Aubrey Wilson Mullican, known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist.
18 Facts About Moon Mullican
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Moon Mullican was associated with the hillbilly boogie style which influenced rockabilly.
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Moon Mullican's Scots-Irish immigrant ancestor, James Mullikin, was born in Scotland, arriving in Maryland, United States in the 1630s from Northern Ireland.
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However, Moon Mullican made friends with Joe Jones, a black sharecropper on the family farm, who introduced him to the country blues.
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Moon Mullican's parents did not always approve, and he was torn between playing religious and secular music.
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Moon Mullican played and recorded with Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers, the Sunshine Boys, and Jimmie Davis.
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Moon Mullican frequently met up with another pianist, Black Boy Shine, when performing around Houston.
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In September 1946, Moon Mullican cut 16 recordings as band leader, for King Records in Cincinnati.
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Moon Mullican became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1951.
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Moon Mullican was one of the highest-selling artists on King Records.
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In 1958, Mullican was signed by country music producer Owen Bradley to Decca Records' subsidiary label Coral Records, and recorded more rock songs including "Moon's Rock" and "Sweet Rockin' Music".
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In spite of having a heart condition Moon Mullican continued to perform regularly.
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Moon Mullican is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Beaumont, Texas, the epitaph on his tombstone reading "I'll Sail My Ship Alone", the name of one of his many hits.
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Moon Mullican had defined a style of country balladeering not hinted at in his 1930s work.
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Moon Mullican influenced many others, including the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, which recorded his song "Cherokee Boogie" on their 1973 album Comin' Right At Ya, with several recording tribute CDs to mark Moon Mullican's 100th birthday in 2009.
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Moon Mullican is believed to have co-written "Jambalaya," a song made famous by Hank Williams that could not be credited to Moon Mullican because of his contract with King Records.
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Moon Mullican's recording of the song was released in July 1952, the same month as Williams' version, but differs significantly in having a different order of verses and extra rhyming couplets.
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In 1976, Moon Mullican was posthumously inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.