Born in Alabama 105 Years Ago Today, the Man Behind the Timeless Trucker Country Anthem Recorded by Ernest Tubb, Johnny Cash, and Buck Owens

On this day (May 13) in 1921, Terry Fell was born in Dora, Alabama. His recording career started on the West Coast with a western swing legend. Later, he left his mark on the country music world with “Truck Drivin’ Man,” a song that has been covered hundreds of times. Buck Owens, who played on the original recording, brought it back to the public eye in the 1960s. Then, artists like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Aaron Tippin, Toby Keith, and Conway Twitty recorded versions of the hit.

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Fell began his musical journey when he was just nine years old. He got his first guitar and learned how to play. The following years saw him take up the mandolin and attend singing lessons. Things took a turn for him when he was 13, though. That year, his father died. Over the next few years, he bounced between California and Alabama until, eventually, he and his mother moved to the West Coast in the early 1940s. At the time, western swing was starting to take hold in the bars and dancehalls of California. He played in a few bands, including the Pals of the Pecos, backing Billy Hughes.

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Fell formed his own band, Terry Fell and the Fellers, and kicked off his solo career in 1945, according to The Hairsplitter. They released their debut single, “Paper Heart,” later that year. Like most of Fell’s releases, “Paper Heart” wasn’t a hit. He found his only hit nine years later with a song called “Don’t Drop It.”

Terry Fell Leaves His Mark with a B-Side

While “Don’t Drop It” was Fell’s sole hit as a recording artist, it has been largely forgotten. However, its B-side, “Truck Drivin’ Man,” became a standard. While it wasn’t the first song about the profession, it was the first to center around the blue-collar archetype of the long-haul trucker.

“Truck Drivin’ Man” wasn’t a hit, but it solidified Terry Fell’s place in country music history by launching a new sub-genre: trucker country.

Secondhand Songs lists 105 covers of “Truck Drivin’ Man.” The list of artists who have put their stamp on the standard is long and varied. Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Martin, Charlie Walker, Bill Anderson, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Ernest Tubb are among the country legends who have cut a version of the song.

Terry Fell may not be a household name, but few songs have had a bigger impact on country music than “Truck Drivin’ Man.”

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