The Professional Work of Leon Payne
Leon Payne was Born on June 15, 1917 in Alba, Texas and died of a heart attack on September 11, 1969. Blind since early childhood, he is probably best remembered today as the songwriter who penned all-time classics like I Love You Because (1949) and You've Still Got A Place In My Heart (George Jones, 1984), as well as two songs best known through Hank Williams' recorded versions, They'll Never Take Her Love From Me (1950) and Lost Highway (1949). Williams had worked with Payne in Texas and probably met him in Nashville, Tennessee in May 1950
when Payne came to record for apitol Records and appear on the Grand Ole Opry.
Leon Payne's only charted song was I Love You Because (No. 1, 1949, Capitol 40238), was released on Capitol Records. His classic song has been covered by several artists throughout the years. In 1950, Ernest Tubb and Clyde Moody each recorded their own version both making the Top-10 on the country chart. Additionally, Johnny Cash, Carl Smith, Slim Whitman, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Jean Sheppard and Ray Price have recorded the song.
Payne wrote hundreds of other songs, too, such as Blue Side of Lonesome (Jim Reeves, 1966), but he was also a vital and versatile performer who recorded prolifically from 1941 through the 1960s. Leon gained only mid-level stardom nationwide, though he remained a popular performer in his native Southwest until his death.
Leon began his music career in the mid-1930s, playing a variety of musical instruments in public and later performing on KWET radio in Palestine, Texas (1935). Payne also had a stint playing with Bob Wills' Texas Playboys in 1938. A guitarist, pianist and drummer, Payne played with his stepbrother Jack Rhodes and his Rhythm Boys (1949) before forming his own band, Lone Star Buddies (Frankie Juricek, Ernie Hunter, Gig Sparks and Tiny Smith). Leon appeared on the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry.
Payne recorded for such labels as Bluebird, Bullet, Decca, Starday, 'D' and TNT, but it was during his mid-career stint at Capitol from 1949-1953 that he reached his peak and produced his most enduring music, from his classic, chart-topping first release I Love You Because (No. 1, 1949) to minor hits like I'm A Lone Wolf and under appreciated sides like I Miss That Gal, If I could Live My Live Over and Poke Salad Greens.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Oct. 6, 2009.
