A singer whose vocal style fused country with blue-eyed soul, Alabama-born Rasie Michael "Razzy" Bailey cut his first recordings in 1949 at the age of ten. By 15, he led a string band, sponsored by the local chapter of the Future Farmers of America, who came in second in a talent contest held at Auburn University.
Bailey married and had children immediately after graduating high school; as a result, his career as a performer was sporadic and unsuccessful for a number of years. In 1966, he contributed several songs to Atlantic Records' Bill Lowery, among them "9,999,999 Tears,...