The sixties found Dallas in Nashville, where he continued his string of hits, including Charlie Rich’s “Mohair Sam,” O.C. Smith’s “Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp,” and Jack Greene’s 1967 Country Single (and Song) of the Year, “There Goes My Everything.”

In the mid-sixties, Dallas teamed up with A.L. (Doodle) Owens and the hits continued. Brenda Lee’s recording of “Johnny One Time” hit the charts, and in 1969, a Dallas and Doodle song, “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)” was a huge success for Charlie Pride, accomplishing a feat that had not been achieved in twenty-five years—Pride became only the third African-American to have a Number One hit on the Billboard country chart. The previous one had been Nat King Cole in the early forties. The creative relationship between Doodle and Dallas spawned over 100 country chart singles during their reign together.

In the late sixties, the boundaries between country and rock began to blur as more of the traditional rock bands began to be influenced by Music City and the Nashville Sound. Bands like The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco had already been incorporating country elements in their albums and stage shows for several years, and in early 1970, when Poco released its second album, it included Dallas’s “The Honky Tonk Downstairs.” It was the only song not written by the band, and its tears-in-my-beers flavor wasn’t just sticking its toe into the Nashville Sound, it was doing a high-dive cannonball into it.

But, an even bigger success was waiting in the wings for Dallas and his music. In 1978, songwriter Rodney Crowell released his first solo album, “Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This,” and side one kicked off with “Elvira,” a song that Dallas had written in 1966. In fact, that year, Dallas’s original version of “Elvira” (from the LP of the same name) actually charted at #72 in the Hot 100 in the U.S. on the rock charts. Many (who had not seen Dallas’s picture on the album cover) felt it was a R&B record by a black artist. The song even reached #27 in Canada.

Crowell’s version picked up some modest airplay, but when the cover was heard and covered by The Oak Ridge Boys, it quickly climbed the Country charts to number one and went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart, its 2 million sales earning it platinum status. The irony is that by then, Dallas had semi-retired from the music industry and was serving as a minister. From 1999 to mid-2006 he was the pastor of Grace Community Fellowship, a non-denominational church near White House, Tennessee.

Now, he’s come full circle; he feels that God has more plans for his music, so, he’s been back in the studio, writing and recording, just like the old days. The 12-song CD that has come out of the sessions is aptly titled “Dallas Frazier—Writing and Singing Again,” and it picks up where he left off, all those years ago. Dallas has also created an animated project centered around a band of talented frogs called “The Croak Masters.” Fronted by Ralphie Bugsnackerson (pictured above with Dallas), the Croak Masters are determined to make a splash with Dallas’s music (click here to check them out on YouTube). Or, as Ralphie might say, “Who needs the blues when you gots the greens?”

Whether it’s through his music or his ministry, from honkytonks to Heaven, Dallas Frazier is one Oklahoma boy who has stayed true to his roots and to his faith. What’s more, all of us are richer for it.

For more information about Dallas and his music, you can visit his website at www.DallasFrazierMusic.com.