This week in 1956: U.S. opened the door to 21,500 more Hungarian refugees; U.N. called for immediate Soviet withdrawal from Hungary; Japan was admitted to U.N.; and a Tulsa, Oklahoma, singer had enjoyed his moment in the spotlight with a song written by a radio disc jockey which scored on all three record charts – pop – country and rhythm & blues.
Sanford Clark's family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was 12 years old and he began performing in area clubs as soon as he was old enough.
A fellow musician named Al Casey brought disc jockey Lee Hazelwood to a club to listen to Clark. Hazelwood had just written a song titled "The Fool" and after hearing Clark sing, decided that he wanted Clark to record it. So he booked a studio, hired musicians and recorded the song with Sanford Clark and Al Casey.
Hazelwood listed his wife (Naomi Ford) on the record label as writer.
According to Clark, he thought the record sounded like a mixture of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and the different drum sound came from splitting a piece of bamboo and beating it on a guitar case.
Hazelwood, Clark and Casey formed MCI Records to release the single but nothing happened.
Clark took a job delivering soft drinks around Phoenix about the time that several radio stations began playing the song, which attracted the attention of Dot Records. The label signed Clark to a contract and re-released "The Fool."
Through Dot Records' national distribution, "The Fool" quickly landed on all three record charts and Clark began touring with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent. But Clark did very little to promote himself or his hit record.
During an interview years later Clark said, "That whole thing was one big party – We stayed drunk all the time and hotel bills – clothing – airline tickets ate up my royalty checks although we played for huge crowds. We all just had a good time and then it was over."
Clark released several other records but nothing clicked with the record buying public. He faded out of the limelight as quickly as he had faded in.
Clark's Dot Records single "The Fool" came on the country music charts October 6, 1956 and scored in the top 15. The record also placed in the top ten pop charts and on the rhythm & blues lists.
Sanford Clark died in 2021 at age 85.
Join our 5,000 plus subscribers to our free weekly "Country Music Classics" email newsletter: For your free subscription: send a blank email to: [email protected]