Trini Lopez
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Biography
Born Trinidad López III on May 15, 1937 in Dallas Texas, Trini Lopez was a vocalist, musician, actor, and entertainer best known for his hits âIf I Had a Hammerâ, âLemon Treeâ, and others. While generally known by most pop music fans as a singer, his guitar playing has often been overlooked even though he designed two guitars for Gibson Guitars. Forming his first band â The Big Beats - at the age of 15, López connected with the late Buddy Hollyâs former producer Norman Petty. Petty helped the band gain a contract with Columbia Records but after one single, López left to pursue a solo career. He rehearsed with some of the original Crickets, but when that project didnât work out, he began building an audience thanks to his popular live appearances at PJâs Night Club in Los Angeles. Signing to Reprise Records, he released his debut album, Trini Lopez at PJâs, in 1963. The album featured âIf I Had a Hammerâ, the song he is most associated with. The single reached the Number 1 spot in 36 countries although it only hit Number 3 in the States. In 1964, he designed two guitars for the Gibson Guitar Corporation, both which are now highly collectible. Over the next five years, he released 13 charting singles, most notably âLemon Treeâ, âSally Was a Good Old Girlâ, and âIâm Cominâ Home, Cindyâ. While the hits dried up by the late â60s, López continued to tour and record. Hoping to reconnect with a new generation of listeners, he released Transformed by Time, an album aimed at the disco market. The album was not a success, but that didnât stop López, who continued to perform until his death on August 11, 2020 of COVID-19.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- If I Had a Hammer
- Hallejulah, I Love Her So
- Aylole-Aylola
- If You Wanna Be Happy
- You Can't Say Goodbye
- Walk Right In
- Bye Bye Love
- Hurtin' Inside
- I Won't Let You See Me Cry
- I'm Comin' Home, Cindy
- Sad Tomorrows
- What Have I Got Of My Own
- Sha-La-Boom-Boom-Yeah Heavy Makes You Happy
- Sinner Man
- Lemon Tree
- Are You Sincere
- This Land Is Your Land
- Once A Day
- Rock On
- Fly Me To The Moon
- Blowin' In The Wind
- We'll Sing In The Sunshine
- Scarlet Ribbons
- Crooked Little Man
