Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 22, 2026

Dwight Pullen

Dwight "Whitey" Pullen was an American country, western, and rockabilly bandleader known for his 1958 single "Sunglasses After Dark," and subsequently as the road manager of Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps.

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Dwight Pullen
Also known asWhitey Pullen
Born(1931-03-05)March 5, 1931
Blountsville, Alabama, US
DiedNovember 1961 (aged 30)
Long Beach, California, US
GenresRockabilly, country, western swing
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1950 – 1961
LabelsDelta, Carlton, Sage & Sand

Dwight "Whitey" Pullen (March 5, 1931 – November 1961) was an American country, western, and rockabilly bandleader known for his 1958 single "Sunglasses After Dark," and subsequently as the road manager of Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps.1

Early life and career

Dwight Arness Pullen was born on March 5, 1931 in Blountsville, Alabama.1 Living in Pittsburg, California, in 1950, Pullen's western swing ensemble The Hillbilly Swingsters performed regularly at the Rendezvous Bend dance hall in Contra Costa County, California, receiving airplay on the local radio station KECC.2

Alaska

Drafted into the military and stationed near Anchorage, Alaska. In Palmer, Alaska, he met his future wife, Margaret; they married in 1952 and operated The Red Barn dance hall in Anchorage3, which became sufficiently known that Pullen's presence in Nashville country music scene was noted in 1956 when he attended the Grand Ole Opry and was convinced by Ray Price to invited guests onto his show.4 which identified him as an Alaskan KENI television host visiting Nashville.5 His nickname, "Whitey," became a stage name and the recording alias under which he released a single through Delta Records in 1956. He hosted The Whitey Pullen Show, a weekly Saturday evening country music and variety program on KTVA Channel 11,6 documented repeatedly in local television listings.7 In September 1958, Pullen accompanied Little Jimmy Dickens of the Grand Ole Opry for a personal appearance at the Shamrock Lounge in Palmer, billed alongside Dickens in local advertising.8

Rockabilly recordings

Pullen recorded his single "Sunglasses After Dark" b/w "Teen Age Bug" in 1957, which was released on Carlton Records in early 1958, and reviewed in Billboard on March 3, 1958, noted for a "listenable" sound "that could click with the kids" and potential to "start something."9 On March 20, 1958, Pullen appeared as a guest performer on the ABC television program American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark, performing "Don't Make Me Cry (I Love You)", as documented in television listings in The Atlanta Constitution.10 Pullen served as road manager for Gene Vincent's during Vincent's 1959 Japan tour. Blue Caps guitarist, Jerry Merritt, credited Pullen with co-writing the Gene Vincent recording "She She Little Sheila.11 In 1960, he was associated with Sage and Sand Records, with recordings issued by Sage & Sand Music Publishers of Hollywood, California.121314

Death and legacy

Pullen died of prostate cancer in Long Beach, California in November 1961, aged 30.151

"Sunglasses After Dark" was remade by The Cramps in 1978.1617

References

References

  1. "Obituary1". The Southern Democrat. Oneonta, Alabama. November 30, 1961. p. 1.
  2. "Rendezvous Bend To Open Saturday". Martinez News-Gazette. Martinez, California. September 29, 1950. p. 11.
  3. "Notebook of Palmer Happenings, Sep. 1958". The Frontiersman. Palmer, Alaska. September 18, 1958. p. 5.
  4. Sachs, Bill (February 25, 1956). "The Billboard: Folk Talent & Tunes" (PDF). The Billboard (Sixty-Second Year): 60. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  5. Green, Ben A. (December 10, 1956). "Country Music for Everybody". Nashville Banner. Nashville, Tennessee. p. 16.
  6. Parnes, Sid, ed. (November 22, 1958). "WSM's 7th Annual National Country Music DJ Festival" (PDF). The Cash Box. 20 (10). Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. (Joe Orleck, President and Publisher): 60. Retrieved May 14, 2026. Whitey Pullen, who is heard over the KENI-KENI-TV airwaves in Anchorage, Alaska
  7. "Television Programs for the Week". The Frontiersman. Palmer, Alaska. July 26, 1958. p. 7.
  8. "Radio-TV Star Here Sunday". The Frontiersman. Palmer, Alaska. September 11, 1958. p. 1.
  9. "Reviews: Dwight Pullen" (PDF). Billboard. March 3, 1958. p. 46.
  10. Jones, Paul (March 20, 1958). "On Television and Radio Today". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 14.
  11. "She She Sheila by Gene Vincent". Easy Song Copyright Holder. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  12. Moore, Thurston (1960). Moore, Thurston (ed.). Country Music Who's Who Annual for 1960. Cincinnati: Steinhauser. p. 66.
  13. "Dwight Pullen". Rate Your Music. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  14. "Dwight Pullen Discography". Discogs. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  15. "Pullen Obituary". The Southern Democrat. Oneonta, Alabama. December 7, 1961. p. 1.
  16. Emily (July 6, 2004). "The Review". The Cramps Musical Review. Debaser. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  17. Savage, Jon (November 3, 2009). "Jon Savage on song: Link Wray plays his Ace". The Guardian. Retrieved May 13, 2026. The Cramps....1978 remake of Dwight Pullen's Sunglasses After Dark.