Blue Sky Turn Gray / The Shack By The Side Of The RoadRCA Records ?A Mean Mama Don't Worry Me / Why Did It Have To Be Me??Devil's Train / Scars Upon My Heart?Death By The Roadside / You Just Wait and See?I Didn't Have Time / You Couldn't Be True If You Tried?You Can't Erase A Memory / All The World Is Lonely Decca Records with Bill Carlisle1938Over By The Chrystal Sea / The Great Judgement Day1938Are You Going To Leave Me / The Girl I Left So Blues1938Wreck Of The Happy Valley / Weary Traveller with Sonny Boy Tommy1938Moonlight Blues / Big At The Little Bottom A1938Two Eyes In The Tennessee / Lonely Little Orphan Girl1938Trouble On My Mind / Nevada Johnnie1938No Drunkard Can Enter / I'm On My Way To The Promised Land1938When The Angels Carry Me Home / Home Of The Soulwith Sonny Boy Tommy1938No Letter In The Mail Today / Drifting1938I'm Just A Rambling Man / Blue Dreams1938My Old Home Place / Flower Of My Dream1938Where Are The Pals Of Long Ago / When We Meet Again1938I'm Heading For Some Home, Sweet Home / If Jesus Should Come1938Wabash Cannonball / Sparkling Blue Eyesas Carlisle's Kentucky Boys1939Unclouded Sky / Far Beyond The Starry Sky1939Mouse Been Messin' Around / Ditty Wah Ditty1939Footprints In The Snow / My Little Sadie1939Roll On Old Troubles / I Dreamed I Searched Heaven1939Black Jack David / Makes No Differences What Live Will BringB-side as Carlisle Buckle Busters1939Sally Let Your Bangs Hang / Little Pal
Albums 1963: A Country Kind Of Songs and Hymns 1964: Maple On The Hill 1965: Cliff Carlisle 1965: Carlisle Family Album - Old Time Great Hymns (The Carlisle Family) 1965: Cliff Carlisle Vol. 1+2
References
External links [ Cliff Carlisle] at Allmusic.com Cliff Carlisle recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.