Curtis Leach - The Indescribable Curtis Leach
In this week's episode we're featuring the only album from the short, mysterious and tragic career of Curtis Leach: "The Indescribable Curtis Leach" (1964). Born in Catoosa, Oklahoma just outside of Tulsa, Leach wrote his first song at age ten. After moving out to California, he began to be recognised for his prodigous songwriting talent and by the time the mid 1960s had rolled around, he'd had several songs recorded by Wynn Stewart, Bobby Bare, Buddy Cagle and others. On the strength of his 1964 single "Highway Man" (later recorded by Red Simpson and Ernest Tubb), which appeared on the Cash Box charts - he signed an exclusive songwriting contract with Dewey Groom, of Longhorn Records out of Dallas, Texas. And so was born our feature album - twelve tracks, all written or co-written by Curtis Leach speak to the level of country talent that he was. If not for a murky and untimely homocide on the front lawn of his residence in Mesquite, Dallas, Texas - there's little doubt that Curtis Leach could have gone places, because that man had country music talent in spades. Highlights include several wonderful recitations, such as "Golden Guitar" (a national hit for Bill Anderson merely months after Leach's passing); the Okie-pride in "Oklahoma, Home Of My Heart"; the magnificent and fuzzy "Wheelin' And Dealin'" and one which has appeared on many late 20th Century truck driving compilations, "Highway Man".