Biography
Don Woody harbored no reluctance toward rock stardom, embracing the role without resistance, though it had never featured in his original ambitions. His birth took place on June 29, 1937, within the modest community of Tuscumbia, Missouri. During his high school years, Woody launched a radio DJ career while developing a standup comedy act performed at nearby venues, and despite his strong affinity for drumming—he excelled at the instrument—music represented merely one among several pursuits available to him daily. Following high school graduation, he enrolled at Southwest Missouri State University located in Springfield, where he secured a DJ position at a Top 40 rock & roll outlet and maintained his comedic performances. Alongside his roommate Paul Simmons, Woody composed roughly twelve songs, for which the two created demo recordings. A comedy routine secured him a consistent role as a warm-up performer on the Ozark Jubilee program presented by Red Foley, leading to his introduction to manager Gary Walker. Walker forwarded the demo tapes to Decca Records, resulting in one song, “Bigelow 6-200,” serving as Brenda Lee's first single release during 1956. This development placed Woody in a Decca recording studio under the production of Owen Bradley, where he laid down the track destined for lasting recognition, “You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree,” along with three additional pieces from the Woody-Simmons collection. In this manner, Woody transitioned into a rockabilly artist. The single “You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree” achieved limited success, prompting Decca to end the arrangement. Two years afterward, in 1958, Woody cut several additional songs for Arco Records without any resulting impact, signaling the apparent conclusion of his rockabilly phase. Employment with the Sears Company followed, culminating in his advancement to a regional vice-president role prior to retiring in 1991. Rockabilly enthusiasts and collectors, however, retained fond memory of “You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree,” granting Woody an unexpected later chapter performing on the nostalgia circuit, a development that both entertained and astonished him. In 2010, Bear Family Records compiled his complete recorded output—eleven tracks total—onto the album You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree.
Albums
