Narvel Felts

Singer/songwriter Narvel Felts was in the country music business for over 30 years. Born in Bernie, MO, he was a self-taught guitar player inspired by the country music of such performers as Ernest Tubb and Floyd Tillman. Felts started out in 1956 when he won his high school talent contest with a rousing rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes." A deejay from Dexter, Missouri, was in the audience, and was so impressed that the next day he announced over the air that his station, KDEX, wanted to get in touch with Narvel Felts. The excited teen and his father drove eight miles to the nearest phone, and soon Felts was appearing at the station for his own Saturday afternoon show. He got his real break when he asked Jerry Mercer if he could jam with the latter's band during a performance. Soon Felts was a member and when Mercer left in 1956, 17-year-old Felts became the new frontman for the Rockets. His first manager was a record shop owner who arranged for the group to audition for Sun Records in Nashville. Felts and one band member attended the first tryout in front of Jack Clement, who suggested they return home, write a few more songs and return with the whole band; they did, but these first sessions were not released until much later. The Rockets returned to performing, and while opening for the film Rock, Pretty Baby, at a theater in St. Louis, a regional promoter from Mercury heard them and eventually signed them to his label.They cut five singles with Mercury but were released in 1959. Felts continued recording some of the band's songs on independent labels and in 1960 had minor chart success with a cover of the Drifters' "Honey Love." This success led him to sign with MGM; he remained with them for two years and released nothing. Through the '60s, Felts continued performing...