Al Dexter
b. Albert Poindexter, 4 May 1902, Jacksonville, Cherokee County, Texas, USA, d. 28 January 1984, Lewisville, Texas, USA. Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, Dexter made his first public performances at local dances and church functions. In the early '30s, he formed several bands, the first, a rarity for a white musician in Texas, consisted of all coloured musicians, when he had problems getting white musicians to play his music. This band proved very successful, but he is best remembered for his Texas Troopers; all bands played smooth western swing and honky tonk behind Dexter's vocals. He made his first recordings such as New Jelly Roll Blues for Vocalion in 1935, and his 1937 Honky Tonk Blues is the first country song to have honky tonk in the title. Dexter gained his experience in the east Texas dancehalls, and many of his songs show the influence in their content. In 1943, his OKeh recording of the self-penned Pistol Packin Mama’ became a million-selling number 1 song on both the US pop and country charts. (A pop version by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters also became a million-seller and later a rock ‘n’ roll version by Gene Vincent also proved successful). Based on an event that occurred when he owned a honky tonk in Turnertown, Texas, and played in polka time, the song made Dexter a wealthy man. During the next four years, recording on OKeh or Columbia Records, he had further number 1 country hits with Rosalita, So Long Pal, Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry, I'm Losing My Mind Over You, Guitar Polka and Wine, Women And Song. These, plus eight other Top 10 hits, made him one of the most popular artists of the '40s. He opened his own Bridgeport Club in Dallas in the '50s and, apart from singing there, retired from entertaining. He eventually went into the property business and also bought a motel in Lufkin. In 1971 he was elected to the Nashville Songwriters’ Association International Hall Of Fame. Dexter died in January 1984.