Background
Floyd Tillman was born in Ryan, Oklahoma on December 8, 1914, but he was raised in Post, Texas. Tillman was the son of a sharecropper. He grew up in the cotton mill town of Post, Texas, and as a young man worked as a telegraph operator. Floyd was drawn to playing music by the fact that two of his brothers played dances at a local skating rink.
During the 1930s Tillman began playing lead guitar with western swing musicians throughout Texas. In 1933 he joined Adolph and Emil Hofner’s band and played in San Antonio. He joined Leon Selph’s Blue Ridge Playboys in 1935 and recorded with them on the Vocalion label, and in 1936 he played with the Mack Clark Orchestra.
During World War II Tillman joined the United States Army and served as a radio operator stationed near Houston. Although he was working for the army during this time, he continued to write and record.
Musical History
Floyd’s first major hit in 1938, “It Makes No Difference Now,” which he sold for $300, put him on the map as a professional songwriter. The release of this song led to his own Decca recording contract. Soon after, however, Tillman sold this song to Jimmie Davis for $300, which now sounds like a very small amount. The song went on to become a huge hit and was re-recorded by Cliff Bruner in 1938, Bing Crosby in 1940, and other artists including Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold, and Burl Ives.
Floyd’s only number one song as a singer was “They Took The Stars Out of Heaven.” It reached the top of the US charts in 1942.
After his top chart hit song, Floyd slowed down on his performing in the 1950’s. His main source of income at that time was from his past songwriting hits. He returned to songwriting occasionally in the 1970’s in Texas. Floyd continued to work until he reached the age of about 88.
Floyd Tillman’s final project was called “The Influence”. This album consisted of Floyd singing with country music artists that were influenced by his style. Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Leona Williams, Dolly Parton, Justin Trevino, Ray Price, Frankie Miller, Hank Thompson, Connie Smith, Lawton Williams, Mel Tillis, Darrell McCall, Johnny Bush and George Jones are recorded on this album. The project was released in 2004 and was produced by Justin Trevino on Heart of Texas Records. Unfortunately, Floyd never actually got the hear the finished album because he died at his home in Bacliff, Texas, on August 22, 2003
Floyd Tillman pioneered in the birth of western swing music. Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Johnny Bush, Darrell McCall and so many others regarded Floyd as one of their major influences.
Floyd was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971. About a decade later, in 1984, his protege Willie Nelson inducted him into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Floyd’s Influential Songs
Floyd Tillman has many popular and influential songs that show off his unique style. Floyd Tillman freely played with beat and melody in his music, and demonstrates many characteristics of western swing music that we have studied in class. He also often slurred words and bent notes in his songs. Floyd Tillman also came to master the resonator guitar later in his career, eventually playing jazzy solos on an electrified model in a lot of his music and collaborations. Three songs in particular stuck out to me: Slipping Around, This Cold War With You, and They Took The Stars Out Of Heaven.
Slipping Around
This song is a classic hit of this artist and really encompasses the “honky tonk” swing beats that he is most known for. Tillman’s voice in this song is very swanky and almost has a yodeling sound. To me, this song is describing an affair where the man is hoping that the woman he loves will finally stop sneaking around to be with him. It is almost sad and has a hopeless romantic sort of feel.
“Seems I always had to slip around to be with you my dear
Slippin’ around afraid we’d might be found
I know I can’t forget you and I’ve got to have you near
But we’ll just have to slip around and live in constant fear
Though you’re tied up with someone else and I’m all tied up too
I know I’ve made mistakes dear but I’m so in love with you“
This Cold War With You
This song was written about the post-World War II era, and I believe is Tillman’s most powerful lyrical song. Many people say that this song is about the war involving the United States, but some people say this song is actually about the challenges of marriage. I think that Floyd might have purposely created this song to have multiple meanings to reach all sorts of people. Much like in the first song I mentioned, you cna hear Tillman’s unique and swanky voice, especially in the occasional long high notes that he sings.
“The sun goes down and leaves me sad and blue
The iron curtain falls on this cold war with you
Though you won’t speak and I won’t speak that’s true
Two stubborn people with a cold war to go through
Oh why, oh, why should love ever come
To couples, like you and me
Whose cold, cold wars are never done
And whose hearts just can’t be free
Oh let’s do right or let’s just say we’re through
I just can’t stand another cold, cold war with you“
They Took The Stars Out Of Heaven
This song was Tillman’s first number one hit song, which he recorded with Decca. I chose to highlight this song mainly because I can really hear the unique western swing off-beat style in this song, where Tillman is singing slightly before the beat you hear in the background. This song made me think of the clapping exercise we did in class to try to point out the unique beats in this type of music.
References:
“Floyd Tillman.” Official Floyd Tillman Website, https://www.floydtillman.com/memories_of_floyd.htm.
“Floyd Tillman.” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 29 Nov. 2022, https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/floyd-tillman.
“Tillman, Floyd (1914–2003).” TSHA, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/tillman-floyd.
