| O. B. McClinton | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Obie Burnett McClinton |
| Birth Date: | April 25, 1940 |
| Origin: | Senatobia, Mississippi |
| Instrument: | Vocals, guitar |
| Genre: | Country |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter |
| Years Active: | 1972–1987 |
| Label: | Enterprise Mercury Epic Sunbird Moon Shine Brylen |
Obie Burnett "O. B." McClinton (April 25, 1940 - September 23, 1987) was an American black country music singer and songwriter.[1] The second-youngest child born to Rev. G. A. McClinton, a clergyman and farmer who owned a 700acres ranch near Memphis, Tennessee. Listening to Hank Williams as a child around the age of nine or 10 sparked his interest in performing country music.
Before beginning his country music career, he tried to break into R&B.[1] Although he was unable to secure a recording contract as a soul singer himself, he did pen several songs recorded by James Carr,[2] including the title songs to Carr's albums You Got My Mind Messed Up and A Man Needs a Woman.[1]
Known to refer to himself as the "Chocolate Cowboy", McClinton successfully marketed his album called The Only One on television long before the practice was commonplace. Featuring his first country chart single "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You", a top 40 song in 1972, he considered it to be his finest work.[1]
He died on September 23, 1987, after a year-long battle with abdominal cancer.[1]
| Year | Album | US Country | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | O.B. McClinton Country | — | Enterprise | |
| 1973 | Obie From Senatobie | — | Enterprise | |
| 1973 | Live at Randy's Rodeo | — | Enterprise | |
| 1974 | If You Loved Her That Way | — | Enterprise | |
| 1981 | The Chocolate Cowboy | — | Lakeshore Music | |
| 1986 | O.B. McClinton | — | Hometown | |
| 1987 | The Only One | 55 | Epic | |
| 1988 | Just For You | — | CBS/Hometown |
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | US Cashbox Country Singles | US Record World Country Singles | ||||
| 1964 | "Tradin' Stamps"† | — | — | — | — | singles only | Beale Street |
| 1965 | "The Day The World Cried"† | — | — | — | — | Goldwax | |
| "She's Better Than You"± | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1966 | "Trying To Make It"† | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Country Music, That's My Thing" | — | — | — | — | O.B. McClinton Country | Enterprise |
| "Bad Guys Don't Always Wear Black Hats" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1972 | "Deep In The Heart Of Me" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Six Pack of Trouble" | 70 | — | — | 57 | Obie From Senatobie | ||
| "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" | 37 | 72 | 31 | 38 | |||
| 1973 | "My Whole World Is Falling Down" | 36 | — | 39 | 35 | ||
| "I Wish It Would Rain" | 67 | — | 59 | 57 | |||
| "You Don't Miss Your Water" | — | — | — | — | single only | ||
| "The Unluckiest Songwriter In Nashville" | — | — | 85 | — | Obie From Senatobie | ||
| 1974 | "Something Better" | 62 | — | 71 | 65 | If You Loved Her That Way | |
| "If You Loved Her That Way" | 86 | — | 87 | — | |||
| "Blind, Crippled and Crazy" | — | — | — | — | singles only | ||
| "Yours and Mine" | 77 | — | 84 | 72 | |||
| 1975 | "The Most Wanted Woman (Is An Unloved Wife)" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Just In Case" | — | — | — | — | Mercury | ||
| 1976 | "It's So Good Lovin' You" | 100 | — | 71 | — | ||
| "Black Speck" | — | — | 103 | — | |||
| "Let's Just Celebrate The Temporary" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1977 | "Country Roots" | — | — | — | — | ABC/Dot | |
| "Talk To My Children's Mama" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1978 | "Hello, This Is Anna" (w/ Peggy Jo Adams) | 90 | — | 84 | 89 | Epic | |
| "Natural Love" | 82 | — | 73 | 76 | |||
| 1979 | "The Real Thing" | 79 | — | 66 | 72 | ||
| "Soap" | 58 | — | 46 | 53 | |||
| 1980 | "Not Exactly Free"‡ | 62 | — | 77 | 75 | The Chocolate Cowboy | Sunbird |
| 1984 | "Honky Tonk Tan" | 69 | — | — | — | Just For You | Moonshine |
| "Last Rights" | — | — | — | — | singles only | ||
| 1986 | "Everybody's Talking About Ol' Herb ("The Whopper Song")" | — | — | — | — | Track | |
| 1987 | "Turn the Music On" | 61 | — | — | — | The Only One | Epic |
| "Still A Wanted Man" | — | — | — | — | |||