Forgotten Artist: Arthur Alexander

Arthur Alexander is one of the many examples of someone who had the musical skills to make it, but through mismanagement and just plain bad luck never achieved the success due him. He wrote songs that were covered by many artists such as The Beatles, Stones, Hollies, but basically sold the rights to his songs without realizing the consequences. (Many artists in the 50's an 60's suffered the same fate). His abilities vocally were such that his first major record company really had no idea what to do with him and so attempted to peg him as a pop star. On listening to his material now, it's easy to see that he was a master at the R&B ballad that had a solid country feel to it. Am not sure what the guys at Dot Records were thinking, but he never truly was given the chance to show his best with a major label. (However, check out ALL of his material on Judd Records)

In the mid 70's he finally tired of it all and went to driving a bus which is what he did until the early 90's when he made a very solid comeback album, "Lonely Like Me". He signed a recording/publishing contract in May of 93 and put together a new band. It seemed as if he was finally being recognized for his songwriting/vocal abilities. Before it could really get started however, he died in June of that year of a heart attack, being just 53.

It's very difficult to pick just three out of his songbook, the quality of his work was that strong. The first one is his first recorded single. "Sally Sue Brown". It is listed under "June" (as in Junior) Alexander...it is a very strong debut and it's easy to see what the folks at Dot could envision.

The next song is "You Better Move On", which was his highest charting hit (#24-US pop) in the spring of 1962. Artists from The Beatles, to George Jones covered this one.

He only had four songs that charted, three of them in 1962. In a last attempt for success he signed with Buddah records and recorded, "Every Day I Have To Cry Some" which reached #45 in the fall of 1975.