Carl Butler born 2 June 1927

Carl Butler (June 2, 1927 -  4, 1992) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter. 

Carl Roberts Butler was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. Not much is known about his father, but his mother, Annie Mae Butler, was a native of Tellico Plains, Tennessee, and granddaughter of an American Indian. She raised her family by working at Knoxville's Brookside Mills and elsewhere. A terrific cook, she sang around the kitchen and especially loved gospel music. 

She encouraged Carl's early musical interests by buying Gene Autry and Jimmie Rodgers records for him. Carl helped his mother and his little brother from an early age by distributing circulars for area merchants. Mother Butler later recalled that Carl preferred staying indoors listening to records to playing outdoors with friends. A  $7.50 Gene Autry guitar, a Christmas gift from his mother, became his first instrument, one which he used for so long that his brother remembers Carl pasting it together as repairs were needed. 

At age 12, Carl won an amateur contest that led to occasional radio work on WROL which had sponsored the contest. Grocer and country music talent scout Cas Walker sponsored Carl's broadcasts on that station for some nine years. Carl played and sang at area dances and clubs on weekends as he continued his schooling at Knoxville's Stair Tech High. Wartime military service ended his formal schooling: Butler served for three years in the 35th Field Hospital unit in North Africa and Italy. 

After discharge, he formed the Lonesome Pine Boys and during the late 40s, was featured on radio stations in Knoxville and Raleigh. He made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in 1948 and by the early 50s, was also appearing regularly on television in Knoxville.  In 1951, his songwriting abilities received a boost when ‘If Teardrops Were Pennies’ became a US Top 10 country hit for Carl Smith (a feat repeated 22 years later by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton). He made his own recording debut with Capitol in 1951 but moved to Columbia in 1953. He had minor success with such songs as ‘Angel Band’, ‘River Of Tears’ and his own version of ‘If Teardrops Were Pennies’; he also often sang gospel material. 

                    

During the 50s, with his powerful voice and honky-tonk style of music, he established a considerable reputation as a solo artist and in 1961, he gained his first US country chart hit with ‘Honky Tonkitis’. However, in 1962, he decided to work as a duo with his wife. He had married Pearl Dee Jones (b. 20 September 1930, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, d. 3 March 1988) when he was just beginning his career but she had previously only sung with Carl at family functions. The partnership immediately proved successful, when their recording of ‘Don’t Let Me Cross Over’ stayed at number 1 in the US country charts for 11 weeks. 

During the 60s, they appeared regularly on the Opry and had further Top 20 hits with ‘Loving Arms’, ‘Too Late To Try Again’ and ‘I’m Hanging Up The Phone’. In 1967, they appeared in the film Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar. The same year, as active members of the Salvation Army, they recorded their popular Avenue Of Prayer gospel album as a tribute to the Bailes Brothers. Carl Butler co-wrote some songs with Earl Scruggs, including ‘Crying My Heart Out Over You’. It was initially a hit for Flatt And Scruggs in 1960 but became a number 1 country hit for Ricky Skaggs in 1982. 

Their last chart hit was in 1969 with ‘We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning’, but they recorded for Columbia Records until 1971 and later for Chart, CMH and Pedaca. Their sound was not technically harmony singing, since Carl’s vocals were always totally dominant; Pearl merely sang in the background and never took solos. However, the public interest in their style and their recording successes undoubtedly led to the later appearances of male-female harmony duos such as Wagoner-Parton, Conway Twitty - Loretta Lynn and others. 

Carl Butler was greatly influenced, as a boy, by Roy Acuff, and this always showed in his emotional and loud style of singing. He also became noted for his gaudy western-style Nudie costumes. They continued to tour during the 70s and 80s and made some appearances on the Opry and on theMidnight Jamboree from Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop. 

Pearl Butler died of thyroid complications on 3 March 1988. Carl began to restrict his appearances but did briefly sing with Nancy Anne. They recorded a single but it failed and the partnership ended. Carl never recovered from the loss of Pearl and eventually drifted into obscurity. He died at his home on 4 September 1992, following a heart attack, and was buried beside Pearl in the Williamson Memorial Gardens. Fellow country stars George Jones, Carl Smith, Jack Greene, Marty Stuart and Ricky Skaggs were among the pallbearers for one of country music’s greatest honky tonk singers. 

(Edited from AllMusic & Bear Family notes)