FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nashville, TN (September 26, 2025) -- Country music veteran David Frizzell releases a heartfelt new album, “David Frizzell Presents Frizzell & Friends: A Tribute to Brother Lefty Frizzell,” today on StarVista Music. The project brings together an all-star cast of artists to celebrate the enduring legacy of Lefty Frizzell in a collection of both new recordings and classic favorites with each track highlighting Lefty’s profound influence on generations of singers and songwriters. Stream “David Frizzell Presents Frizzell & Friends: A Tribute to Brother Lefty Frizzell” HERE.
“I’m so excited about this album,” says David Frizzell. “It’s a tribute to my brother Lefty and a way for people to remember how great his songs are and what his impact on country music was and continues to be. I loved working with each and every friend on this album, and, of course, my brother Allen.”
Among the notable collaborations:
- “Always Late with Your Kisses” - a moving family reunion featuring a vintage recording of Lefty, joined by new vocals from brothers David and Allen Frizzell.
- “I Love You a Thousand Ways” - Shelly West comes out of retirement to reunite with her longtime duet partner David Frizzell for this heartfelt rendition.
- “Bandy the Rodeo Clown” - Allen Frizzell’s solo recording.
- “Saginaw Michigan” - featuring Bill Anderson with Moore & Moore.
Other guest appearances include Jimmy Fortune, Marty Haggard, Merle Haggard, Freddie Hart, Georgette Jones, Ronnie Reno Band, Gene Watson and more, making this project a true gathering of country music greats and a deeply personal family journey.
With a career spanning more than six decades, David Frizzell has long carried the torch of traditional country music. A Grammy-nominated singer, chart-topping artist, and award-winning songwriter, he rose to fame with hits like “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home” and his duets with Shelly West, including the Top 10 hits “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” “I Just Came Here to Dance,” “Another Honky-Tonk Night on Broadway” and “A Texas State of Mind.” His work honors the roots of classic country while continuing to resonate with fans of all generations.
Lefty Frizzell, one of country music’s most iconic voices and songwriters, helped define the genre with timeless hits such as “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” and “Long Black Veil.” Known for his distinctive vocal phrasing and influence on artists like Merle Haggard and George Jones, Lefty was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982.
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“David Frizzell Presents Frizzell & Friends: A Tribute to Brother Lefty Frizzell”
Track listing
- “Always Late” David, Allen and Lefty Frizzell
- “If You’ve Got the Money” Merle Haggard and David Frizzell
- “I Love You a Thousand Ways” Shelly West and David Frizzell
- “Lefty” Freddie Hart
- “I Want to be With You Always” David Frizzell
- “Long Black Veil” Gene Watson and David Frizzell
- “Yesterday Just Passed My Way” Ronnie Reno Band and David Frizzell
- “Bandy the Rodeo Clown” Allen Frizzell
- “Mom and Dad’s Waltz” David Frizzell
- “I Never Go Around Mirrors” David and Allen Frizzell
- “Lefty, Merle & Me” Marty Haggard and David Frizzell
- “Saginaw Michigan” Bill Anderson and David Frizzell (with Moore & Moore)
- “Lefty & Jones” Georgette Jones and David Frizzell
- “That’s The Way it Was in 51” David Frizzell (from the “Country Family Reunion” Merle Haggard tribute)
- “Goodbye” Jimmy Fortune and David Frizzell
IN HIS OWN WORDS
I have been singing Lefty songs since I was nine years old on a radio show in Kermit, Texas. I have been putting this tribute together for years, inspired by touring with my brother while in my teens and having the chance to meet so many great artists, some who are on this project with me.
Some of these are songs that took him into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame. Songs that got him a star on Hollywood Blvd. Songs that got him a life-size bronze statue in his birth town of Corsicana, Texas. Songs he wrote that brought many achievements like a Grammy for Merle Haggard.
“Always Late with Your Kisses” was recorded with my youngest brother Allen, myself and Lefty, so we have the three brothers on one song. Wow!
On the album, we are singing some of Lefty’s greatest hits that he topped the charts with like “If You’ve Got the Money” with Merle Haggard and The Strangers and special guest Norm Stevens, who played on Lefty’s original version.
Another guest is Shelly West on her favorite Lefty song, “I Love You a Thousand Ways.” Shelly came out of retirement to pay tribute to Lefty. Thank you, Shelly!
My brother Lefty introduced me to Freddie Hart when I was very young. My first major tour was with Freddie and Lefty, then when I signed my first recording contract with Columbia Records, Freddie wrote my first song released to radio. I included the song Freddie wrote for Lefty simply called “Lefty.” It is so special!
“I Want to Be With You Always” was from a live performance we did in Shreveport, Louisiana as a tribute to Hank and Lefty’s 1951 tour.
Then there’s the emotional “Long Black Veil” with the great Gene Watson. I was with my brother when he recorded it in Nashville and that song went into the Library of Congress in 2019.
Ronnie Reno (who played with Merle Haggard for many years) came in with his band and gave a special version of “Yesterday Just Passed My Way Again” (written by Whitey Shafer). We had a great time cutting it with their bluegrass feel.
A favorite song that Lefty and Whitey Shafer wrote for Moe Bandy that became a classic is “Bandy The Rodeo Clown.” I brought my brother Allen in to record it and we love it!
I sat with my brother Lefty all those years ago when he was writing the song “Mom & Dad’s Waltz” and that song has a special meaning for me in so many ways.
We did songs that Lefty wrote over the span of his career like “I Never Go Around Mirrors” (who he co-wrote with Whitey Shafer) and I sing it with my brother Allen Frizzell. It was a #1 hit for Keith Whitley, who had actually brought Allen in the studio to add some harmonies to his version.
I wrote a song called "Lefty, Merle and Me” and brought my friend Marty Haggard in to record it. He helped make that song and another song I wrote called “Lefty & Jones.” Georgette Jones came in and sang the verse about her father, George, and I did the verse about by brother.
The song “Saginaw Michigan” became a hit for Lefty in 1964 and was nominated for a Grammy. I brought one of the writers (one of country music’s greatest), my friend Bill Anderson (who co-wrote the song), to come and sing with me on the verse that he wrote. Then we brought the Moore & Moore sisters in to sing the harmonies to give it that classic feel.
The song that was written by Merle for Hank & Lefty is “That’s The Way It Was In 51.” Merle and I were doing shows out of Reno and Sparks, Nevada some years back and got together one afternoon out there. He said, ‘let me sing you a special song that I just finished writing,’ and this was it.
I also wrote a song called “Goodbye” about how I couldn’t be there with my brother when he passed in ‘75. It’s so emotional …I had to bring one of The Statler Bros. and now my brother Jimmy Fortune to sing the harmonies. It still brings a tear to my eyes.
- David Frizzell