Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist and influential session musician, renowned for his distinctive “slip note” style that shaped country and pop music.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cramer grew up in Huttig, Arkansas, mastering piano by ear. He began his career in Louisiana Hayride, backing artists like Elvis Presley, before moving to Nashville in 1955. As a key member of the Nashville A-Team, he played on hits by Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers, contributing to the “Nashville Sound.”
Cramer’s solo career took off with his 1960 hit “Last Date,” a Billboard Top 10 single showcasing his signature sound. He released over 50 albums, blending country, pop, and easy listening, with hits like “On the Rebound” (1961) and “San Antonio Rose” (1961).
A Grammy nominee, he performed at venues like Carnegie Hall and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003. Cramer continued recording into the 1990s, collaborating with Chet Atkins and others. Diagnosed with lung cancer, he died in Nashville at 64, leaving a lasting legacy in American music.
55 recordings by Floyd Cramer you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
(They Long To Be) Close To You • Always On My Mind • Always • Annie’s Song • Arkansas Traveller • Beautiful Dreamer • Can’t Help Falling In Love • Chattanooga Choo Choo • Crazy • Crying In The Chapel • Danny Boy • Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue • Everything Is Beautiful • Flip Flop And Bob • For The Good Times • Forever • Gentle On My Mind • Georgia On My Mind • Have I Told You Lately • Hey Good Lookin’ • I Can’t Stop Loving You • I Only Have Eyes For You • I Will Always Love You • Last Date • Louisiana Man • Make The World Go Away • Memory • Morning Has Broken • Music Box Dancer • My Cup Runneth Over • Oh Lonesome Me • Only The Lonely • Only You • Rambling Rose • Remember Me • San Antonio Rose • Send Me The Pillow You Dream On • Softly, As I Leave You • Spanish Eyes • Sunrise Serenade • The Last Waltz • The Most Beautiful Girl • The Twelfth Of Never • Tonight’s The Night For Love • Unchained Melody • Vaya Con Dios • Walkin’ The Floor Over You • We’ve Only Just Begun • Where Is Your Heart (Song from ”Moulin Rouge”) • Wind Beneath My Wings • Yesterday • You Are So Beautiful • You Belong To Me • You Don’t Know Me • You Needed Me •
