Cowboy Copas
Written by George Morgan

Lloyd Estel Copas or "Oklahoma Cowboy" was described as "The Waltz King of The Grand Ole Opry," where he was a regular performer from 1946 until his death. His first record was "Filipino Baby," which was released in 1944. In 1948, he became the first to record and popularize "Tennessee Waltz," later the state song of Tennessee. He also wrote and recorded numerous country ballads and Honky Tonk songs from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. He died in a plane crash on March 5, 1963 near Camden, Tennessee.

Copas surged to the top of the charts again in 1960 with the biggest hit of his career, "Alabam," which remained number-one for three months.