This week on the All Memphis Music Specialty show we feature the latest CD release from the legendary singer, songwriter and producer, Dan Penn. The show airs this Friday night October 10th at 10:00 PM (CST MEMPHIS TIME) and repeats on Saturday morning October 11th at 10:00 AM (CST MEMPHIS TIME) . The CD, "Junkyard Junky" will be played in it's entirety. Dan Penn helped shape the development of southern soul music with his legendary songwriting, musicianship and production. A native of Vernon, Alabama, Penn moved to the Florence/Muscle Shoals area while still a teenager and assumed the role of lead vocalist in a local group calling itself the Mark V Combo. It was around this time that he penned his first chart record, Conway Twitty's "Is a Bluebird Blue". Penn's early co-writing collaborations with Spooner Oldham while at Fame included "I'm Your Puppet," which became a hit in 1965 for James & Bobby Purify, and "Out of Left Field," and "It Tears Me Up" performed so memorably by Percy Sledge.
He also co-wrote hits for Joe Simon, Jimmy Hughes and Wilson Pickett."Knowing that the black singers wanted my songs inspired me."
A number of their classics were written for particular singers. "'Sweet Inspiration' was written for the group the Sweet Inspirations,"Cry Like a Baby" was written for Alex Chilton, (Box Tops lead singer). Out of Left Field' was written for Percy Sledge," says Penn.
In 1966, Penn relocated to Memphis and began producing at Chips Moman's American Recording Studio. While at American, Penn and Moman co-wrote "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," which Franklin turned into a soul classic, along with "Dark End of the Street," stunningly recorded by James Carr, while Dan and Spooner came up with "Cry Like a Baby" for the Box Tops and later "A Woman Left Lonely," written at Dan's Beautiful Sounds Studio in Memphis, and chosen by Janis Joplin for her classic album Pearl.
Penn and wife Linda relocated to Nashville in the '70s
Penn and wife Linda relocated to Nashville in the '70s
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