Cowboy Copas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cowboy Copas
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lloyd Estel Copas |
| Born | July 15, 1913 Blue Creek, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 1963 (aged 49) Camden, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, honky-tonk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1925–1963 |
| Labels | King Records Dot Records Starday Records |
Lloyd Estel Copas (born July 15, 1913 – died March 5, 1963), known as Cowboy Copas, was a famous American country music singer. He was very popular from the 1940s until his death. Sadly, he died in a plane crash in 1963. This accident also took the lives of other country music stars, Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins. Cowboy Copas was a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry, a famous country music show.
About Cowboy Copas
Copas was born in 1913 in Blue Creek, Ohio, United States. He started performing music when he was just 14 years old. In the 1930s, he appeared on radio stations like WLW-AM and WKRC-AM in Cincinnati.
In 1940, he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. There, he performed on WNOX-AM with his band, the Gold Star Rangers.
Becoming a Star
In 1943, Copas became nationally famous. He joined the Pee Wee King band as a singer. He also started performing on the Grand Ole Opry, which is a very important stage for country music.
His first solo song was "Filipino Baby." It was released by King Records in 1946. This song became a big hit, reaching number four on the Billboard country chart. This started the most successful time in his music career.
Later Success
Copas continued to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. He recorded many other hit songs in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Some of these included "Signed Sealed and Delivered", "The Tennessee Waltz", and "Candy Kisses".
In 1952, his song "'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered" reached number eight. This was his last top-40 hit for several years. Even though his songs weren't always at the very top, he kept performing regularly. He was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry and appeared on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee.
Copas became very popular again in 1960. His song "Alabam" was a huge hit. It stayed at number one for three months! He had more hits in the early 1960s with Starday Records. These included "Flat Top" and a new version of "Signed, Sealed And Delivered."
Tragic Plane Accident
On March 3, 1963, Cowboy Copas performed at a special concert. He was with Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins. The concert was in Kansas City, Kansas. It was a benefit to help the family of a disc jockey who had recently passed away.
On March 5, they left for Nashville, Tennessee. They were flying in a small plane called a Piper Comanche. Copas' son-in-law, Randy Hughes, was flying the plane. After stopping to refuel, the plane took off at 6:07 PM.
The plane flew into bad weather. It crashed at 6:29 PM in a forest near Camden, Tennessee. This was about 90 miles from where they were going. Sadly, no one on the plane survived. A stone marker was placed on July 6, 1996, to remember the crash site.
Cowboy Copas was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. He rests in an area called "Music Row" with other country music stars.
Images for kids
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Copas Ohio historical marker at the Adams County Courthouse in West Union, Ohio
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Reverse side of marker
