T. Texas Tyler
T. Texas Tyler, born David Luke Myrick on June 20, 1916, near Mena, Arkansas, was an American country singer and songwriter best known for his 1948 hit “The Deck of Cards.” The spoken‑word song tells the story of a World War II soldier who uses a deck of playing cards as a Bible, almanac, and prayer book. Tyler died on January 28, 1972, in Springfield, Missouri, at age 55.
He began his recording career with The Six Westernaires for Black & White Records, and later sang for 4 Star Records in Hollywood from 1945 into the late 1950s. He helped create energetic country boogie works, including the instrumental “Guitar Boogie Woogie” with The Oklahoma Melody Boys. Tyler also followed up with other spoken‑word pieces, such as “Dad Gave My Dog Away.”
Tyler was a popular live performer, appearing at Carnegie Hall and as a regular on the Grand Ole Opry and Louisiana Hayride. He even hosted his own television show in Los Angeles in 1950. Some of his 4 Star recordings were leased to Decca Records between 1952 and 1955.
His career slowed in the late 1950s due to personal problems, but he enjoyed a revival in the 1960s with albums for Capitol Records (including a hymns album) and Starday Records in 1966. After his first wife Claudia died in 1968, he married Dorie Falk Buhr and settled in Springfield, Missouri, where he preached at a local church and performed from time to time. He died of stomach cancer in Springfield on January 28, 1972.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:55 (CET).