Leon Ashley obit

Leon Walton Obituary

 

He was not on the list.

Country music legend Leon S. Walton, known professionally as Leon Ashley passed away Sunday morning at his home in Hendersonville, TN after an extended illness.

Leon Walton was born on May 18, 1936 in Mansfield, GA. He began his long career at age nine performing on a local radio show.

In 1967, Leon founded Ashley Records. In that same year, he released the #1 record "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" making him the first country music artist to write, publish, record, perform, and distribute a #1 recording on his own independent record label.

He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Margie Singleton Walton, sons Leon Walton Jr. of Covington, GA and Tommy Walton of Mansfield, GA, stepsons Stephen and Sidney Singleton of Nashville, TN, ten grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and long-time business partner and manager, Linda Denny.

The family will hold a private service and in lieu of flowers, requests that donations be made to MusiCares.

Leon Walton was born on May 18, 1936, in Covington, Georgia. He first performed at age nine on a local radio show, and released his first single in 1960 on Goldband Records. This single did not attract significant airplay, neither did later releases on Imperial Records and Dot Records. Ashley eventually married singer Margie Singleton.

In 1964, Ashley founded his own label, Ashley Records. The label's releases proved more successful than his releases on Goldband and Imperial, with one Ashley Records release — "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" — becoming his only number 1 country hit that year. This song made him the first country music artist "to write, record, release, distribute and publish his own material", according to Allmusic. An album, also entitled Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got), reached No. 10 on the Top Country Albums chart. He had several more hit singles soon afterward, including more duets with Singleton, as well as a duets album on the Ashley label. One single, "While Your Lover Sleeps", reached No. 1 on the Canadian country charts. His chart success waned by 1969, however, and he shifted his focus to songwriting for other artists. Brook Benton and Frankie Laine concurrently sent of "Laura" to the pop and A.C. charts in 1969, and Claude King sent a version to the lower regions of the country charts shortly after Ashley's version fell from the top of the charts. Marty Robbins also charted in 1973 with it, and Kenny Rogers sent a cover to No. 19 three years later.