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 Terry Stafford - Llano Cemetery - Amarillo, TX
N 35° 11.058 W 101° 49.914
14S E 242129 N 3897155
Singer Terry Stafford is probably best known for his 1964 hit, "Suspicion," which was recorded and released by Elvis Presley in 1962. Stafford sounded remarkably like Elvis, but his "Suspicion" is identifiable by the presence of background singers.
Waymark Code: WMPTF4
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/18/2015
Views: 6
Billboard's website provides a biography:
One-hit wonder Terry Stafford was known for his Elvis sound-alike single "Suspicion," which became a Top Five smash even at the height of Beatlemania in 1964. Stafford was born in Hollis, OK, on November 22, 1941, and grew up in Amarillo, TX. He moved to Los Angeles after high school to pursue a singing career and performed at various local dances and social events. He got the chance to record a demo and chose "Suspicion," an album track from Elvis Presley's Pot Luck LP (1962). A local DJ took the song to Crusader Records, which remastered it and released it nationally in 1964. It went all the way to number three on the pop charts and did so during a week when the Beatles held every other spot in the Top Five. Stafford was never able to duplicate its success, though he did reach the Top 30 with his follow-up single, "I'll Touch a Star." He continued to perform and also branched out into acting (the film Wild Wheels) and songwriting, penning Buck Owens' hit "Big in Vegas." In 1973, Stafford signed with Atlantic's newly formed country division and recorded a full-fledged country album, Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose. The title track edged into the country Top 40, and its flip side, the Stafford co-written "Amarillo by Morning," also enjoyed some regional popularity. It was later covered by George Strait for a major hit. Stafford recorded for Atlantic through 1974 then disappeared from the music scene. He died of liver problems in Amarillo on March 17, 1996. -- Steve Huey, Rovi
Description:
Wikipedia describes Stafford as "an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 U.S. Top 10 hit, 'Suspicion', and the 1973 country music hit, 'Amarillo by Morning'. Stafford is best known for his Elvis Presley sound alike voice."
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Stafford was certainly not just a one-hit wonder, despite "Suspicion," as George Strait's cover of "Amarillo by Morning" is legendary. He beat Elvis to the punch with "Suspicion" and challenged The Beatles at a time when they all-but-controlled the top spots in the charts.
Date of birth: 11/22/1941
Date of death: 03/17/1996
Area of notoriety: Entertainment
Marker Type: Horizontal Marker
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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