Tommy Blake | |
---|---|
Birth name | Thomas LeVan Givens |
Born | Dallas, Texas, US | September 14, 1931
Died | December 24, 1985 Haughton, Louisiana, US | (aged 54)
Genres | |
Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
Years active | 1950s–1970s |
Labels | |
Formerly of | The Rhythm Rebels |
Tommy Blake (born Thomas LeVan Givens, September 14, 1931 – December 24, 1985) was an American rockabilly singer and songwriter active in the 1950s to the 1970s. Regarded as a skilled writer, Blake penned several songs that were later recorded by rock and country music artists, including Johnny Horton, George Jones, and Johnny Cash among others. He also achieved modest success as a recording artist for Sun Records, but failed to record a national hit himself, a fact that frustrated Blake later in his life. Retrospectively, he has received praise for his contributions to rockabilly and was inducted in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.