User:Talmon Murphy

My Dad Talmon Murphy Sr. always was a very talented poet and songwriter. He released a country record around 1968 that had two songs on it; "Sleep Well Tonight" and "Cornwall Furnace". They played them some on some of the radio stations around Gadsden AL and I remember how proud of a 4 year old I was to hear it play in the car! Daddy was always writing songs and sending them off to record companies in the hopes that they would use one one day, but the standard rejection letters was usually what he go back. One song however, that he wrote in the early 60's got the attention of several companies. Daddy held out for more money but then they showed little interest afterward. It wouldn't take long to find out why. One day my mom and dad were riding down the road with his friend Bill Black and his wife when a song came on the radio. After it played a bit Bill exclaimed "Murph, they're playing your song!" Sure enough, one of those record execs had gotten tired of dealing with an Alabama hick and had handed his song off to 2 songwriters Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield with Motown and the rest is history. And that's how my dad was robbed of the song he wrote "Heard It Though The Grapevine".

Tonight I ran across an email my dad sent me in which he lamented his misfortune. You can either believe it or not, but Dad was a man of integrity and when he said it happened, well it happened.

October 12th 2011

Junior, Over the years many folks scoff when I tell them I wrote heard it through the grapevine. I am not by far, the best poet, but I don't think anyone can read my poetry and say I could not have written the song. Music city songcrafters wrote me for many years with different prices to put music to the lyrics, started around 150, I think the last offer was something like 50 bucks for the music and a demo record. I guess I should have taken their offer, yah think. Those days 50 was nearly a weeks wages, minimum wage wise. If I brought that much home your mother would have thought I robbed a liquor store. Oh the joys of spilt milk. Love Dad.

https://www.facebook.com/talmonjr/posts/10201234757650013


 * 1) hearditthroughthegrapewine