Name Paul Westmoreland Role Songwriter | Died June 21, 2005 | |
Similar People Luke McDaniel, Tillman Franks, Merrill Moore, Curtis Gordon, T Texas Tyler | ||
Paul Westmoreland Howl and Prowl
Paul "Okie Paul" Westmoreland (September 19, 1916 – June 21, 2005) was a musician, songwriter, and disc jockey in Sacramento, California.
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Born in Oklahoma, he moved to California during the Okie migration.
As a songwriter he is best known for "Detour (There's A Muddy Road Ahead)", written in 1945, which became a big hit for Spade Cooley and was afterwards covered by Patti Page and many others. Other songs by Westmoreland include, "Lordy, Oh Lord" (1952), "Save The Pieces" (1953), and "What's Another Broken Heart To You?" (1953, with Joe Hobson).
He also recorded for Decca Records and toured with his own band in 1954. Included in his band was bass player Raymond "Cousin Ray" Woolfenden. Woolfenden was elected to the Country Radio DJ Hall of Fame in 1999.
Westmoreland died in California.