Marlon Grisham on Cover

Marlon Grisham - Man with No Heart (Cover 45-711)
Better known as a rockabilly singer, Marlon Grisham also recorded a couple of country songs during his career in the 1950s and 1960s. One of those pieces, the beautiful "Man with No Heart," is featured today.

Grisham was a local Memphis/East Arkansas singer. He probably first recorded for B.B. Cunningham's Cover record label in Memphis, releasing "Ain't That a Dilly" b/w "Sugarfoot" (Cover 5982, 1959), for which he is best known today. He followed up with another single on Cover ("Teenage Love" / "Now It's Your Time," Cover 4621, 1962). Probably between those two singles or even before his first, it is reported that Grisham also recorded a couple of tapes for Sun Records, including "Between Here and There" and "What a Beat."

Marlon Grisham

I'm not quite sure where today's featured disc by Grisham fits in, but I would date it around Late 1960s or early 1970s. "Man with No Heart" is a highly commercial tune with lots of pop influences, written by Jody Chastain (1933-1999). Chastain played with Eddie Bond early on and wrote "Boppin' Bonnie" for him, before performing with Fuller Todd and then Charlie Feathers from 1955 to 1960. Both Chastain and Todd composed songs recorded by Grisham, including "Ain't That a Dilly" (written by Chastain), "Sugarfoot" (co-written by Chastain and Todd), and "Teenage Love" (co-written by Grisham and Todd). The flipside of "Man with No Heart" was "Square Watermelon Seed," penned by W. A. Harris, who also wrote Grisham's "Jungle Love."

In 1964, one single by Grisham appeared on the Fernwood label. The aforementioned "Why Did She Go" b/w "Jungle Love" were released in 1965 on the Memphis based Clearpool label. Around the same time, Grisham was with Gene Williams' Country Junction Show ensemble on KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and in addition, appeared on a various artists LP on Williams' Cotton Town Jubilee label. Three years later, Grisham recorded one record for John Cook's Blake label.

Discography

Cover 5982

Marlon Grisham

Ain't That a Dilly (Joe D. Chastain) / Sugarfoot (Joe D. Chastain; Fuller Todd)

863 / 864

1959

Billboard pop review on September 7, 1959

Cover 4621

Marlon Grisham

Now It's Your Time (Marlon Grisham) / Teenage Love (Marlon Grisham; Fuller Todd)

C-4621-1 / C-4621-2

1962

Billboard pop review on August 25, 1962

Fernwood 140

Marlon Grisham Combo
You Are My Sunshine (Davis & C. Mitchell) / Pins and Needles in My Heart (Floyd Jenkins)
F-256 / F-257
1964

Clearpool 101

Marlon Grisham

Why Did She Go (Marlon Grisham; Fuller; Brewer) / Jungle Love (Bill Harris)

101 A / 101 B

1965

Blake 2-222
Marlon Grisham
Queen of the City (M. Grisham) / You're the Rose for Me (M. Grisham)
2-222-A / 2-222-B
1968

Cover 45-711

Marlon Grisham

Man with No Heart (Joe D. Chastain) / Square Watermelon Seed (W. A. Harris)

1001 A / 1001 B

See also:
•  Fuller Todd on King
• Bill Harris
• Marlon Grisham on Blake
• Blake Records story
• Clearpool Records
• Cotton Town Jubilee label story