Roy Drusky — Crooning Country-Style

Country music has always had its share of crooners like Don Williams and Jim Reeves, but not many would rate higher on the smoothness scale than singer/songwriter Roy Drusky. In fact, at the peak of his career he was often called ‘the Perry Como of country music’.

The Atlanta native was the son of a church organist, but while growing up young Roy was more interested in sports than he was in music. However, some of his mother’s influence must have been felt because by the time he reached adulthood he was pointing toward a musical career. But he wasn’t quite finished with sports — after completing his service in the Navy he tried out for the Cleveland Indians, but was unsuccessful.

Turning to a musical career just as the Fifties began, Drusky began to work his way in via radio — both as a DJ and as the leader of his own group. Within a couple of years he’d even managed to land a recording contract and sell some records, but his initial chart success was as a composer. That occurred later in the decade, when Faron Young turned Drusky’s “Alone With You” into a chart-topper.

By 1960, Drusky had settled in Nashville and was recording some best-sellers of his own. Songs like “Another” and “Anymore” (video below) began to build his fame as a honky-tonk balladeer, and he was soon a regular on the Grand Ole Opry. He continued to enjoy success throughout most of the decade, with songs like “Three Hearts In A Tangle” and “Second-Hand Rose” among his biggest sellers. He also began to produce some records and for a while was part of a popular singing duo with Priscilla Mitchell. He was so active that he even got spots in a few movies (and sang the theme song of one).

By the decade of the Seventies, things had slowed down a little for Roy Drusky, although he did have a good seller with “Long Long Texas Road” and one or two others. For the next couple of decades, he continued to perform from time to time and continued to find success as a producer. In later years he turned to gospel music. He died in 2004.