Jimmy Lee Fautheree

Who was Jimmy Lee Fautheree?

Jimmy Lee Fautheree was an American rockabilly and country singer.

Born in Smackover, Arkansas, he began playing guitar at age 12, and was heavily influenced by Merle Travis. In 1946 his family moved to Dallas, where he played on KRLD's Big D Jamboree. By 1951 he was playing on the Louisiana Hayride; that year he signed to Capitol Records and released his first single, "I Keep the Blues All the Time", as Jimmy Lee. Capitol released seven further singles from Fautheree before dropping him in 1952. Despite never charting, the recordings have been cited as influential on later rockabilly artists, including James Burton.

Fautheree subsequently found work as a session musician for musicians such as Faron Young and Webb Pierce. Along with Johnny "Country" Mathis, he performed on Louisiana Hayride as Jimmy & Johnny, and released a charting single on Chess Records, 1954's "If You Don't, Somebody Else Will". Fautheree left Mathis to work with Wayne Walker, a partnership that lasted only four months but yielded a few recordings.