Therman "Sonny" Fisher (November 13, 1931 in Chandler, Texas – October 8, 2005 in Houston, Texas) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Fisher married in 1951, and that same year he formed his first band with Paul Vaughan (fiddle), Joey Long (electric guitar), Red Leonie (steel guitar), Leonard Curry (bass), and Darrell Newsome (drums). Together, they initially began playing rhythm and blues songs, primarily influenced by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins. However, after attending an Elvis Presley performance at the Texas Corral, they switched to rockabilly. After Vaughan and Leonie left the band, the group called themselves The Rocking Boys.
Fisher and his band then landed a recording contract with Starday Records in 1955. Their first single, "Rockin' Daddy," sold well south of the Mason-Dixon Line. However, the song was covered in 1956 by Eddie Bond, who brought it to far greater fame and is far more closely associated with the song. Fisher's drummer, Darrell Newsome, was hired by Elvis Presley and later played for Columbia Records. Fisher remained with Starday, but without success. After the Rocking Boys fell out, he returned first to rhythm and blues, then to country music. With his drummer, Fisher briefly founded his own record label, Columbus Records, which didn't last long. He performed in Houston's bars and clubs until 1965, after which he founded his own flooring company.
In 1979, Fisher experienced a rediscovery due to the rockabilly revival. Ted Carroll, an employee of the rockabilly label Ace Records, had visited Fisher in Texas and recruited him for performances and recordings. He toured England for the first time and recorded again. In 1993, he played with Sleepy LaBeef at the Rockabilly Fiesta in Spain. After his surprise comeback in Europe, Fisher ultimately retired and lived in his home state of Texas until his death. He died in Houston in 2005 at the age of 74.
