Erastus Michael “Razzy” Bailey, known for a string of early ’80s country music hits like “Midnight Hauler” and “Lovin’ Up a Storm”, was born on this day (Feb. 14) in 1939 in Five Points, Alabama. Bailey died on Aug. 4, 2021, at age 82.
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How Razzy Bailey Overcame a Disappointing Start in the Music Industry
Raised on a farm in La Fayette, Alabama, Razzy Bailey grew up listening to original tunes at his father’s feet. His family regularly hosted local musicians for Saturday night singing sessions around the fire that often stretched well into the early hours of Sunday morning.
“I sang with the rest of the family, but the truth is I was mostly just hollerin’ back then,” Bailey said.
His earliest formal musical experience came in high school, when he performed with his high school’s Future Farmers of America string band. They won second place at a musical talent show hosted by Auburn University.
Marrying and having children immediately after high school, Bailey worked a variety of odd jobs—including driving trucks and selling furniture—to support his family while also honing his musical and songwriting crafts by night.
Eventually, he landed a publishing deal with Bill Lowery of Atlantic Records, recording and releasing a song called “9,999,999 Tears.” While it didn’t reach the charts, Bailey formed a couple of different musical groups before finally recording the 1974 album I Hate Hate as a solo artist. MGM Records later picked up I Hate Hate after it sold more than half a million records.
Two years later, Dickey Lee recorded his own version of “9,999,999 Tears”, taking it to the top of the country charts. He hit No. 1 again the following year with another Bailey song called “Peanut Butter.”
Heartened by Lee’s success, Razzy Bailey signed with RCA Records. “I got so used to my songs being turned down and my efforts at recording deals falling through that it just made me all the more determined to succeed,” he told U.K. magazine Country Music People in 1980.
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Finding Success
Razzy Bailey finally struck gold with 1978’s “What Time Do You Have To Be Back to Heaven?” which reached No. 9 on the country singles chart. Following five more top 10 and top 20 hits, Bailey earned his first No. 1 hit in 1980 with “Loving Up a Storm.”
This marked the first of five consecutive chart toppers of 1980-82, followed by “I Keep Coming Back,” “Friends,” “Midnight Hauler,” and “She Left Love All Over Me.” Bailey had three double-sided chart-toppers in succession on the Country chart, the first artist ever to accomplish such a feat.
In 1984, Bailey began leaning more into his R&B roots, having grown up inspired by the Black farmhands he worked alongside. He released his final album, Damned Good Time, in 2009.
Featured image by David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
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