Biography
Born around 1933 and deceased on 29 December 1986, Tex Withers remains an enigma in every personal detail: neither the precise circumstances of his birth, his true identity, nor the identities of his parents have ever surfaced. Left as a disabled infant in the United States, he later forged an unlikely path in British country music that underscored extraordinary endurance, standing just four feet tall, afflicted with a hunchback, and enduring prolonged suffering from severe spinal conditions and tuberculosis. Throughout each day he appeared in full western attire, driven by an enduring desire to embody an American Indian; his spouse, who went by White Fawn, accompanied him in the role of squaw while puffing on a clay pipe. Cheerful by nature, he openly mocked his own physical limitations and served for many years as compère at the Nashville Room in West London, where he earned multiple accolades as the leading UK country vocalist. Audiences responded most strongly to his renditions of “These Hands” and the spoken narrative “The Ballad Of Ira Hayes,” which recounted a Native American’s struggles adapting to modern society. The album Tex Withers Sings Country Style moved 135,000 units, while his 1973 release The Grand Ole Opry’s Newest Star was cut primarily in Nashville, Tennessee. Hank Snow lent early support, yet recurring throat ailments abruptly ended his performing years. Subsequent bankruptcy, compounded by an inability to read or write, rendered steady employment nearly impossible. In his final period he worked as a cleaner at both Gatwick Airport and Haywards Heath railway station. He reached his “happy hunting ground” on 29 December 1986, likely at the age of 53, and received a notice in The Times.
Albums