Morrisville honors hometown country music great with honor for all to see

County music great Waylon Jennings called him his favorite singer.

The city of Morrisville honored its favorite singer Wynn Stewart Saturday with the unveiling of a new sign on Highway 215 noting his birthplace. Stewart’s daughter and grandson visited the southern Polk County community from Texas to say thanks.

“It’s great to come up here and see where he’s from, this part of the country,” says Stewart’s daughter Wren Tidwell. “The people all these years later want to remember him, honor him.”

Morrisville businessman Jack Replogle and his wife Janet wanted to do something to honor the country music pioneer. They worked with the city to make the welcoming sign a reality. The sign for this community also tells a history lesson.

“I think it’s important to honor our parents and their history,” said Tidwell. “I’m really grateful for this town and the people who came up with the idea for this sign. Anybody who drives through here will see it and ask who is that and look him up on his website.”

Mayor Dan Melilla said the time had come to honor the man, who has helped put Morrisville on the map.

“He has a long history,” says Mayor Melilla "Hopefully people will look him up and learn a little history about his life.”

Stewart grew up in Morrisville wanting to be the next superstar Major League Baseball player in the 1940’s. Instead, a hand disease led him to pursue another passion, singing. He worked one year with KWTO-Radio in Springfield before leaving to follow his next dream. His music took him to California, playing clubs to get that big break. There he developed a sound in country music that would be known as the ‘Bakersfield Sound.’ That music later would be an inspiration to country music great Buck Owens. An independent record label liked Stewart’s sound and signed him to a deal. He released “Strolling” and “I’ve Waited a Lifetime." Both, however, failed to chart. Stewart’s singing then caught the attention of his idol Skeets McDonald. He signed soon after with Capitol Records. Stewart had success with one of his biggest hits “Wishful Thinking.”

After some success on the charts, Stewart moved to Las Vegas. That would be a move that would change his career. He opened a nightclub called Nashville Nevada and hosted a television show. Stewart hired a young Merle Haggard for his house band at that club. Stewart later wrote Haggard’s first hit “Sing a Sad Song.”

Stewart’s career then took off in the 1960’s. “It’s Such a Pretty World” became the biggest hit of his career in 1967. It spent 22 weeks on the charts, including two weeks in the No. 1 spot. The Academy of Country Music named it the top song of the year in 1968. He cut more hits in the 1970s, including “After the Storm” and “Eyes as Big as Dallas.” That last hit was his first on his own record label WIN.

Stewart launched a comeback in the 1980s with a new tour and a new album. But that album was never released. He died suddenly in 1985 of a heart attack at the age of 51.

His music still lives on in commercials. Volkswagen used his hit “Another Day, Another Dollar” in 2010 to advertise its new Jetta. That introduced a new generation to Stewart's unique sound. Stewart’s daughter says his legacy lives on through the many artists he inspired too.

“I love to sing a song that Patsy Cline sings of his, ‘You Took Him Off My Hands,” said Tidwell. “That’s always a great story to tell people who aren’t familiar with his name. When you can mention names like Merle Haggard and Patsy Cline, then their eyes light up. He has a connection to that.”

Morrisville Fire Protection District Chief Dustin Kessler hopes this sign will lead to a greater appreciation for Stewart too.

“To be able to honor Wynn Stewart is a good way to look at the history and impact a small town such as Morrisville has made across the United States and the rest of the World,” said Kessler. "Without Wynn’s dedication to country music, it is a good possible Buck Owens and Merle Haggard would to have been as successful. I am just so proud and honored to have Wynn as part of our community.”

Stewart is buried at a cemetery between Morrisville and Willard.