Faron Young - WikiHQ

Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country singer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. His hits including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" marked him as a honky-tonk singer in sound and personal style; and his chart-topping singles "Hello Walls" and "It's Four in the Morning" showed his versatility as a vocalist.

Known as the "Hillbilly Heartthrob", and following a singing cowboy film role as the "Young Sheriff", Young's singles charted for more than 30 years.

In failing health, he died by suicide at the age of 64 in 1996. Young is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Early years

Young was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the youngest of six children of Harlan and Doris Young. He grew up on a dairy farm his family operated outside the city.

Young began singing at an early age, imagining a career as a pop singer, but after he joined some friends watching Hank Williams perform with nine encores on the Louisiana Hayride, Young switched to country music, instead. He performed at the local Optimist Club and was discovered by Webb Pierce, who brought him to star on the Louisiana Hayride in 1951, then broadcast on KWKH-AM. By February 1952, he was signed to Capitol Records,

thumbnail|Faron Young in [[Raiders of Old California (1957)]]

During the mid-1950s, Young starred in four low-budget films: Hidden Guns, Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer, Raiders of Old California, and Country Music Holiday. was one of Young's best records and his last number-one hit, also becoming his only major success in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Young signed with MCA Records in 1979; the association lasted two years. On the night of December 4, 1984, Young fired a pistol into the kitchen ceiling of his Harbor Island home. His ashes were spread by his family over Old Hickory Lake outside Nashville at Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's home while the Cashes were away.

Legacy

In 2000, Young was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The cat owned by Peanuts character Frieda was named "Faron" after Young, whom Charles Schulz "admired very much," but made few appearances in the strip.
A live performance video clip of Young's "It's Four in the Morning" was the first music video to air on CMT when it launched on March 6, 1983.
A country song by Tex Garrison mentions Faron Young in his opening lyrics with the lines "Got a stack of records when I was one, listened to Hank Williams and Faron Young."
The Bottle Rockets make a wistful reference to Young in their song "Sometimes Found" on their album Brand New Year.
Prefab Sprout recorded a country-tinged song called "Faron Young" on their album Steve McQueen.

! rowspan="2"| Album

! style="width:45px;"| US Country

! style="width:45px;"| US

! style="width:45px;"| AU

! style="width:45px;"| CAN Country

|1951

|"Hot Rod Shot Gun Boogie No 2"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|singles only

|rowspan="6"| 1952

|"You're Just Imagination"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"I Heard the Juke Box Playing"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Tattle Tale Tears"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|This Is Faron Young

|"Foolish Pride"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|singles only

|"Saving My Tears for Tomorrow"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Goin' Steady"

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|This Is Faron Young

|rowspan="4"| 1953

|"I Can't Wait (For the Sun to Go Down)"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|singles only

|"That's What I'd Do for You"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"I'm Gonna Tell Santa Claus on You"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Just Married"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|This Is Faron Young

|rowspan="3"|1954

|"They Made Me Fall in Love with You"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|singles only

|"A Place for Girls Like You"

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')"

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|This Is Faron Young

|rowspan="4"|1955

|"Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young"

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"God Bless God"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|singles only

|"Go Back, You Fool"

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"It's a Great Life (If You Don't Weaken)"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|This Is Faron Young

|rowspan="4"|1956

|"I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night"

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Sweet Dreams"

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Turn Her Down"

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="7"|singles only

|"I Miss You Already (And You're Not Even Gone)"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="4"|1957

|"The Shrine of St. Cecilia"

| style="text-align:center;"| 15

| style="text-align:center;"| 96

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Love Has Finally Come My Way"

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Vacation's Over"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Locket"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="4"|1958

|"I Can't Dance"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Alone with You"

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| 51

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Sings the Best

|"That's the Way I Feel"

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|singles only

|"Last Night at a Party"

| style="text-align:center;"| 20

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|1959

|"That's the Way It's Gotta Be"

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="4"|Sings the Best

|"Country Girl"

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Riverboat"

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| 83

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|1960

|"Your Old Used to Be"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"There's Not Any Like You Left"

| style="text-align:center;"| 21

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|Hello Walls

|"Forget the Past"

| style="text-align:center;"| 20

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|1961

|"Hello Walls"

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

| style="text-align:center;"| 69

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Backtrack"

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

| style="text-align:center;"| 89

| style="text-align:center;"| 70

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|The Young Approach

|rowspan="3"|1962

|"Three Days"

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"The Comeback"

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|single only

|"Down by the River"

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|All Time Greatest Hits

|rowspan="4"|1963

|"The Yellow Bandana"

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| 114

| style="text-align:center;"| 65

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|This Is Faron

|"I've Come to Say Goodbye"

| style="text-align:center;"| 30

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"We've Got Something in Common"

| style="text-align:center;"| 13

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"You'll Drive Me Back (Into Her Arms Again)"

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|singles only

|rowspan="4"|1964

|"Keeping Up with the Joneses" (with Margie Singleton)

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Old Courthouse"

| style="text-align:center;"| 48

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Story Songs for Country Folks

|"Another Woman's Man – Another Man's Woman" (with Margie Singleton)

| style="text-align:center;"| 38

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|single only

|"My Friend on the Right"

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Story Songs of Mountains and Valleys

|rowspan="3"|1965

|"Walk Tall"

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|Greatest Hits

|"Nothing Left to Lose"

| style="text-align:center;"| 34

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"My Dreams"

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="4"|Unmitigated Gall

|rowspan="2"|1966

|"You Don't Treat Me Right"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Unmitigated Gall"

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|1967

|"I Guess I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night"

| style="text-align:center;"| 48

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Wonderful World of Women"

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Greatest Hits Vol. 2

|rowspan="2"|1968

|"She Went a Little Bit Farther"

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 32

|rowspan="2"|Here's Faron Young

|"I Just Came to Get My Baby"

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

|rowspan="3"|1969

|"I've Got Precious Memories"

| style="text-align:center;"| 25

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|I've Got Precious Memories

|"Wine Me Up"

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

|rowspan="2"|Wine Me Up

|"Your Time's Coming"

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|1970

|"Occasional Wife"

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 15

|rowspan="2"|Occasional Wife

|"If I Ever Fall in Love (With a Honky Tonk Girl)"

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

|"Goin' Steady"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

|rowspan="2"|Step Aside

|rowspan="3"|1971

|"Step Aside"

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

|"Leavin' and Sayin' Goodbye"

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

|Leavin' and Sayin' Goodbye

|"It's Four in the Morning"

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| 92

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

|It's Four in the Morning

|rowspan="2"|1972

|"This Little Girl of Mine"

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

|rowspan="2"|This Little Girl of Mine

|"Woman's Touch"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|1973

|"She Fights That Lovin' Feeling"

| style="text-align:center;"| 15

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

|This Time The Hurtin's on Me

|"Just What I Had in Mind"

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

|Just What I Had in Mind

|rowspan="3"|1974

|"Some Kind of a Woman"

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

|rowspan="2"|Some Kind of a Woman

|"The Wrong in Loving You"

| style="text-align:center;"| 20

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 22

|"Another You"

| style="text-align:center;"| 23

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|A Man and His Music

|rowspan="2"|1975

|"Here I Am in Dallas"

| style="text-align:center;"| 16

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 49

|rowspan="2"|The Best of Faron Young Vol. 2

|"Feel Again"

| style="text-align:center;"| 21

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 15

|rowspan="2"|1976

|"I'd Just Be Fool Enough"

| style="text-align:center;"| 33

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|I'd Just Be Fool Enough

|"(The Worst You Ever Gave Me Was) The Best I Ever Had"

| style="text-align:center;"| 30

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|The Best of Faron Young Vol. 2

|1977

|"Crutches"

| style="text-align:center;"| 25

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|That Young Feelin

|1978

|"Loving Here and Living There and Lying in Between"

| style="text-align:center;"| 38

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|1979

|"The Great Chicago Fire"

| style="text-align:center;"| 67

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 30

|rowspan="2"|Chapter Two

|"That Over Thirty Look"

| style="text-align:center;"| 69

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 68

|rowspan="2"|1980

|"(If I'd Only Known) It Was the Last Time"

| style="text-align:center;"| 56

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 74

|Free and Easy

|"Tearjoint"

| style="text-align:center;"| 72

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|singles only

|rowspan="2"|1981

|"Until the Bitter End"

| style="text-align:center;"| 88

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Pull Up a Pillow"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|1982

|"He Stopped Loving Her Today"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Black Tie Country"

|rowspan="2"|1988

|"Stop and Take the Time"

| style="text-align:center;"| 100

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Here's to You"

| style="text-align:center;"| 87

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|1989

|"It's Four in the Morning"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Greatest Hits 1–3

|1991

|"Just an Ol' Heartache"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|single only

|rowspan="3"|1992

|"Memories That Last" (with Ray Price)

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="2"|Memories That Last

|"Too Big to Fight" (with Ray Price)

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Christmas Song"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Country Christmas

B-sides

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! B-side

! style="width:45px;"| US Country

! Original A-side

|rowspan="3"|1955

|"Forgive Me, Dear"

| style="text-align:center;"| flip

|"Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young"

|"All Right"

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

|"Go Back, You Fool"

|"For the Love of a Woman Like You"

| style="text-align:center;"| flip

|"It's a Great Life (If You Don't Weaken)"

|rowspan="3"|1956

|"You're Still Mine"

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

|"I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night"

|"Until I Met You"

| style="text-align:center;"| flip

|"Sweet Dreams"

|"I'll Be Satisfied with Love"

| style="text-align:center;"| flip

|"Turn Her Down"

|1957

|"I'm Gonna Live Some Before I Die"

| style="text-align:center;"| flip

|"I Miss You Already (And You're Not Even Gone)"

|rowspan="3"|1958

|"Every Time I'm Kissing You"

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

|"Alone with You"

|"I Hate Myself"

| style="text-align:center;"| 22

|"That's the Way I Feel"

|"A Long Time Ago"

| style="text-align:center;"| 16

|"Last Night at a Party"

|rowspan="2"|1959

|"I Hear You Talkin'"

| style="text-align:center;"| 27

|"Country Girl"

|"Face to the Wall"

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

|"Riverboat"

|1960

|"A World So Full of Love"

| style="text-align:center;"| 28

|"Forget the Past"

|1961

|"Congratulations"

| style="text-align:center;"| 28

|"Hello Walls"

|1963

|"Nightmare"

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

|"I've Come to Say Goodbye"

|rowspan="2"|1964

|"No Thanks, I Just Had One" (with Margie Singleton)

| style="text-align:center;"| 40

|"Keeping Up with the Joneses"

|"Rhinestones"

| style="text-align:center;"| 23

|"Old Courthouse"

|1979

|"Second Hand Emotion"

| style="text-align:center;"| 70

|"That Over Thirty Look"

Guest singles

{| class="wikitable"

! rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Single

! rowspan="2"| Artist

! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2"| Album

! scope="col" style="width:4.5em;font-size:75%;"| US Country

| 1985

| "One Big Family"

| Heart of Nashville

| align="center"| 61

| single only

Music videos

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Video

! Director

| 1985

| "One Big Family" (Heart of Nashville)

| Steve Von Hagel

Filmography

1956 Hidden Guns
1956 Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer
1957 Raiders of Old California
1958 Country Music Holiday
1966 Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar
1966 Nashville Rebel
1967 What Am I Bid?
1967 The Road to Nashville
1977 That's Country

Film depiction

Actor Fred Parker Jr. portrayed Young in the biopic I Saw the Light, released on March 25, 2016.

Notes

References

., pp. 606–7.
Diekman, Diane. "Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story." Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2007, p. 27.

External links

Faron Young at the Country Music Hall of Fame
Faron Young biography and links
Faron Young biography at CMT.com
Faron Young obituary at CountryStandardTime.com