Aubrey Wilson "Moon" Mullican

Born in the small town of Corrigan in 1909, Aubry Wilson Mullican became famous as a country and western singer and songwriter. His father was a farmer, and African-American farm workers and sharecroppers greatly influenced his music. He began his career at age 16, playing piano in bars and brothels in the Houston area. His habit of performing all night and sleeping during the day earned him the nickname “Moon.” He developed a distinctive “two-finger right-handed” piano style that became his trademark, and he shouted his words because he believed it was more important to be heard than to be precise. By the 1940s, his reputation had grown, and he played with various bands and recorded numerous albums, including his biggest hits, “Goodnight Irene,” “Mona Lisa,” and “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone.” He was one of the first solo singer-pianists to play at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Vietnam, shared the stage with Hank Williams, Ernie Ford, and Red Foley, and accompanied other singers and musicians on more than 200 recordings as well as recording his own music. Before dying at age 58, he became known as the “King of the Hillbilly Piano Players,” and after his death the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted Moon Mullican in 1974.

Beaumont, Texas · United States