On this day (July 15) in 1913, Lloyd Estel Copas was born in Blue Creek, Ohio. History remembers him by his stage name, Cowboy Copas. He was a honky tonk singer who had a string of hits and a prominent place on the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s. His popularity dipped in the ’50s. However, he found his footing again in the early years of the following decade. He inked a new recording contract and was once again sending singles to the upper reaches of the country chart. Then, before his second rise to fame was complete, he died alongside Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins on March 5, 1963.
Copas dropped out of high school at 14 years old to play fiddle in several local string bands. He got his first big break when he entered a talent contest on a dare and landed a spot on a Cincinnati radio station. This led to more radio work throughout the 1930s. Then, in 1940, he and his band, the Gold Star Rangers, relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee, to perform on WNOX.
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According to AllMusic, Copas rose to national stardom three years later when he replaced Eddy Arnold as a vocalist in the Pee Wee King Band. This led to regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Then, in 1946, he released his debut solo single, “Filipino Baby,” which reached No. 4 on the country chart. He followed that with a string of top 10 hits, including “Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” “Tennessee Waltz,” and “Tennessee Moon.”
Cowboy Copas Stages a Comeback
Cowboy Copas continued to launch singles to the upper reaches of the country chart throughout the 1940s and early ’50s. His 1952 single, “Tis Sweet to Be Remembered,” reached No. 8 and was his final charting single of the decade.
He didn’t walk away from the industry, though. Instead, he continued performing on the Grand Ole Opry and waiting for his career to take off once again. Finally, in 1960, it happened.
That year, he signed with Starday Records and released “Alabam.” The song shot to the top of the country chart and stayed there for 12 consecutive weeks. The next year, “Flat Top” reached No. 9, “Sunny Tennessee” hit No. 12, and a rerecording of “Signed, Sealed, and Delivered” reached No. 10. The honky tonk hero seemed to be poised to retake his place among Nashville’s elite.
That didn’t happen, though. He died alongside Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and pilot Randy Hughes, who was Copas’ son-in-law.
Fittingly, his final single was “Goodbye Kisses,” which reached No. 12 in April 1963.
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