Sleepy LaBeef was born on July 20, 1935 in Smackover, Arkansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Salvation Boulevard (2011), The Exotic Ones (1968) and Sing Country (1971). He was married to Louise Barwick, Linda Sharon Cerny and Ouita Richards. He died on December 26, 2019 in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, USA.
He worked as a land surveyor in Houston and sang in gospel groups before making his first recordings in 1957.
He began his musical career as a gospel singer, but changed to rockabilly after he heard Elvis Presley's early records.
He was the youngest of 10 children of a farming family. He reportedly got the nickname "Sleepy" because of a lazy eye (amblyopia). He traded a rifle for his first guitar, and began playing in church. He also played piano, fiddle, and upright bass.
He knew thousands of songs from the rock-and-roll, gospel, blues, country, and pop genres, leading to his being known as a "human jukebox".