Red Simpson

by Sandra BrennanBest known for his string of trucking songs, Red Simpson was raised in Bakersfield, California, the youngest of a dozen children. At age 14, he wrote his first song — about chickens — and sang it to his familys fowl. During the Korean War, he served aboard a naval hospital ship, the Repose, where he found relief by forming the Repose Ramblers, who played any instruments they could scrounge up. He bought better ones in Japan and began to practice in earnest, and became a professional musician in California after his discharge. Simpson was working at the Wagon Wheel in Lamont when Fuzzy Owens saw him and arranged for Simpson to work at his Clover Club as a piano player. He then got a job replacing Buck Owens at the Blackboard Club on weekends. Simpson was influenced by Owens, Merle Haggard and Bill Woods, who asked Red if he would write a song about driving trucks. (By the time Simpson handed him four truck songs, however, Woods had stopped recording.) Simpson began writing songs with Buck Owens in 1962, including the Top Ten hit Gonna Have Love.In 1965, Capitols Ken Nelson was looking for someone to record some songs about trucking. His first choice was Haggard, who wasnt interested, but Simpson readily agreed. His first, Tommy Collinss Roll, Truck, Roll, became a Top 40 country hit and Simpson recorded an album of the same name. That year he offered up two more trucking songs, both of which made it to the Top 50 or beyond. As a songwriter, he scored his first number one hit with Sams Place, recorded by Buck Owens. After th3at, Simpson decided to become a full-time writer. He returned to performing in 1971 with his Top Five hit Im a Truck, which had been written by postman Bob Staunton. In 1972, he debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and had two more truck hits for Capitol. In 1976, Simpson signed to Warner Brothers and released Truck Drivers Heaven. The following year, he teamed up with Lorraine Walden for a series of duets that included Truck Driver Man and Wife. In 1979, Simpson appeared for the last time on the charts with The Flying Saucer Man and the Truck Driver. Haggard recorded his song Lucky Old Colorado in 1988; later that year Simpson was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent surgery, but he fully recovered and continued his writing and performing career.