The Professional Work of Dwight (Dee) Mullinax (Mullins)
Dwight (Dee) Mullinax (Mullins) (Apr. 7, 1937 ~ Mar. 13, 1991) Known as Dee Mullins, he was born in Gafford, Texas and kicked around Texan independent labels such as Pappy Daily's D Records before Shelby Singleton signed him to his Nashville independent SSS Int'l label in 1968.
Dee Mullins should have been a country music superstar. But it just never was. Recording for Shelby Singleton's Plantation and SSS Int'l labels during the twilight of the 1960s Mullins cut an astounding catalogue of music. SSS Int'l and Plantation focused on hippie-era oddities as they worked with Mullins.
If any country music could be called psychedelic, this is it: Singleton surrounded Mullins with vocal effects, sitars and fuzz guitars, creating genuinely odd music ranging from the eerie and unsettling (I Am the Grass, 1968) to the absurd (Beers, 1968). Dee recorded for SSS Int'l in 1968 and then jumped to Plantation (1969) where he remained until 1971.
Mullins was game to follow all these weird turns and sounds as he did on the Texan honky-tonk and poppy rockabilly earlier in his career or the soft ballads he performed later on. Mullins wasn't necessarily versatile; it's more like he was malleable, ready to fit whatever the times bring him. As it happens, the 1960s brought him some strangeness.
Circa 1957, Dee Mullins married Patsy Timmons (Patty) and they recorded three 45's together. The first, First Date/Parking (Mercury 71252) was released on Mercury just after the Mercury-Starday deal was over. Their next release, Gee Whiz/Don't Tease Me (Dixie 2006) came out on the Dixie label and was reviewed in Billboard on Jul. 14, 1958. Their final 45, Sweet Lovin' Baby/Ohh-Wow (D-1020) came out on Pappy Daily's D Records and was released in Oct., 1958.
A couple of years later Patsy and Dee were divorced and Patsy left the music business. Dee went on to record throughout the 1960's, including one single on the Mel-O-Dy label. Mel-O-Dy was a short-lived Motown subsidiary. Maybe the executives at Motown thought that country music was not their forte. Both sides of Dee's Mel-O-Dy 45 was written by Howard Hausey who also wrote some of the biggest hits for Johnny Horton back in the 1950's including Honky Tonk Man, Whispering Pines and Ole Slew Foot.
Mel-O-Dy 117 was released in 1964. Al Klein was the producer and it was probably recorded in Dallas, Texas. By 1973, Mullins was recording for Triune records, where he charted his final single, Circle Me. After that he disappeared from the charts. Welcome to the forgotten Nashville, the intriguing world of Dee Mullins.
Dee Mullins, Singles Discography, Partial Listing:
- D, 1066: I've Really Got A Right to Cry
- D, 1066: World's A Lie (Jun. 1959)
- Merri, 3004/5: Prison Grey (1962)
- Merri, 3004/5: Back Where I Began
- Mel-O-Dy, 117: Love Makes The World Go Around
- Mel-O-Dy, 117: Come On Back (Jan. 65)
- Bo-Kay, K 118: Prison Grey (Mar. 1966)
- Bo-Kay, K 118: River Boat South
- SSS-707: Parking For Cheaters / War Baby (1967)
- SSS-728: I Am The Grass (Jan. 1968)
- SSS-728: The World I'm Livin' In
- SSS-745: Texas Tea / Parking For Cheaters (May, 1968)
- SSS-749: The Continuing Story Of Harper Valley PTA
- SSS-749: Satisfied Od Man (1968)
- PL-17: The Big Man / Run, Willie, Run (Mar. 1969)
- PL-31: Guilt Box (Sep. 1969)
- PL-31: California, The Promised Land (Sep. 1969)
- PL-54: Irma Jackson / In A Small Town (Apr. 1970)
- PL-61: Next Face I See / War Baby (Jul. 1970)
- PL-68: Remember Bethlehem
- PL-68: California, The Promised Land (Oct 1970)
- Deemora, DM-007: Look Away Mama
- Deemora , DM-008 I Can't Keep My Hands off of You
- Melodee,150: I´m Bettin´ My Life On You
- Melodee,150: There Lies The Difference
- Triune,T-7205: Friday's Wine / Circle Me (Feb. 1973)
- Triune,T-7209: Rev Engines Up High / Little Better (1973)
- Triune,T-7211: Wake Up Town
- Triune,T-7211: Rusty Nails and Puppy Dog Tails (1973)
