In 1976, NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers earned their second consecutive Super Bowl trophy. Yet while his football career would eventually ensure him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bradshaw was also moonlighting in another profession, that of country singer. Just two weeks after a fourth-quarter rally gave the Steelers a 21-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Bradshaw debuted on the charts with what would become his best-selling single and the title cut of his debut LP, a crooning rendition of the Hank Williams classic Im So Lonesome I Could Cry.
Signed to Nashvilles Mercury Records after auditioning for a label executive over the phone by singing another Williams classic, Your Cheatin Heart Bradshaws NFL off-season included appearances at nightclubs and festivals catering to the country crowd. But his passion for music was hardly new. Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Bradshaw sang sacred music in the choir at Shreveports Calvary Baptist Church, and heard country music on the hugely popular Louisiana Hayride, emanating from local radio station KWKH. His high-profile day job and a smooth vocal style reminiscent of Glen Campbell led Im So Lonesome I Could Cry to Number 17 on the charts. As the single began climbing, he made the TV rounds, including an appearance on the syndicated music series Pop! Goes the Country.
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In addition to the Williams tunes, Bradshaws album featured his takes on four Roger Miller songs, including The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me. Released as the follow-up to his hit, the single stiffed, landing at Number 90 before falling off the chart. Bradshaw would soon lose that record deal but in 1980 returned to the chart with one last minor hit.
Other aspects of Bradshaws foray into country music proved problematic as when he performed in Dallas not long after the Steelers beat the Cowboys in Super Bowl X. Making his stage entrance, Bradshaw doffed a cowboy hat and waved a white flag, eliciting laughter from the crowd. But in 1979, following another Dallas defeat at the hands of the Steelers in Super Bowl XIII, Bradshaw was invited by country star Larry Gatlin to sing at his concert in Shreveport. This time, the Super Bowl MVPs hometown crowd, which included a large number of Cowboys fans turned hostile, booing Bradshaw before he even sang a note. I was stunned, Bradshaw told UPI after the incident. I realize this is a Dallas Cowboys town, but gosh, its only football.
Proving he doesnt take himself quite so seriously, earlier this year Bradshaw put on a Deer costume to perform Florida Georgia Lines Get Your Shine On on the bizarre Fox music competition series The Masked Singer. But for the past several years he has also performed frequently with gospel artists the Isaacs. Nominated for a Grammy as executive producer of the eclectic family acts 2016 LP Natures Symphony in 432, Bradshaw also sang on the record. On Tuesday nights edition of the Grand Ole Opry (during which Luke Combs was asked to join the Opry), he appeared with the Isaacs to perform both Im So Lonesome I Could Cry and a cover of the Eagles Peaceful Easy Feeling, which Bradshaw and the Isaacs performed together acoustically in 2016.