Earl Thomas Conley was an American country music singer-songwriter. Earl grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He left home at 14, after his father lost his railroad job. For a while he lived with a sister in Ohio. He turned down a scholarship to art school instead joining the Army. While in the Army, he became enamored with country music. After the Army, he lived in Nashville. He worked by day and played clubs by night. Seeking gainful employment, Earl moved to Huntsville, Alabama where he worked in a steel mill. In Alabama, he met Nelson Larkin, a producer, who got him signed to the independent label GRT in 1974. During that time, Earl’s songwriting abilities became evident.
Other artists found success with Earl’s penned songs. Larkin’s brother Billy had a top 20 hit with “Leave It Up to Me,” Mel Street had a number 13 hit with “Smokey Mountain Memories,” and Conway Twitty had a number 1 hit with "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me.” Earl returned to Nashville signing with Warner Brothers Music in 1977.
In 1979 he had his first top 40 hit “Dreaming’s all I do.” By late 1979, he decided to start recording and performing with his full name, Earl Thomas Conley. With only limited success at Warner Brothers, he left the label late 1979. He then took a brief hiatus finally deciding to again work with Nelson Larkin and his Sunbird Records.
Conley's first single for Sunbird, "Silent Treatment," was an immediate Top Ten hit late 1980. It was followed by the number one "Fire and Smoke" early 1981. Proving his potential, RCA signed Conley long-term with very lucrative returns. "Tell me why," his first single for the label, was number ten late 1981. Summer 1982 saw “Heavenly Bodies” kick off a seven year string of 21 straight Top Ten hits. He recorded a total of ten studio albums, including seven for the RCA Records label between 1980 and 2003.
During the 1980s and into the 1990s, Conley charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which eighteen reached Number One. Conley's eighteen Billboard Number One country singles during the 1980s marked the most Number One hits by ANY artist in ANY genre during that decade except for Alabama and Ronnie Milsap. Hits included “Holding her and loving you,” “Somewhere between right and wrong,” and “Right From the Start.” Earl’s 1984’s “Don't Make It Easy for Me” marked the first time ANY artist in ANY genre had four number one hits from the same album.
During the mid-80’s he suffered financial and vocal difficulties but the hits never slowed. By the end of the '80s, he no longer worked with Nelson Larkin, rather preferring to work with Randy Scruggs. This redirected Earl’s music back to his country and R&B roots. The 1990s saw the rise of contemporary country music. This led to a major decline in Conley’s record sales. He did manage two new Top Ten hits, "Shadow of a Doubt," and, the Keith Whitley duet, "Brotherly Love." The success of those two songs influenced his 1991 album, “Yours Truly.” Despite some of the best reviews of Conley's entire career, “Yours Truly” was a commercial failure. RCA dropped Earl shortly after its release. The 90s found him without a record label.
He continued to give concerts and tour. He eventually ended up on the Intersound label for 1998's “Perpetual Emotion.” At the time of his death, Fred Conley, the singer's brother, said Earl suffered from a condition ( cerebral atrophy ) similar to dementia and had been in hospice care for several months prior to his death.
Other artists found success with Earl’s penned songs. Larkin’s brother Billy had a top 20 hit with “Leave It Up to Me,” Mel Street had a number 13 hit with “Smokey Mountain Memories,” and Conway Twitty had a number 1 hit with "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me.” Earl returned to Nashville signing with Warner Brothers Music in 1977.
In 1979 he had his first top 40 hit “Dreaming’s all I do.” By late 1979, he decided to start recording and performing with his full name, Earl Thomas Conley. With only limited success at Warner Brothers, he left the label late 1979. He then took a brief hiatus finally deciding to again work with Nelson Larkin and his Sunbird Records.
Conley's first single for Sunbird, "Silent Treatment," was an immediate Top Ten hit late 1980. It was followed by the number one "Fire and Smoke" early 1981. Proving his potential, RCA signed Conley long-term with very lucrative returns. "Tell me why," his first single for the label, was number ten late 1981. Summer 1982 saw “Heavenly Bodies” kick off a seven year string of 21 straight Top Ten hits. He recorded a total of ten studio albums, including seven for the RCA Records label between 1980 and 2003.
During the 1980s and into the 1990s, Conley charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which eighteen reached Number One. Conley's eighteen Billboard Number One country singles during the 1980s marked the most Number One hits by ANY artist in ANY genre during that decade except for Alabama and Ronnie Milsap. Hits included “Holding her and loving you,” “Somewhere between right and wrong,” and “Right From the Start.” Earl’s 1984’s “Don't Make It Easy for Me” marked the first time ANY artist in ANY genre had four number one hits from the same album.
During the mid-80’s he suffered financial and vocal difficulties but the hits never slowed. By the end of the '80s, he no longer worked with Nelson Larkin, rather preferring to work with Randy Scruggs. This redirected Earl’s music back to his country and R&B roots. The 1990s saw the rise of contemporary country music. This led to a major decline in Conley’s record sales. He did manage two new Top Ten hits, "Shadow of a Doubt," and, the Keith Whitley duet, "Brotherly Love." The success of those two songs influenced his 1991 album, “Yours Truly.” Despite some of the best reviews of Conley's entire career, “Yours Truly” was a commercial failure. RCA dropped Earl shortly after its release. The 90s found him without a record label.
He continued to give concerts and tour. He eventually ended up on the Intersound label for 1998's “Perpetual Emotion.” At the time of his death, Fred Conley, the singer's brother, said Earl suffered from a condition ( cerebral atrophy ) similar to dementia and had been in hospice care for several months prior to his death.
Earl Thomas Conley was an American country music singer-songwriter. Earl grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He left home at 14, after his father lost his railroad job. For a while he lived with a sister in Ohio. He turned down a scholarship to art school instead joining the Army. While in the Army, he became enamored with country music. After the Army, he lived in Nashville. He worked by day and played clubs by night. Seeking gainful employment, Earl moved to Huntsville, Alabama where he worked in a steel mill. In Alabama, he met Nelson Larkin, a producer, who got him signed to the independent label GRT in 1974. During that time, Earl’s songwriting abilities became evident.
Other artists found success with Earl’s penned songs. Larkin’s brother Billy had a top 20 hit with “Leave It Up to Me,” Mel Street had a number 13 hit with “Smokey Mountain Memories,” and Conway Twitty had a number 1 hit with "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me.” Earl returned to Nashville signing with Warner Brothers Music in 1977.
In 1979 he had his first top 40 hit “Dreaming’s all I do.” By late 1979, he decided to start recording and performing with his full name, Earl Thomas Conley. With only limited success at Warner Brothers, he left the label late 1979. He then took a brief hiatus finally deciding to again work with Nelson Larkin and his Sunbird Records.
Conley's first single for Sunbird, "Silent Treatment," was an immediate Top Ten hit late 1980. It was followed by the number one "Fire and Smoke" early 1981. Proving his potential, RCA signed Conley long-term with very lucrative returns. "Tell me why," his first single for the label, was number ten late 1981. Summer 1982 saw “Heavenly Bodies” kick off a seven year string of 21 straight Top Ten hits. He recorded a total of ten studio albums, including seven for the RCA Records label between 1980 and 2003.
During the 1980s and into the 1990s, Conley charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which eighteen reached Number One. Conley's eighteen Billboard Number One country singles during the 1980s marked the most Number One hits by ANY artist in ANY genre during that decade except for Alabama and Ronnie Milsap. Hits included “Holding her and loving you,” “Somewhere between right and wrong,” and “Right From the Start.” Earl’s 1984’s “Don't Make It Easy for Me” marked the first time ANY artist in ANY genre had four number one hits from the same album.
During the mid-80’s he suffered financial and vocal difficulties but the hits never slowed. By the end of the '80s, he no longer worked with Nelson Larkin, rather preferring to work with Randy Scruggs. This redirected Earl’s music back to his country and R&B roots. The 1990s saw the rise of contemporary country music. This led to a major decline in Conley’s record sales. He did manage two new Top Ten hits, "Shadow of a Doubt," and, the Keith Whitley duet, "Brotherly Love." The success of those two songs influenced his 1991 album, “Yours Truly.” Despite some of the best reviews of Conley's entire career, “Yours Truly” was a commercial failure. RCA dropped Earl shortly after its release. The 90s found him without a record label.
He continued to give concerts and tour. He eventually ended up on the Intersound label for 1998's “Perpetual Emotion.” At the time of his death, Fred Conley, the singer's brother, said Earl suffered from a condition ( cerebral atrophy ) similar to dementia and had been in hospice care for several months prior to his death.
Other artists found success with Earl’s penned songs. Larkin’s brother Billy had a top 20 hit with “Leave It Up to Me,” Mel Street had a number 13 hit with “Smokey Mountain Memories,” and Conway Twitty had a number 1 hit with "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me.” Earl returned to Nashville signing with Warner Brothers Music in 1977.
In 1979 he had his first top 40 hit “Dreaming’s all I do.” By late 1979, he decided to start recording and performing with his full name, Earl Thomas Conley. With only limited success at Warner Brothers, he left the label late 1979. He then took a brief hiatus finally deciding to again work with Nelson Larkin and his Sunbird Records.
Conley's first single for Sunbird, "Silent Treatment," was an immediate Top Ten hit late 1980. It was followed by the number one "Fire and Smoke" early 1981. Proving his potential, RCA signed Conley long-term with very lucrative returns. "Tell me why," his first single for the label, was number ten late 1981. Summer 1982 saw “Heavenly Bodies” kick off a seven year string of 21 straight Top Ten hits. He recorded a total of ten studio albums, including seven for the RCA Records label between 1980 and 2003.
During the 1980s and into the 1990s, Conley charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which eighteen reached Number One. Conley's eighteen Billboard Number One country singles during the 1980s marked the most Number One hits by ANY artist in ANY genre during that decade except for Alabama and Ronnie Milsap. Hits included “Holding her and loving you,” “Somewhere between right and wrong,” and “Right From the Start.” Earl’s 1984’s “Don't Make It Easy for Me” marked the first time ANY artist in ANY genre had four number one hits from the same album.
During the mid-80’s he suffered financial and vocal difficulties but the hits never slowed. By the end of the '80s, he no longer worked with Nelson Larkin, rather preferring to work with Randy Scruggs. This redirected Earl’s music back to his country and R&B roots. The 1990s saw the rise of contemporary country music. This led to a major decline in Conley’s record sales. He did manage two new Top Ten hits, "Shadow of a Doubt," and, the Keith Whitley duet, "Brotherly Love." The success of those two songs influenced his 1991 album, “Yours Truly.” Despite some of the best reviews of Conley's entire career, “Yours Truly” was a commercial failure. RCA dropped Earl shortly after its release. The 90s found him without a record label.
He continued to give concerts and tour. He eventually ended up on the Intersound label for 1998's “Perpetual Emotion.” At the time of his death, Fred Conley, the singer's brother, said Earl suffered from a condition ( cerebral atrophy ) similar to dementia and had been in hospice care for several months prior to his death.
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