Leon Roger Payne (June 15, 1917 – September 11, 1969),[1] "the Blind Balladeer", was an American
country music singer-songwriter.
Life
He was born in
Alba, Texas, United States.[1] He was blind in one eye at birth, and lost the sight in the other eye in early childhood.[1] He attended the
Texas School for the Blind from 1924 to 1935.[1] He married Myrtie and they had two children together, as well as two children from Myrtie's previous marriage. Payne died at age 52 from a heart attack in 1969 in
San Antonio, Texas.[1] Myrtie died in
San Antonio in 2008, and Leon's composition "
I Love You Because" was played at her funeral service by pedal steel guitarist Emmett Roch, accompanied by musicians who were members of her church.
Career
Leon wrote hundreds of country songs in a prolific career that lasted from 1941 until his death.[1] He is perhaps best known for "
I Love You Because," "
You've Still Got a Place in My Heart," and the 1948 song "
Lost Highway," a song made famous by
Hank Williams in 1949.[1] Payne's own version of "I Love You Because" reached number one on the Billboard country chart, the only version to do so.[1] Leon Payne also wrote under the pen name of "Pat Patterson" on tracks such as "
It's Nothing to Me," performed by
Sanford Clark.
He began his music career in the mid-1930s, playing a variety of musical instruments in public; he started performing on KWET radio in
Palestine, Texas, in 1935.[1] He also had a stint playing with
Bob Wills' Texas Playboys in 1938.[1] Payne was a regular working musician at Jerry Irby's nightclub in Houston, Texas.[2] He joined his stepbrother, famed songwriter
Jack Rhodes, and formed Jack Rhodes and the Lone Star Buddies in 1949.[1] They performed regularly on the
Louisiana Hayride show in
Shreveport,
Louisiana.[1] He was later on the
Grand Ole Opry.[1]
Much of his musical legacy is recordings of his songs by other artists, perhaps most famous of which are two minor hits for
Hank Williams, "Lost Highway" and "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me."[1]
Jim Reeves covered "I Love You Because" and "
Blue Side of Lonesome," which were released in 1964 and 1966, respectively. The latter reached number one on the Billboard US country charts.
Eddie Noack recorded "Psycho" in 1968. This version was barely released and the song remained obscure until covered by Michigan singer Jack Kittel in 1973. The Kittel version reached #114 in the Cash Box "Looking Ahead" survey, September 1974.
Merle Haggard recorded "Teach Me to Forget" on his 1968 album Mama Tried.
Elvis Costello and
T-Bone Burnett, under the pseudonyms Hank Coward and Howard Coward (
The Coward Brothers), released "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me" as the B side of a single in 1986. The cut was restored as a bonus track in a 1995 re-release of Costello's Burnett-produced
King of America album.
Elvis Costello also released a live version of Payne's song "Psycho."
Jason & the Scorchers, then known as Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, recorded a country-punk version of "Lost Highway" on their first full-length LP, "Lost & Found," in 1985.
Australian blues/rock band
The Beasts of Bourbon also released a cover of "Psycho" in 1984. It is included in their debut album, The Axeman's Jazz.
Elliott Smith played Payne's song "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me" and "Lost Highway" live on more than one occasion.