Felice Bryant (born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto; August 7, 1925 – April 22, 2003) and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant (; February 13, 1920 – June 25, 1987) were an American husband-and-wife

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

and pop

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

team. They were best known for songs such as "

Rocky Top "Rocky Top" is an American country and bluegrass song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967 and first recorded by the Osborne Brothers later that same year. The song, which is a city dweller's lamentation over the loss of a simpler a ...

," "

We Could "We Could" is a song written by Felice Bryant and originally recorded by "Little" Jimmy Dickens in 1955. It's been recorded by numerous acts over the years, including American pop crooner Al Martino, whose version peaked at number 41 on '' Billbo ...

" (credited solely to Felice), "

Love Hurts "Love Hurts" is a song written and composed by the American songwriter Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by the Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is most well known from the 1974 international hit version by Scottish hard rock band Nazare ...

" (credited solely to Boudleaux), and numerous hits by the

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

, including "

All I Have to Do Is Dream "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by Boudleaux Bryant of the husband-and-wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and published in 1958. The song is ranked No. 141 on the ''Rolling Stone ...

" (credited solely to Boudleaux), " Bye Bye Love", and " Wake Up Little Susie".

Beginnings

Boudleaux Bryant was born in Shellman, Georgia, in 1920 and attended local schools as a child. He trained as a classical violinist. Although he performed with the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra during its 1937–38 season, he had more interest in country fiddling. Bryant joined

Hank Penny Herbert Clayton Penny (September 18, 1918 – April 17, 1992) was an American musician who played banjo mainly in the Western swing genre. He also worked as a comedian best known for his backwoods character "That Plain Ol' Country Boy" on TV wi ...

and his Radio Cowboys, an Atlanta-based western music band. In 1945, Bryant met Matilda Genevieve Scaduto (whom he called Felice) when he performed at a hotel in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was born in the city in 1925 to an ethnic Sicilian family, and had written lyrics set to traditional Italian tunes. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, she sang and directed shows at the local

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

."Felice Bryant"
Songwriters Hall of Fame, accessed 1 January 2021 Bryant and Scaduto eloped five days after meeting. Boudleaux's song "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is "autobiographical" for Felice. She was working as an elevator operator at the Schroeder Hotel when she saw Bryant. She has said that she "recognized" him immediately; she had seen his face in a dream when she was eight years old, and had "looked for him forever." She was 19 when they met.

Songwriting career

During the first years of their marriage, the Bryants struggled financially, living in a mobile home, where they wrote more than 80 songs. They tried to sell their compositions to a number of country music artists but were either ignored or rejected until

Little Jimmy Dickens James Cecil Dickens (December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015), better known by his stage name Little Jimmy Dickens, was an American country music singer and songwriter famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size (4'11" 50 cm, and h ...

recorded their song "Country Boy." It went to No. 7 on the country chart in 1948 and opened the door to a working relationship with Fred Rose at

Acuff-Rose Music Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. was an American music publishing firm formed in 1942 by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose (songwriter), Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Acuff-Rose's honest behavior towards their writers set them apart from other m ...

in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1950, the Bryants moved to Nashville to work full-time at songwriting. Some of their compositions from the early 1950s included the swinging "Sugar Beet" (recorded by

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with t ...

) and the bluesy "Midnight" (recorded by

Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...

). The Bryants wrote more songs for Dickens as well as for country artist Carl Smith. At the same time, they released four 45-rpm singles of their own to modest success. Beginning in 1957, the Bryants came to national prominence in both country and pop music when they wrote a string of very successful songs for

the Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

and hits for other singers such as Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly. Their compositions were recorded by many artists from a variety of musical genres, including Lynn Anderson,

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

, Frankie Laine,

Sonny James Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, " Young Love", topping both of the early versions of today's ''Billboard'' ...

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

Bob Moore Bob Loyce Moore (November 30, 1932 – September 22, 2021) was an American session musician, orchestra leader, and double bassist who was a member of the Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 1960s. He performed on over 17,000 documented recor ...

Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Rec ...

, Nazareth,

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...

Leo Sayer Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer (born 21 May 1948) is an English-Australian singer and songwriter whose singing career has spanned five decades. He has been an Australian citizen and resident since 2009. Sayer launched his career in the United Kingdom ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis ma ...

, Simon & Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, The Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello,

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

, Dean Martin,

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

, and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

. (Dylan's ''

Self Portrait A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century tha ...

'' album has a song by Boudleaux and another he co-wrote with Felice.) In 1962, The Bryants wrote "Too Many Chicks," a song that became a hit for Leona Douglas, the first African-American woman to record as a

singer. The Bryants eventually moved to a house not far from Nashville on

Old Hickory Lake Old Hickory Lake is a reservoir in north central Tennessee. It is formed by the Old Hickory Lock and Dam (), located on the Cumberland River at mile 216.2 in Sumner and Davidson counties, approximately upstream from Nashville. The city ...

in Hendersonville, Tennessee, near friends Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. In 1978, they moved to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They had often stayed at The Gatlinburg Inn, where they wrote numerous songs, including "

." They purchased the Rocky Top Village Inn in the town next to the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, w ...

. In 1979, they released their own album called ''A Touch of Bryant.'' "

", written in 1967, was adopted as a state song by Tennessee in 1982, and as the unofficial fight song for the University of Tennessee sports teams. The Bryants wrote more than 6,000 songs, some 1,500 of which were recorded. During their career, the Bryants earned 59 BMI country, pop, and R&B music awards. In 1972, they were inducted into the

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is ...

, in 1986 into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

, and in 1991 into both the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...

and the

Rockabilly Hall of Fame The Rockabilly Hall of Fame is an organization and website launched on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relating to the artists and personalities involved in rockabilly. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennesse ...

. Boudleaux Bryant is the third most successful songwriter of the 1950s on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and Felice Bryant is the 21st. Their works are present in the House of Bryant, which is located in Gatlinburg. From September 2019 to August 2020, their artifacts were on exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

Deaths

Boudleaux Bryant died in 1987. Felice Bryant remained active writing songs; in 1991, the Nashville Arts Foundation honored her with its Living Legend Award. She died in 2003. They are interred together in the

Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of the largest cemeteries in Nashville. Among those interred or entombed in the cemetery, there are many prominent members of the country music ge ...

in Nashville.

Selected list of songs

Little Jimmy Dickens

*"Country Boy" (1948) *" Bessie the Heifer" *"

" (credited solely to Felice)

Everly Brothers

*" Bye Bye, Love" *"

Wake Up, Little Susie "Wake Up Little Susie" is a popular song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and published in 1957. The song is best known in a recording by the Everly Brothers, issued by Cadence Records as catalog number 1337. The Everly Brothers record re ...

" *"

" (credited solely to Boudleaux) *"Donna Donna" *"Brand New Heartache" *"

Problems A problem is a difficulty which may be resolved by problem solving. Problem(s) or The Problem may also refer to: People * Problem (rapper), (born 1985) American rapper Books * ''Problems'' (Aristotle), an Aristotelian (or pseudo-Aristotelian) co ...

" *" Poor Jenny" *"Radio & TV" *"Oh True Love" *"

Take a Message to Mary "Take a Message to Mary" is a song released in 1959 by The Everly Brothers. The song spent 13 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 16, while reaching No. 8 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, and No. 20 on the United Kingdom's ''New ...

" *" Bird Dog" (credited solely to Boudleaux) *"

Like Strangers "Like Strangers" is a song written by Boudleaux Bryant, which was a hit single for The Everly Brothers in 1960. The song was later a country hit for Gail Davies in 1980. The Everly Brothers version The Everly Brothers released the song on thei ...

" (credited solely to Boudleaux) *"Always It's You" *"Love of My Life" *"Love Is All I Need" *"Lonely Island" *"Just in Case" *" Devoted to You" (credited solely to Boudleaux) *"You Thrill Me" *"You're the One I Love" *"Some Sweet Day" *"Sleepless Nights" *"Nashville Blues" *"

" (credited solely to Boudleaux) "Wake Up, Little Susie" and "All I Have to Do Is Dream" scored high on ''Billboard''s "Hot 100" Pop, C&W, and R&B lists. Both charted at No. 1 in all three categories, the latter in all three at the same time.BPI Communications and Joel Whitburn's Record Research Publications

Buddy Holly

*" Raining in My Heart"

Compton Brothers

*"Bird Dog" *"Love Hurts"

Gram Parsons with Emmylou Harris

* "Love Hurts" * " Sleepless Nights" * "Brand New Heartache"

Emmylou Harris

* "Sleepless Nights" * "Like Strangers" * "Love Hurts"

Ricky Van Shelton

* " Hole in My Pocket"

Johnny O'Keefe

* "

She Wears My Ring "La golondrina" (English: "The Swallow") is a song written in 1862 by Mexican physician Narciso Serradell Sevilla (1843–1910), who at the time was exiled to France due to the French intervention in Mexico. The lyrics come from a poem written ...

" (English lyrics)

Other artists

* "

" –

The Osborne Brothers The Osborne Brothers, Sonny (October 29, 1937 – October 24, 2021) and Bobby (born December 7, 1931), were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s and until Sonny retired in 2005. They are probably best known for ...

, Lynn Anderson, and

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

* "

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

" –

and His Orchestra (credited solely to Boudleaux) * " Last Date" – Boudleaux wrote the lyrics to the vocal version of the Floyd Cramer instrumental, recorded in 1960 by

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...

* " Bye Bye, Love" –

(1962) * " Bye Bye, Love" – Ray Price (1957) * " Bye Bye, Love" – Roy Orbison (1961) * " Come Live with Me" – Roy Clark * " Raining in My Heart" – Robert Wyatt * "She Wears My Ring" –

Solomon King Solomon King (born Allen Verner Levy, August 13, 1930 – January 20, 2005) was an American 1960s and 1970s popular music singer. He is best remembered for his 1968 British hit single, " She Wears My Ring", which charted in 40 countries. Ea ...

* "She Wears My Ring" –

Jimmy Sweeney Jimmy Sweeney (March 15, 1922 – October 6, 1992) a WW2 veteran, and a member of the Nashville African-American music scene. He was a singer, songwriter, and self-taught guitarist. As a pop singer, he was known professionally as Jimmy Sweeney ...

* "Have a Good Time" – Sue Thompson * "

" – Roy Orbison, Nazareth, and a top five hit for

Jim Capaldi Nicola James Capaldi (2 August 1944 – 28 January 2005) was an English singer-songwriter and drummer. His musical career spanned more than four decades. He co-founded the progressive rock band Traffic in 1967 with Steve Winwood with whom he co ...

in the UK. * "Sugar Beet" –

* "Wedding of the Bugs" –

* "Blue Boy" –

* "Bella Belinda" –

Donn Reynolds Stanley Beresford "Donn" Reynolds (June 26, 1921 – August 16, 1997) was a Canadian country music singer and yodeler most widely known for his Bavarian style of yodeling. Often referred to as Canada's "king of the yodelers",Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...

* "Some Sweet Day" – Fairport Convention * "Take a Message to Mary" –

* "Rocky Top" –

Dillard & Clark Dillard & Clark was a country rock duo which featured ex-Byrds member Gene Clark and bluegrass banjo player Doug Dillard. History The group was formed in 1968, shortly after Clark departed the Byrds and Dillard left the Dillards. It was consid ...

* "Devoted to You" –

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

(credited solely to Boudleaux) * " You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" –

David Frizzell David Frizzell (born September 26, 1941) is an American country music singer. He is the younger brother of country musician, Lefty Frizzell. His career started in the late 1950s, but his biggest success came in the 1980s. Biography Frizzell wa ...

and Shelly West * "Love Hurts" – The Osborne Brothers Nazareth * "Nightmare" – Jack Turner Various songs of theirs, especially "All I Have to Do Is Dream", "Bye Bye, Love", "Love Hurts" and "Wake Up, Little Susie", have been covered by numerous other artists over the years. "Rocky Top" is played by the

Pride of the Southland Band The Pride of the Southland Band is the official name of the University of Tennessee's marching band. History The Pride of the Southland Marching Band has been performing at halftime for more than 110 years, but has existed since 1869 when it ...

at University of Tennessee sporting events.http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=69622&catid=82

References

Bibliography

*Kingsbury, Paul. (1998). "Felice and Boudleaux Bryant". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. pp. 63–64.

External links

* Allmusic Entry for Felice * Allmusic Entry for Boudleauxbr>Rockabillyhall page
* *
Countrymusichalloffame.orgPerformingsongwriter.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Felice and Boudleaux American country songwriters American male songwriters Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Country music groups from Georgia (U.S. state) Married couples Musicians from Milwaukee Bryant, Boudleaux American songwriting teams American musical duos Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Songwriters from Wisconsin