Charles Ryan (December 19, 1915 – February 16, 2008) was an American country music and rockabilly singer and songwriter, best known for co-writing and first recording the rockabilly hit single "Hot Rod Lincoln".
Charlie Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Charles Ryan |
| Born | December 19, 1915 Graceville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | February 16, 2008 (aged 92) Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1959–1963 |
| Labels | 4 Star, King, Hilltop |
Biography
editRyan grew up in Polson, Montana and moved to Spokane in 1943. He served in the United States Army during The Korean War. After the war, he worked as a musician and songwriter, touring with artists such as Jim Reeves and Johnny Horton. In 1955, he wrote "Hot Rod Lincoln", and Ryan recorded the first version of the song (as "Charley Ryan and The Livingston Brothers").[1] Ryan released a remake in 1959 as "Charlie Ryan and The Timberline Riders"; the song was later covered by Johnny Bond (1960) and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (1972) (#9 U.S., #7 Canada), among others.[2]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Hot Rod Lincoln | King |
| 1963 | Hot Rod Lincoln Drags Again! | Hilltop |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | |||
| 1960 | "Hot Rod Lincoln" | 14 | 33 | Hot Rod Lincoln |
| "Side Car Cycle" | — | 84 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Charley Ryan And The Livingston Bros. – Hot Rod Lincoln". 45cat.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ Geranios, Nicholas K. (February 1, 2008). "Writer of "Hot Rod Lincoln" moves to drag race in the sky". Associated Press. Retrieved April 26, 2008.[dead link]
External links
edit- Obituary, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2008
- Charlie Ryan official website
- Charlie Ryan discography at Discogs