Gene & Debbe
| Gene & Debbe | |
|---|---|
|
Gene & Debbe in 1968 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | Pop, country |
Gene and Debbe were a pseudo-pop/country duo hailing from Nashville, Tennessee.[1]
They had some brief successes on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gene Thomas (born Gene Thomasson on 28 December 1937, Palestine, Texas, died 26 August 2012 in Fredericksburg, Texas) and had some minor success in the early 1960s with the songs "Sometime" and "Baby's Gone". After the latter, he dabbled in writing music for a few years. His songs have been performed or covered by numerous other country singers including Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers and Everly Brothers as well as Tina Turner! the.[2] After a few years, Gene met with aspiring crooner, Debbe Neville, (or Nevills as some sources say). In an Everly Brothers style of harmonizing, they launched a career at Acuff-Rose music, singing romantic country style pop melodies.
They were signed to a recording contract with the subsidiary of Hickory Records (Sue Thompson, Don Gibson, The Newbeats etc.), TRX, where they recorded their two biggest hits, "Go With Me" and "Playboy". The latter had an eventual combined sales figure of one million discs being awarded a gold record in June 1968.[1] After hitting the charts with "Playboy" at No. 17, they both faded into chart (but not musical) obscurity.
The couple produced one album Hear and Now (catalogue number TRX LPS 1001) in 1968, which is a rarity to find. It contains the single "Playboy".[3]
Gene Thomas died on August 26, 2012 of lung cancer at the age of 74.[2]
References
- 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 221. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- 1 2 Chris Gray (Aug 26, 2012). "RIP Gene Thomas: Swamp-Pop Singer of "Sometimes" Passes Away at 74". blogs.houstonpress.com. Houston Press.
- ↑ "Gene And Debbe Discography at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-01-08.