While modern audiences may not immediately recall Marvin Rainwater’s name, the rockabilly singer commanded the charts throughout the 1950s. Inspired by artists like Roy Acuff, Rainwater become one of the first country singers to successfully cross over into pop territory when his self-penned 1957 hit “Gonna Find Me a Bluebird” reached number 18 on what is now the Billboard Hot 100. Today we’re taking a look at the life and career of Marvin Karlton Rainwater, born in Wichita, Kansas, on this day (July 2) in 1925.
Growing up in Alabama and Muskogee, Oklahoma during the Great Depression, Rainwater took classical piano lessons until he lost part of his right thumb in a work accident as a teenager. He pivoted to country music and the guitar after that.
Videos by American Songwriter
Despite an early love for music, Marvin Rainwater’s original career plans didn’t include performing. He trained to become a veterinarian in Walla, Walla, Washington, and that training helped him land a job as a pharmacist’s mate while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
The Musical Career of Marvin Rainwater
Rainwater whiled away the long hours at sea by writing his own songs, which his shipmates urged him to publish. Buoyed by their encouragement, he pursued a musical career after leaving the Navy.
Marvin Rainwater played concerts around Virginia with his brothers. He often wore a buckskin jacket and headband in a nod to the one-quarter Cherokee ancestry he claimed.
Rainwater cut demos with rising guitarist Roy Clark until his big break followed an appearance on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, described as an early-’50s precursor to Star Search.
After winning first place in 1955, he began regularly appearing on ABC-TV’s Ozark Jubilee.
Signing with MGM Records, Rainwater broke into the spotlight with1957’s “Gonna Find Me a Bluebird”, which reached number three on the country charts and number 18 on the pop charts.
That same year, country singer Eddy Arnold reached number 12 on the country charts with his own version of the song. Since then, artists like Brenda Lee, Hank Snow, Pat Boone, and Kitty Wells have all put their spin on it.
[RELATED: 5 Paul Revere and the Raiders Songs to Get a Kick Out Of]
Other hits followed, including the 1957 Connie Francis duet “The Majesty of Love” and 1958’s “Whole Lotta Woman”, which topped the UK charts.
Rainwater’s career began winding down after he developed first calluses on his vocal chords, then throat cancer in the ’70s.
He recovered enough for the occasional performance at rockabilly festivals in Europe until his death from heart failure on September 17, 2013, in Minneapolis. He was 88 years old.
Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images