Glaser Brothers’ Chuck Glaser Dead at 83
The last living member of the Glaser Brothers, Chuck Glaser, died on Monday (June 10) at the age of 83.
Music Row first reported Glaser's death. His cause of death was not made public.
Charles Vernon Glaser was born in Spalding, Neb., in 1936. He was the middle brother of Tompall Glaser and Jim Glaser. They began performing as a trio during their teenage years, and Marty Robbins signed them to a recording contract with his label, Robbins Records, in 1957, after the brothers won Arthur Godfrey's talent show. They also joined his road show. Chuck Glaser got his first public credit as a songwriter when the Glaser Brothers released one of his songs, "Five Penny Nickel," as their debut single the next year.
The Glaser Brothers moved to Decca Records in 1959, and that same year, Chuck Glaser was drafted into the Army, where he served until 1961. A childhood friend named Joe Babcock took his place in the trio until his return.
The Glaser Brothers moved to MGM Records in 1967, where they began a run of hits that included “Gone, on the Other Hand,” “California Girl (and the Tennessee Square)” and “The Moods of Mary.” They also served as background singers for artists including Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline in the '60s, while Chuck Glaser landed cuts as a songwriter from Hank Snow, Cash and more. The trio won a number of awards during their peak years, including CMA Vocal Group of the Year in 1970.
The Glaser Brothers disbanded in 1973, then reunited in 1979 before disbanding again in 1983. The brothers continued to own and operate Glaser Sound Studios in Nashville together, and Chuck also ran the Nova Agency, a talent and booking service whose clients included Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jerry Reed and many more.
The brothers performed on the Grand Ole Opry one final time in 1990, at Hank Snow's 40th Opry anniversary. Chuck Glaser went on to release a solo album titled That's When I Love You the Most in 2016.
Chuck Glaser was preceded in death by both of his brothers. Tompall Glaser died in 2013 at the age of 79, and Jim Glaser died of a heart attack in April of 2019 at the age of 81.
No funeral arrangements have been announced for Chuck Glaser.
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