| Sleepy LaBeef | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Thomas Paulsley LaBeff |
| Alias: | Tommy LaBeff |
| Birth Date: | 20 July 1935 |
| Birth Place: | Smackover, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Siloam Springs, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Vocals Guitar |
| Years Active: | 1954–2019 |
| Label: | Starday, Columbia, Plantation, Sun, Charly, Rounder |
Thomas Paulsley LaBeff (July 20, 1935 – December 26, 2019),[1] known professionally as Sleepy LaBeef, was an American singer and musician.
LaBeef was born in Smackover, Arkansas,[2] the youngest of 10 children. The family name was originally LaBoeuf.[3] He was raised on a farm growing cotton and watermelons, and received the nickname "Sleepy" because he had a lazy eye.[2]
LaBeef became a fan of George Jones, Bill Monroe, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.[1] He learned guitar, and moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 18.[3] There, he sang gospel music on local radio and put together a bar band to play venues as well as radio programs such as the Houston Jamboree and Louisiana Hayride. LaBeef stood 6feet tall.[4]
In the 1950s, as the rockabilly component of rock and roll became evident, LaBeef began recording singles in the genre, initially credited as Sleepy LaBeff or Tommy LaBeff.[1] His first, "I'm Through", was issued on Starday Records in 1957.
In 1964, he moved to Nashville and moved to a more solidly country style, recording singles for Columbia Records. His first genuine hit was 1968's "Every Day", which peaked at No. 73 on the U.S. Billboard Country chart.[5] After moving to Plantation Records in 1969, he scored a second hit in 1971 with "Blackland Farmer", which charted at No. 67.[5] He also played the role of the Swamp Thing in Ron Ormond's 1968 B-movie, The Exotic Ones (also known as The Monster and the Stripper).[1]
LaBeef transferred to Sun Records in the 1970s and continued releasing albums and touring widely; his popularity faded in the United States but rose in Europe.[6] The 1980s saw him sign to Rounder Records, where he released albums into the 1990s.
As a musician, he was noted for his extensive repertoire, and for his live performances, at one time undertaking some 300 performances a year. He described the music he performed as "...root music: old-time rock-and-roll, Southern gospel and hand-clapping music, black blues, Hank Williams-style country. We mix it up real good."[1] He toured regularly in Europe, and performed at many music festivals both in Europe and the US. In January 2012, LaBeef traveled to Nashville to record and film a live concert and record in historic RCA Studio B, all produced by noted bassist Dave Pomeroy. A documentary/concert DVD, Sleepy LaBeef Rides Again and the soundtrack CD was released on April 22, 2013, by Earwave Records.[7] His last performance was in September 2019.[1]
He had heart bypass surgery in 2003. He died at his home in Siloam Springs, Arkansas on December 26, 2019, at age 84.[1] [8]
| Year | Title | Record label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | "I’m Through" / "All Alone" | Starday Records | |
| 1957 | "I’m Through" / "All Alone" | Starday-Mercury Records | |
| 1957 | "All The Time" / "Lonely" | Starday-Mercury Records | |
| 1958 | "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" / "Eskimo Pie" | Dixie Records | |
| 1958 | "Oh, Oh, I’m Falling In Love Again" / "One Week Later" | Dixie Records | |
| 1960 | "Found Out" / "Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind" | Gulf Records Records | |
| 1961 | "Turn Me Loose" / "Ridin’ Fence" | Crescent Records | |
| 1962 | "Ride On Josephine" / "Walkin’ Slowly" | Wayside Records | |
| 1963 | "Tore Up" / "Lonely" | Wayside Records | |
| 1963 | "Drink Up And Go Home" / "Teardrops On A Rose" | Finn Records | |
| 1963 | "Ride On Josephine" / "Lonely" | Picture Records | |
| 1965 | "You Can’t Catch Me" / "Everybody’s Got To Have Somebody" | Columbia Records | |
| 1966 | "A Man In My Position" / "Drinking Again" | Columbia Records | |
| 1966 | "I’m Too Broke" / "I Feel A Lot More Like I Do Now" | Columbia Records | |
| 1961 | "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" / "The Ways Of A Woman In Love" | Columbia Records | |
| 1969 | "Blackland Farmer" / ? | Columbia Records | |
| — |
| not issued |