Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Pianist Floyd Cramer was born in Campti, Louisiana, near Shreveport. Cramer—who spent most of his childhood in Huttig (Union County)—was one of the creators of what became known as the Nashville Sound, a forerunner of the slick, upscale pop/rock that emerged in Nashville, Tennessee, in the 1990s. Cramer released fifty solo albums, had a classic hit in the song “Last Date” in 1960, and accompanied Elvis Presley on such rock and roll hits as “Heartbreak Hotel.” He was a longtime friend of Chet Atkins and performed with other music luminaries, including Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, the Everly Brothers, Perry Como, and Roy Orbison. In the 1980s, he recorded a hit version of the theme from the Dallas TV series. Cramer died in 1997.