Floyd Cramer
b. 27 October 1933, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. The style and sound of Cramer's piano playing is arguably one of the biggest influences on post '50s’ country music. His delicate rock ‘n’ roll sound is achieved by accentuating the discord in rolling from the main note to a sharp or flat, known as ‘slip note’. This is perfectly highlighted in his first major hit Last Date in 1960. Cramer was already a vastly experienced Nashville session player, playing on countless records during the '50s. He can be heard on many Jim Reeves and Elvis Presley records, often with his long-time friend Chet Atkins. During the early '60s he regularly made the US charts. Two notable hits were the superb On The Rebound, which still sounds fresh and lively more than 30 years later, and his sombre reading of Bob Wills’ San Antonio Rose. After dozens of albums Cramer was still making commercially successful recordings into the '80s, having a further hit in 1980 with the theme from the television soap-opera DALLAS. With Atkins, Cramer remains Nashville's most prolific musician.