Biography
Born Carl Roberts Butler on 2 June 1927 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the future singer died on 4 September 1992 in Franklin, Tennessee. He first took up guitar and voice at age twelve and, after leaving high school, began composing original material while performing in neighborhood venues. From 1944 to 1946 he served with the armed forces in Europe and North Africa. Upon returning, he assembled the Lonesome Pine Boys and appeared on radio outlets in both Knoxville and Raleigh throughout the late 1940s. His initial Grand Ole Opry engagement occurred in 1948, and early in the following decade he became a regular presence on Knoxville television. Songwriting recognition arrived in 1951 when Carl Smith carried “If Teardrops Were Pennies” into the country Top 10; Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton duplicated the achievement twenty-two years later. Butler cut his first sides for Capitol that same year before switching to Columbia in 1953. Modest chart entries followed with “Angel Band,” “River Of Tears,” and his own rendering of “If Teardrops Were Pennies,” while he also devoted attention to gospel repertoire. His forceful delivery and honky-tonk approach earned him a solid solo standing throughout the 1950s, which translated into his first country-chart single, “Honky Tonkitis,” in 1961. The next year he elected to perform exclusively as a duo with his wife. Pearl Dee Jones, born 20 September 1930 in Nashville, had married him early in his career yet had previously sung only at family gatherings. Their Columbia recording of “Don’t Let Me Cross Over” immediately topped the country list and remained there for eleven weeks. Regular Opry slots and additional Top 20 singles—“Loving Arms,” “Too Late To Try Again,” and “I’m Hanging Up The Phone”—marked the remainder of the decade. In 1967 the couple appeared in the motion picture Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar and, as active Salvation Army members, issued the gospel collection Avenue Of Prayer in tribute to the Bailes Brothers. Butler collaborated on several numbers with Earl Scruggs, among them “Crying My Heart Out Over You,” which Flatt And Scruggs first popularized in 1960 and which Ricky Skaggs later carried to number one in 1982. Their final chart entry arrived in 1969 with “We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning.” Columbia retained them until 1971; subsequent affiliations included Chart, CMH, and Pedaca. Although the pair recorded together, Butler’s lead remained dominant while Pearl supplied only background support and never soloed. Their commercial accomplishments nonetheless paved the way for later husband-and-wife harmony teams such as Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton as well as Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. As a youngster Butler had drawn inspiration from Roy Acuff, an influence audible in his emotionally charged and forceful vocal style; he also became recognized for his flamboyant Nudie western attire. The Butlers maintained an active touring schedule through the 1970s and 1980s and continued occasional Opry and Midnight Jamboree appearances at Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop. Pearl Butler succumbed to thyroid complications on 3 March 1988. Thereafter Carl limited his performances, briefly partnering with Nancy Anne on an unsuccessful single. Unable to rebound from Pearl’s passing, he gradually withdrew from public view. He suffered a fatal heart attack at home on 4 September 1992 and was interred beside Pearl in Williamson Memorial Gardens; fellow artists George Jones, Carl Smith, Jack Greene, Marty Stuart, and Ricky Skaggs served as pallbearers for one of country music’s most distinctive honky-tonk vocalists.
Albums
