Born on This Day in 1937, the Country Singer-Songwriter Who Started His Career Alongside His Outlaw Country Legend Brother and Toured With Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline

On this day (December 16) in 1937, Jim Glaser was born in Spalding, Nebraska. He started his career in a trio with his brothers Tompall and Chuck. He was also an in-demand session singer, adding his high tenor voice to hits from Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and Hank Snow, among others. Glaser also found success as a songwriter and a solo recording artist.

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Glaser began learning to play guitar before he was old enough to attend school. A few short years later, he was performing with his brother, Tompall, at local shows. Later, their brother Chuck joined the group, forming Tompall & the Glaser Brothers. Then, in 1959, Marty Robbins signed the group to his Robbins Records label. After they released their first single, “Five Penny Nickel,” Decca Records bought their contract.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1976, an Outlaw Compilation Becomes the First Country Album to Go Platinum]

Tompall & the Glaser Brothers released multiple hit songs. They also toured with the likes of Robbins, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. A little more than a decade after signing their initial record deal, the group split in 1973. This helped push Jim Glaser into session work and his solo career.

Jim Glaser Goes Solo

Jim Glaser didn’t wait for the trio to split to record as a solo artist. He released his debut solo single, “God Help You Woman,” in 1968, landing a top 40 country hit. Later that year, he released “Please Take Me Back,” another top 40 hit.

Glaser resumed his solo career in 1973 with a string of singles that made the country charts but failed to become hits. More than a decade later, in 1984, he released “If I Could Only Dance with You,” which became his first top 10 hit. He followed that with his sole No. 1 single, “You’re Gettin’ to Me Again.”

Glaser released his debut solo album, Man in the Mirror, in 1983. The next two years saw him release two more albums–Past the Point of No Return and Everybody Knows I’m Yours. Decades later, in 2004, he released his final album, Me and My Dream.

According to Music Row, Glaser was also a successful songwriter. He penned “Running Gun,” which became a hit for Marty Robbins. Skeeter Davis made “What Does It Take” a hit. Liz Anderson recorded “Thanks a Lot for Tryin’ Anyway.” Bill Anderson had a hit with “And I’m Still Missing You.” His biggest success, though, was “Woman, Woman,” which was a No. 4 hit on the Hot 100 for Gary Puckett & the Union Gap.

Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns