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Sleepy LaBeef (born July 20, 1935, in Smackover, Arkansas, USA - died December 26, 2019) was an American rockabilly musician known for his towering height of 6' 7" (2.0 metres) and his nickname "Sleepy," derived from the appearance of his eyes. Raised on a melon farm, he moved to Houston at the age of 18, where he sang gospel music on local radio and formed a bar band that performed at various venues and radio programs, including the Houston Jamboree and Louisiana Hayride. In the 1950s, as rockabilly emerged as a key component of rock-n-roll, LaBeef began recording singles in the genre, with his first, "I'm Through," released on Starday Records in 1957. He relocated to Nashville in 1964, shifting to a more country-oriented style and recording singles for Columbia Records. His first significant hit came in 1968 with "Every Day," which reached #73 on the U.S. Billboard Country charts. After signing with Plantation Records in 1969, he achieved another hit in 1971 with "Blackland Farmer," which peaked at #67. During this period, LaBeef also appeared in the horror film The Exotic Ones. In the 1970s, he moved to Sun Records, continuing to release albums and tour extensively; while his popularity waned in America, it grew
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