Floyd Cramer

In the 1960s, pianist Floyd Cramer was best known as one of the architects of ‘The Nashville Sound,’ creating a unique style that continued to influence musicians for decades. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana on October 27, 1933, Floyd Cramer began his career as a ragtime pianist, appearing on the Louisiana Hayride and making a series of recordings with the Louisiana Hayride Band. In 1955, he was hired by Elvis Presley to play in his band but left when Elvis wanted to relocate to California. Floyd Cramer then became an in-demand session musician, adding his distinct piano sound to records by Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, the Everly Brothers and many others. His piano playing became so popular that he began to achieve success as a solo artist. Although he had been releasing singles in the 1950s, it was his 1960 single “Last Dance” that turned him into a popular solo act. The single was kept off the top spot by Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” which featured Floyd Cramer on piano! Two more Top 10 singles followed in 1961 – “On the Rebound” (number 4) and “San Antonio Rose” (number 8) – but his success in the singles charts as a solo artist didn’t last long. However, he did manage to land a series of singles in the Top 100 up through 1963. Floyd Cramer continued to be a popular session musician and released many albums that were embraced by both country and easy listening audiences. Floyd Cramer died of lung cancer on December 31, 1997. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Five years later, he was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame.