Biography
Roy Head earned acclaim as an electrifying stage presence whose sets drew from R&B, country, rock & roll, swamp pop, and soul, yet his signature achievement remained the debut smash “Treat Her Right,” a high-octane two-minute fusion of rock and soul propelled by his forceful delivery and an outstanding horn figure. That track launched three Pop Top 40 entries for him during the 1960s; later he scored four C&W Top 40 placements across the 1970s. Whatever the style, Head infused his work with unmistakable Southern bravado, singing with fervor, texture, and command while allowing space for wry humor and a gritty, regional rhythmic feel. At his peak he delivered unforgettable concerts featuring flamboyant choreography, complete with aerial somersaults and flips. The 1995 anthology Treat Her Right: The Best of Roy Head gathers his 1960s rock and R&B landmarks, the 1970 album Same People (That You Meet Going Up, You Meet Coming Down) stands as a refined, fervent major-label effort, and 1975’s Head First marks a peak from his country phase.
Born January 9, 1941, in Three Rivers, Texas, Head relocated with his family to San Marcos in 1955. There he encountered guitarist Tommy Bolton at the local high school, and the pair launched the Traits, soon among the leading early rock & roll attractions across the state. After inking with TNT Records (also known as Tanner ’N’ Texas) in 1959, the group notched regional successes such as “One More Time,” “Summertime Love,” and “Live It Up.” Still students, the Traits played sock hops, teen clubs, and college dates throughout Texas, although their schedules blocked a proposed American Bandstand appearance. In 1962 the band moved to Renner Records; several recordings were subsequently licensed to larger imprints including Scepter and Ascot.
Head and the Traits joined forces in 1965 with producer-manager Huey P. Meaux, the “Crazy Cajun,” who secured them a contract on Don Robey’s Back Beat Records. Their initial Back Beat release, “Treat Her Right,” surged onto playlists and reached number two on the pop singles chart. A prior Scepter recording, “Just a Little Bit,” was reissued after that breakthrough and climbed to number 39, while the follow-up Back Beat single “Apple of My Eye” reached number 32. Contractual conflicts then halted progress when disputes arose with Traits members and assorted managers; former bandmate Gene Kurtz later recalled, “He’d pretty much sign any piece of paper put in front of him.” Scepter kept issuing older Head material amid these legal entanglements even as he recorded new sides for Back Beat, stalling momentum; several 1966 singles appeared, yet none surpassed number 88 (“Get Back”). Within a year of “Treat Her Right,” Head’s run as a rock hitmaker had ended.
Once matters cleared in 1968, Head parted ways with the Traits and exited Back Beat for Mercury, issuing a few singles before shifting to ABC/Dunhill for the 1970 album Same People (That You Meet Going Up, You Meet Coming Down). The set failed commercially, prompting a move to Steve Cropper’s TMI label and the 1972 release Dismal Prisoner. By 1976 Head had pivoted toward country music carrying a soulful undercurrent, delivering the ABC/Dot album Head First, which yielded the single “The Most Wanted Woman in Town.” That track charted at number 19 in the United States and number 7 in Canada, restoring his visibility. Before year’s end he issued another ABC/Dot LP, A Head of His Time; its 1978 successor Tonight’s the Night contained three additional country hits—“Come to Me,” “Now You See ’Em, Now You Don’t,” and a version of Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night (It’s Gonna Be Alright).” Following those ABC/Dot successes, Elektra signed him, releasing 1979’s In Our Room and 1980’s The Many Sides of Roy Head, though neither produced major hits. A disagreement with producer Jimmy Bowen, who had overseen most of his country sessions, ended the association.
Not until 1985 did Head issue another album, Living for a Song, on the independent Texas Crude imprint; it featured guest contributions from guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lonnie Mack plus fiddler Johnny Gimble. He concentrated on live performances for the ensuing fifteen years until the 2011 album Still Treating ’Em Right appeared, offering fresh takes on earlier country material, followed in 2012 by the direct-to-lacquer live-in-studio set Roy Head. His son Sundance Head meanwhile built his own audience, appearing on American Idol in 2007 and claiming the victory on The Voice in 2016. In 2019 “Treat Her Right” reached fresh listeners when Quentin Tarantino placed it over the opening credits of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Roy Head passed away at age 79 on September 21, 2020, in Montgomery County, Texas, after suffering a heart attack.
Born January 9, 1941, in Three Rivers, Texas, Head relocated with his family to San Marcos in 1955. There he encountered guitarist Tommy Bolton at the local high school, and the pair launched the Traits, soon among the leading early rock & roll attractions across the state. After inking with TNT Records (also known as Tanner ’N’ Texas) in 1959, the group notched regional successes such as “One More Time,” “Summertime Love,” and “Live It Up.” Still students, the Traits played sock hops, teen clubs, and college dates throughout Texas, although their schedules blocked a proposed American Bandstand appearance. In 1962 the band moved to Renner Records; several recordings were subsequently licensed to larger imprints including Scepter and Ascot.
Head and the Traits joined forces in 1965 with producer-manager Huey P. Meaux, the “Crazy Cajun,” who secured them a contract on Don Robey’s Back Beat Records. Their initial Back Beat release, “Treat Her Right,” surged onto playlists and reached number two on the pop singles chart. A prior Scepter recording, “Just a Little Bit,” was reissued after that breakthrough and climbed to number 39, while the follow-up Back Beat single “Apple of My Eye” reached number 32. Contractual conflicts then halted progress when disputes arose with Traits members and assorted managers; former bandmate Gene Kurtz later recalled, “He’d pretty much sign any piece of paper put in front of him.” Scepter kept issuing older Head material amid these legal entanglements even as he recorded new sides for Back Beat, stalling momentum; several 1966 singles appeared, yet none surpassed number 88 (“Get Back”). Within a year of “Treat Her Right,” Head’s run as a rock hitmaker had ended.
Once matters cleared in 1968, Head parted ways with the Traits and exited Back Beat for Mercury, issuing a few singles before shifting to ABC/Dunhill for the 1970 album Same People (That You Meet Going Up, You Meet Coming Down). The set failed commercially, prompting a move to Steve Cropper’s TMI label and the 1972 release Dismal Prisoner. By 1976 Head had pivoted toward country music carrying a soulful undercurrent, delivering the ABC/Dot album Head First, which yielded the single “The Most Wanted Woman in Town.” That track charted at number 19 in the United States and number 7 in Canada, restoring his visibility. Before year’s end he issued another ABC/Dot LP, A Head of His Time; its 1978 successor Tonight’s the Night contained three additional country hits—“Come to Me,” “Now You See ’Em, Now You Don’t,” and a version of Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night (It’s Gonna Be Alright).” Following those ABC/Dot successes, Elektra signed him, releasing 1979’s In Our Room and 1980’s The Many Sides of Roy Head, though neither produced major hits. A disagreement with producer Jimmy Bowen, who had overseen most of his country sessions, ended the association.
Not until 1985 did Head issue another album, Living for a Song, on the independent Texas Crude imprint; it featured guest contributions from guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lonnie Mack plus fiddler Johnny Gimble. He concentrated on live performances for the ensuing fifteen years until the 2011 album Still Treating ’Em Right appeared, offering fresh takes on earlier country material, followed in 2012 by the direct-to-lacquer live-in-studio set Roy Head. His son Sundance Head meanwhile built his own audience, appearing on American Idol in 2007 and claiming the victory on The Voice in 2016. In 2019 “Treat Her Right” reached fresh listeners when Quentin Tarantino placed it over the opening credits of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Roy Head passed away at age 79 on September 21, 2020, in Montgomery County, Texas, after suffering a heart attack.
Albums
One More Time! The Roy Head Collection
2021
Lean and Hungry
2013
The Best Of Roy Head
2009
Same People (That You Meet Going Up, You Meet Coming Down)
1970
Treat Me Right
1965
Singles
