Earl was born January 1st of 1940 in Whitharral, Texas, Hockley County, to parents Earl W. Sinks and Vera Johnson.
His family was quite musical, and like most people of the depression era, found entertainment through gatherings with friends and family for food, music, and fellowship.
His dad played professionally as a guitarist and singer with the Light Crust Dough Boys, featuring Leon Huff, whom he taught to play guitar.
His mother's cousin was Sleepy Johnson, a member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys.
Earl's granddad held the honor of fiddling champion across Oklahoma and Texas, an honor being passed back and forth between him and Eck Robinson.
Earl's twin sisters, known as the Gold-dust Twins, sang on local radio shows with the family musicians; Earl and his dad on guitar, his grand-dad on fiddle, and Mom Sinks on mandolin. They later appeared on the television program, “Al Rogers' Barn Dance.”
It's no wonder Bob Wills took young Earl, at age twelve, under his direction, featuring him on local appearances in and around the Panhandle area during the Summer months, since by now Earl and his family were living in Amarillo where Bob was headquartered.
Earl as a young man
Earl on stage
I am the man - Earl Henry
Whatcha Gonna Do - Earl Henry
Earl would soon start a career of his own with Norman Petty, with his first song, "I Am The Man".
All this was combined with being having both friendships and working relationships with Joe B. Mauldin, J.I. Allison and the forever missed, one and only; Buddy Holly.
Playing with the guys in Holly's hey-day, Sinks was known mainly for his part as "The Crickets" lead singer after Buddy's death.
Earl was recognized for his vocals on songs such as "I Fought the Law", "Love’s Made a Fool of You", "Just This Once" and others from the LP "In Style with The Crickets", also later released as "Still in Style", and 'The Complete Crickets".
You can find Earl on other Holly compilation albums produced after Buddy's passing; and the dismemberment of the Crickets, which consisted of Earl, Joe B., J.I., Sonny Curtis, and Tommy Allsup.
Earl Henry
Lubbock 1958
Crickets 1959
Crickets EP
The man with a thousand names
Former pal of Buddy's and engineer, Bob Montgomery, and Earl, would move to Nashville not only as writing partners, but would share an apartment together in Madison. They recorded under the name, "The Holidays".
In 1960, Earl teamed up with friends Norro Wilson, and Bill Fernez, to form “The Omegas”, on Decca Records. Doing shows along -side Big Band and classic Tony Bennett. The Omegas were recording songs such as "Study Hall", with that rockabilly, but west-coast sound.
Earl's Service Pic
Earl and The Omegas
The Complete Crickets
Little Rita Faye
Earl was recorded on every label at one point or another from Dot, Coral, Decca, Warner Brothers, Capitol, UA, Brunswick, Hickory, Ace of hearts, etc.
Once in Nashville, Earl picked up a writing deal at Acuff Rose, where he and Bob would write songs for Sue Thompson, such as "Two of A Kind", also cut by Roy Orbison, The Browns, Floyd Kramer, and The Amigos.
They also wrote songs that were recorded by Brenda Lee, The Everly Brothers, and many others.
Earl could be found singing and playing on almost anything that came out on Hickory Records, as well as singing harmony on most every song by Mel Tillis, Mel Street, Del Reeves, Charlie Pride, Bob Gallion, Bob Luman, etc..
Earl kept busy doing TV shows, writing songs, and working the road. So, how Earl found time to court and marry a young and beautiful artist known in the music business as "Little Rita Faye" is a mystery.
Lovely Rita
A Rita Faye LP
The Wedding
The Wedding
Lovely Rita Faye
The young female artist, and country's little sweetheart, was already a busy artist starting out at the age of 4, on the stage of the Hayride.
By the age of 7 she found herself on the Grand Old Opry.
Rita was the child of Smiley and Kitty Wilson. These two were doing movies, and the Grand Old Opry, when Martha Carson brought Rita to the attention of Wesley Rose.
Little Rita Faye recorded her first record for M-G-M at age seven, a song that Martha wrote just for her, "Wait a Little Longer".
Now, with a family in the making, Earl would set his sights higher, so he might be able to spend more time in Nashville with his wife and kids. Earl then started producing records, and finding new artists to help make it in the music world.
He came up with artists such as Bill Emerson, the already-signed Bobby Lewis, a young swinging John Anderson. These recorded contributions added to the many other acts over the years which found some success on the label, "Ace of Hearts Records".
