Billy Brown sang rockabilly and honky tonk with equal skill and abandon, yet he never got anywhere on the charts in the '50s. A forceful, charismatic singer, he signed to Columbia in 1950 and throughout the decade the label gave him numerous shots, culminating in 1958's "He'll Have to Go," a ballad that became a standard when Jim Reeves quickly covered the tune after hearing Brown's version. This incensed the quick-tempered Brown, leading to a split from his label; the singer spent years in the wilderness, where he found and lost religion in the blink of an eye. His work remained largely forgotten until Bear Family released the compilation Did We Have a Party in 2012. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine