Joe Stampley pioneered what came to be known as “New Country,” about a decade before the genre had been officially named. He was one of the first musicians to bridge the gaps between rock n’ roll, rhythm and blues, and country music.
Stampley began his career as the lead singer for the pop/rock group, The Uniques. They started out performing in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas prior to gaining popularity in other markets. The group recorded their first national hit for Paula Records in 1965, titled, “Not Too Long Ago.” In 1966, they released a follow-up hit, “All These Things,” which is, to this day, a sentimental rock favorite in the deep South.
Stampley signed with ABC-Dot Recordsin 1971, under which he released hits such as “Soul Song,” “Too Far Gone,” “I’m Still Loving You,” along with a remake of “All These Things,” which went to No. 1 on the charts.
Joe signed with Epic Recordsin 1975 and in 1976, he was awarded, Billboard’s “Single Artist of the Year” for charting eight singles in the course of that year. He would release a total of 13 albums on the imprint, including hits such as “Roll On Big Mama,” “Red Wine and Blue Memories,” “Do You Ever Fool Around,” and “If You’ve Got Ten Minutes.”
Additionally, he partnered with Moe Bandy and the duo, which became known as simply “Moe & Joe,” also generated a number of classic hits, including “Just Good Ol’ Boys,” “Hey Joe, Hey Moe,” and “Where’s the Dress” which won the American Video Association’s award for best video of the year in 1984. The duo received top honors, earning the CMA’s (Country Music Association) Vocal Duo of the Year in 1980, but were also awarded the ACM’s (Academy of Country Music) Vocal Duo Award for two years in a row.
Throughout his career, Joe Stampley charted over 60 songs. As a result, Stampley was ranked 30th in R&R (Radio & Records) magazine’s “Twenty Years of Excellence.” Billboard magazine’s Joel Whitburn’s Top Country Singles ranked Joe 52nd among all country artists from 1944-1993.
Joe Stampley is currently touring and sharing a taste of the music that made him a household name for more than four decades. To find out more, visit https://musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004325/Joe-Stampley.html
