Roy D. Mercer
Encyclopedia
Roy D. Mercer is a fictional character created by disc jockeys Brent Douglas and Phil Stone on radio station KMOD-FM in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. Douglas, who performs Mercer's voice, uses the character as a vehicle for comedy sketches in which he performs prank call
s. Seventeen Roy D. Mercer albums have been released, all on Capitol Records Nashville
or Virgin Records Nashville.
s on KMOD-FM, a rock radio station, in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, created the Roy D. Mercer character in 1993. Initially, they used the character on comedy sketches for the radio station. Originally, the prank call sketches were a part of KMOD's morning show. By 1997, Capitol Records
Nashville began issuing the sketches on compact disc. Sixteen Roy D. Mercer compilations have been released on the Capitol and Virgin Records
labels. A Virgin Records Nashville executive noted that Mercer's early albums managed to sell between 250,000 and 300,000 copies, primarily due to word of mouth, without any promotion to consumers or radio airplay of the album tracks.
In most of the sketches, Mercer will demand that the recipient of a call pay him money for some incident, and if the recipient refuses, he will threaten them with violence (usually an "ass-whoopin'"). Mercer has been described as speaking with "a mushy-mouthed Southern drawl" and his style of comedy has been described as "not exactly obscene ... [but] border[ing] on offensive". Many of the recipients of the calls are suggested by their friends who supply Mercer with information about the potential recipients.
John Bean died in 1984; Stone and Douglas say they invented their Roy D. Mercer in 1990.
In a video documentary on Bean's life, comedian Jeff Foxworthy
praised Bean's work and noted he quoted Bean's Leroy Mercer character every day.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. Douglas, who performs Mercer's voice, uses the character as a vehicle for comedy sketches in which he performs prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...
s. Seventeen Roy D. Mercer albums have been released, all on Capitol Records Nashville
Capitol Records Nashville
Capitol Records Nashville is a major United States-based record label located in Nashville Tennessee operating as part of the Capitol Music Group. Capitol Nashville was formerly known as Liberty Records from 1989 until 1995 when it was changed back to Capitol in 1993 Liberty opened a sister label...
or Virgin Records Nashville.
History
Brent Douglas and Phil Stone, disc jockeyDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s on KMOD-FM, a rock radio station, in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, created the Roy D. Mercer character in 1993. Initially, they used the character on comedy sketches for the radio station. Originally, the prank call sketches were a part of KMOD's morning show. By 1997, Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
Nashville began issuing the sketches on compact disc. Sixteen Roy D. Mercer compilations have been released on the Capitol and Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
labels. A Virgin Records Nashville executive noted that Mercer's early albums managed to sell between 250,000 and 300,000 copies, primarily due to word of mouth, without any promotion to consumers or radio airplay of the album tracks.
In most of the sketches, Mercer will demand that the recipient of a call pay him money for some incident, and if the recipient refuses, he will threaten them with violence (usually an "ass-whoopin'"). Mercer has been described as speaking with "a mushy-mouthed Southern drawl" and his style of comedy has been described as "not exactly obscene ... [but] border[ing] on offensive". Many of the recipients of the calls are suggested by their friends who supply Mercer with information about the potential recipients.
John Bean's "Leroy Mercer" character of the 1980s
Many claim that the character "Roy D. Mercer" is based on a character in prank calls virally circulated by hand-to-hand tape exchange throughout the early eighties and beyond. In the early 1980s, the character "Leroy Mercer" was created in Tennessee by John Bean, who also called individuals and businesses threatening an "ass-whoopin". There are many parallels and similarities to the calls, with "Roy D. Mercer" using many of "Leroy Mercer's" lines.John Bean died in 1984; Stone and Douglas say they invented their Roy D. Mercer in 1990.
In a video documentary on Bean's life, comedian Jeff Foxworthy
Jeff Foxworthy
Jeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy is an American comedian, television and radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy...
praised Bean's work and noted he quoted Bean's Leroy Mercer character every day.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy | US Country | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||
| 1997 | How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 1 | 39 | 28 | ||
| How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 2 | 43 | 33 | |||
| How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 3 | 31 | 11 | |||
| 1998 | How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 4 | 19 | 6 | 160 | |
| How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 5 | 13 | 4 | 138 | ||
| 1999 | How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 6 | 16 | 5 | 164 | |
| 2000 | How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? Vol. 7: Hangin' It Up | 32 | 22 | ||
| 2001 | Roy D. Mercer vs. Yankees | 24 | 17 | ||
| 2003 | Roy D. Mercer Hits the Road | 31 | 23 | ||
| 2004 | Get Well Soon | 7 | 52 | 49 | |
| 2006 | Black & Blue | 3 | 31 | 146 | |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy | US Country | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| 2000 | Greatest Fits: The Best of How Big 'a Boy Are Ya? | 26 | ||
| 2002 | The Roy D. Mercer Family Album | 35 | 47 | |
| 2007 | The Best of Roy D. Mercer Double Wide Vol. 1 | 8 | ||
| The Best of Roy D. Mercer Double Wide Vol. 2 | 9 | |||
| The Best of Roy D. Mercer Double Wide Vol. 3 | 7 | 73 | ||
| 2008 | More Greatest Fits | 3 | 41 | |
| 2011 | 10 Great Skits | 2 | 45 | 20 |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?" (with Charlie Daniels Charlie Daniels Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer... ) |
Peter Zavadil Peter Zavadil Peter Zavadil is a music video director who works primarily in the field of country music. He has directed many music videos since the late 1990s.-Music videos directed:109 music videos are currently listed here.-References:... |