In 1978, a snowstorm left guitarist Danny Flowers stranded in a Tulsa hotel room with an unexpected night off. With nothing much to do, Danny Flowers picked up a guitar and began writing a song on hotel stationery.
About thirty minutes later, Danny Flowers had finished “Tulsa Time.”
Danny Flowers had no idea that the simple little song would soon catch the attention of two very different music stars: country favorite Don Williams and British rock guitarist Eric Clapton.
What happened when both men decided they wanted to record it became one of the more entertaining stories behind a country hit.
A Snowstorm, a Hotel Room, and an Unexpected Song
Danny Flowers was playing guitar in Don Williams’ touring band when the musicians found themselves stuck in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during bad weather.
The interrupted schedule left Danny Flowers with time to spare. Danny Flowers later recalled watching the television detective series The Rockford Files while working on the song.
Tulsa was already familiar territory. Danny Flowers had friends among the city’s musicians, including players associated with Eric Clapton’s band. Thinking about Tulsa and the people connected to its music scene helped give the song its direction.
What emerged was a story about a man who leaves home believing bigger opportunities are waiting somewhere else, only to discover that success is not as easy as expected.
The song was called “Tulsa Time.”
Danny Flowers finished the song in roughly half an hour. The arrangement was remarkably simple, built around just two chords. Danny Flowers later remembered considering an additional chord, but Don Williams liked the song as it was.
At the next rehearsal, Danny Flowers played the new composition for Don Williams and the band.
Don Williams immediately wanted to record it.
Then Eric Clapton Heard the Song
Not long afterward, Don Williams and the band were in Nashville for a concert with Eric Clapton.
The connection between Don Williams and Eric Clapton might seem surprising to listeners who knew only their radio hits. But Eric Clapton was already an admirer of Don Williams’ relaxed country style.
After the concert, Don Williams and Danny Flowers joined Eric Clapton in a hotel room. The musicians spent time playing guitars and sharing songs.
During the informal gathering, Don Williams asked Danny Flowers to play the new Tulsa song.
Danny Flowers began playing “Tulsa Time.” Don Williams accompanied the performance on rhythm guitar, while Eric Clapton added slide guitar on a dobro.
For Danny Flowers, the moment was extraordinary. A song written during a boring night in an Oklahoma hotel was now being played with two internationally recognized musicians.
When the performance ended, Eric Clapton made it clear that Eric Clapton wanted to record “Tulsa Time.”
There was just one problem.
Don Williams had already decided to record it.
The Playful Argument Over Who Would Record It
According to Danny Flowers’ recollection, Eric Clapton and Don Williams began arguing jokingly about who would get to record the song.
Eric Clapton wanted the composition for an upcoming project. Don Williams insisted that Don Williams had claimed it first.
Eventually, Danny Flowers raised both hands and interrupted the exchange.
Danny Flowers jokingly warned that if the two musicians kept fighting over the song, neither would be allowed to record it.
There was no serious feud. The disagreement was friendly, and both performers ultimately got what they wanted.
Don Williams and Eric Clapton each recorded “Tulsa Time,” bringing two distinctive musical approaches to the same composition.
Two Recordings, Two Different Sounds
Don Williams included “Tulsa Time” on the 1978 album Expressions.
The Don Williams recording featured an infectious, rolling rhythm underneath the familiar warmth of Don Williams’ voice. It sounded easygoing, but the groove gave the song a liveliness that stood apart from many traditional country ballads.
The single became Don Williams’ eighth No. 1 hit on the Billboard country chart.
Eric Clapton recorded “Tulsa Time” for the 1978 album Backless, taking the song in a blues-rock direction. Eric Clapton later performed it live, and a version from the album Just One Night reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980.
For songwriter Danny Flowers, the results were remarkable. One song had found a home in both country music and rock.
The Remarkable Thing Danny Flowers Never Did
There is another detail that makes the story especially memorable.
In a later interview with No Depression, Danny Flowers explained that Danny Flowers had never even made a proper demo recording of “Tulsa Time” before the two stars recorded it.
Danny Flowers simply played the song for Don Williams, later performed it for Eric Clapton, and watched both musicians carry the composition into the recording studio.
That is part of what makes the story so appealing. There was no elaborate plan to create a crossover hit, no lengthy songwriting session, and no expensive demonstration recording.
There was an unexpected night off, a guitar, a television show, and a piece of hotel stationery.
Nearly half a century later, “Tulsa Time” remains one of Don Williams’ most recognizable recordings.
And somewhere at the beginning of that success was Danny Flowers, passing the time during a snowstorm, writing a song that both Don Williams and Eric Clapton would want to call their own.