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Logline

He was the most infamous troublemaker, heartbreaker and hitmaker of his generation. Known as one of the greatest singers and songwriters in country music history and as the “Original Elvis” for his flashy style and obsessive fandom. From his meteoric climb to the top of the charts, to his spectacular fall to rock bottom, discover the truly extraordinary story of Lefty Frizzell.

Synopsis

They called him the Texas Tornado. A singer so unique he changed the landscape of country music forever. Long before the girls screamed for Elvis, they screamed Lefty.

Born on an oil field in Corsicana Texas on the edge of the great depression, Lefty’s unique style of singing, sheer grit, Hollywood good looks and obsessive fans propelled him out of poverty to the Grand Ole Opry stage, and into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lefty’s enormous talent broke attendance records and landed him an unprecedented four top ten hits at the same time—it took the Beatles to kick him off that throne. A hard-living honky-tonker often sidelined by bad business deals and his own demons, Lefty persevered and managed to change the world of country music. This is a chronicle of his life as seen through his music, family and peers.

Willie Nelson says Lefty taught him how to sing, George Jones called Lefty the original Elvis, and Lefty was the hero who gave Merle Haggard his shot. In Lefty we will explore these pivotal moments in country music and how this Texas Tornado influenced so many greats. From obscurity to the top of the charts and the sacrifices made to achieve this feat, Lefty is the rise and fall of an artist who deserves to be recognized. Get ready for an electrifying ride that will have you cheering and rooting for Lefty’s success while scratching your head by his relative obscurity. Join greats like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Bruce Springsteen, Randy Travis, Wynonna Judd, Tanya Tucker, Billy Gibbons, Dierks Bentley, Bernie Taupin, Orville Peck, and more singing Lefty’s praises.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

M. Douglas Silverstein — Director/Producer
M. Douglas Silverstein is an EMMY award winning director and five time nominated producer. He and his projects have won fifteen Telly awards and thirty film festival awards. His endless passion for storytelling, and emerging technologies guides the highest level of commitment to excellence in all creative endeavors.

He is a director, producer and editor of unscripted and scripted content for TV, film, web and mobile including documentaries, live concerts, promos, commercials, behind the scenes, live broadcast event specials, and product promos featuring iconic recording artists, esteemed organizations, leading brands and Fortune 100 companies.

This includes live concerts from Green Day, The Country Music Hall of Fame and The United Nations. His documentary and commercial work features projects with Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Willie Nelson, Foo Fighters, Rihanna, Elton John, Duran Duran, Justin Timberlake, Google, Best Buy, Verizon, LG, AT&T, Best Buy and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Kat Corbett — Producer
Kat Corbett is radio veteran from KROQ and XFM UK where she helped bring new talent like Billie Eilish and Silversun Pickups to the masses. Kat has conducted thousands of interviews with major talent, and as a copyrighter, editor and voiceover artist Kat crafted commercials for Mercedes Benz, FIFA and the film podcast INCREMENT VICE. Currently she broadcasts from SiriusXM, Los Angeles.

As a writer Kat holds finalist positions at the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship, PAGE International, Final Draft and two Second Rounder spots at the AFF.

In 2019 Kat was named one of LA Weekly’s “People of the Year.”

Matthew Mindlin — Director of Photography
Matt is an accomplished cinematographer of commercials, TV shows, feature films and documentaries. Projects include working with Robert Downey Jr. for HTC, Concerts for the United Nations and Green Day, documentaries on Charles Bukowski, and Madonna, plus behind the scenes videos with Cher, Fleetwood Mac and Spinal Tap.

Mike Suby — Composer
Mike Suby is a composer for television and film, known for creating bold, rich scores that embody complex and evolving emotions and story lines. Suby is accomplished in a multitude of genres and has composed for more than 300 television episodes, and films.

Mike has cemented his reputation in projects that elicit deep character development, reflected in his work on shows such as the ABC Family transgender docu-series, Becoming Us.

Mike’s work for Pretty Little Liars, Project Runway, Vampire Diaries, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Make It or Break It have earned him four BMI and two ASCAP awards.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.