Glaser passes away at his home in Nashville at the age of 79 after suffering from long illness.
- Aug 14, 2013
AceShowbiz - Tompall Glaser, born Thomas Paul Glaser, who was a prominent outlaw movement artist of the 1970s, has passed away. According to The Tennessean, the country singer died on Tuesday, August 13 at his home in Nashville. He battled a long illness prior to his death.
Glaser was born September 3, 1933 in Spalding, Nebraska. He and his brothers Chuck and Jim began performing in the 1950s on local radio and venues. The brothers later moved to Nashville after they received an offer from singing star Marty Robbins, who hired them to sing backup for him.
Besides performing with Robbins, Glaser and his brothers toured with Johnny Cash. Their voices can be heard in Cash's "Ring of Fire", Roy Orbison's "Leah" and Robbins' "El Paso". The trio began recording in 1959, but their 1966 song "Gone, On the Other Hand" was the first one to make it to the chart. It was on 24th position.
As a composer, Glaser scored a major hit in 1966 when Bobby Bare got popular with "Streets of Baltimore" which Glaser wrote with Harlan Howard. The song later was covered by numerous singers, including Charley Pride, The Statler Brothers, Gram Parsons and Nanci Griffith.
Besides singing, the Glaser brothers also embarked on publishing business in 1962. They later built a studio Glaser Sound Studios which was opened in 1970 with money from the business. They were dubbed top vocal group by the Country Music Association in the same year and placed No. 7 on chart with "Ring" in 1971. The group, however, disbanded in 1973.
Glaser went solo after the separation. He and Waylon Jennings later became business partners and co-produced Jennings' 1973 album "Honky Tonk Heroes". The two also appeared on "Wanted! The Outlaws". Glaser briefly rejoined his brothers in 1980 after having a publishing dispute with Jennings. He later recorded another solo album, sold the studio and retired from the entertainment industry.
