(22 Feb 2016) Country Music Hall of Famer Sonny James dies
aged 87
This Blog feature takes a look at his career, chart hits, awards, music and artist tributes.
This Blog feature takes a look at his career, chart hits, awards, music and artist tributes.
Marie Crichton BBC Radio Shropshire plays:
8 Aug 2005 Sonny James - Bimbo | Album: The Nashville Dream
Vol 2 (Newsound)
30 April 2007 Sonny James - Blue Moon Of Kentucky | Album:
CD The Sound Of Bluegrass (Various Label Columbia)
28 April 2008 Sonny James - Bimbo (Birth May 1 "James
Loden")
27 April 2009 Sonny James - Blue Moon of Kentucky
25 April 2011 Sonny James - Ask Marie | Album: The Capitol
Collector’s Series
30 April 2012 Sonny James Pure Love | Album: Young Love & Other Rock ‘N’ Roll
Ballads
27 April 2013 Sonny James - True Love's A Blessing | Album:
Capitol Collectors Series
Sonny James: May 1, 1928 (Hackleburg, Alabama, U.S.) - Feb 22, 2016 (aged 87; Tennessee)
Years active: 1953–1983 |
Labels: Capitol, Columbia, Dot, RCA,
Monument, Dimension, Curb
Nashville’s Tennessean reported (Feb 22) that Country Music
Hall Of Famer Sonny James had died
on Monday afternoon (Feb 22, 2016). Mr.James was 87.
Recently hospitalized, James passed away from natural
causes while surrounded by family and friends at Alive Hospice in Nashville,
TN.
— The Tennessean (@Tennessean) February 23, 2016
Throughout his life he
has stood always at the ready to share a funny story. Accompanied by his boyish
smile, this man of deep faith never failed to cultivate his unique gift of
making every friend feel as if they were his greatest friend every step of the
way.
A native of Alabama, James grew up playing fiddle and
guitar with his family, guesting on radio stations and local festivals
throughout the South.
After finishing Military service in the early 50s, Sonny
was introduced to Chet Atkins, who
steered him toward a recording contract with Capitol Records.
In 1956, James’ signature hit, “Young Love,” spent nine weeks atop the Country charts,
eventually crossing over to Pop.
Television and film appearances followed, as did membership
to the Grand Ole Opry and a star on
the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Mr. James hosted the first-ever CMA AWARDS in 1967, and the hits kept coming.
Between 1967 and 1971, he put together a string of 16 consecutive chart-toppers.
Mr. James was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2006.
Introduced by Kris Kristofferson as one of the new
inductees, it marked Sonny’s first television appearance in 20 years.
Read More at: Country Music Hall of Fame.org
May 6th, 2007 Medallion Ceremony: A Musical Tribute To Sonny James
 |
| Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees: Sonny James(L), George Strait, Harold Bradley(R)-Ceremony 6thMay2007 |
"A World of Our Own": Connie Smith, vocals. Dann Huff, acoustic guitar
"You’re the Only World I Know": Randy Owen,
vocals.
"Young Love": Vince Gill, vocals & guitar.
"Running Bear": Ray Stevens, vocals. With Special
Appearance by George Lindsey.
All Performances featuring the Southern Gentlemen: Lin Bown
• Jack Galloway • Glenn Huggins • Gary Robble
See Photos Sonny James.com
James Loden, known as
Sonny James, was born in Hackleburg,
Alabama, on May 1, 1928.
As Kix Brooks
said in 2006, the year Mr. James was inducted into the Country Music Hall of
Fame, the singer was “an artist who really
dominated his time in history.”
According to The Tennessean, he began performing with his
family when he was just 3, playing a handmade mandolin.
He later learned to play the guitar and fiddle, and was a
fiddle champion as a teen.
The family would perform on local radio stations and in
schoolhouses around the South.
He served in the Alabama
National Guard and was sent to Korea
in 1950, where he began to write songs.
After leaving the Army, James moved to Nashville and began
to pursue a career in music.
Sonny James began recording music in 1952 and his breakthrough song, “Young Love,” came in 1957, according to his website.
With its polished production and crooning vocals, “Young
Love” would help open the door for the Nashville sound of the late 1950s and
1960s.
The Career of Sonny James
Seemingly born with a natural talent for playing stringed
instruments it would be at the age of four, when placed at the centerpiece of
his family's country show, where he first began to realize his potential to
entertain others.
·
Because he was just a kid he was called “Sonny Boy” but by 1952 when he signed
with Capitol Records this six-foot three-inch talent was re-billed as The
Southern Gentleman, a tag that portrayed his polite ways.
· In 1956 as rock n roll was just beginning
Sonny's multi-million selling Young Love
exploded on the scene and became a simultaneous #1 country and pop hit - the first such traditional country
cross-over of its kind.
· By 1963 a collaboration at Capitol Studios in
Hollywood with Nat King Cole, a
favorite of Sonny and his father, would begin to focus Sonny's musical approach
into a more pop-sounding style of country in the hopes of broadening the
country listening audience.
· Beginning in 1964 with his musical style
refined, and his “sound” produced to be identifiable, Sonny began what would
become his legendary streak of 16
consecutive #1 releases - an uncontested record which no other recording
artist (solo) has ever surpassed in any genre.
· A decade later, Sonny James had amassed not
only 16 #1's in a row, but a surreal 26
#1's in total and 72 titles on
the country charts.
· Sonny's broad appeal not only as a performer,
but an entertainer, brought him into larger and larger markets and venues as he
created new paths for others to follow which had not previously been welcoming
to country artists in general, including his numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.
· Always an integral part of his sound and style,
his mastery of the guitar as a
musician added a depth to his recordings and stage appeal which translated
perfectly to television.
· His full vocal tones backed by his “Southern Gentlemen” created a sound
that was awarded time after time with great success.
· The first country recording artist on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, his hits such
as "The Minute You’re Gone", "You’re The Only World I
Know", "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "Running Bear",
"Empty Arms" and so many more - make it easy to realize that at the
same time when the world was listening to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones on
rock radio, they were hearing and listening to Sonny James on country radio.
· Within pop-culture, the movie Apollo 13 may have depicted the
legendary music of Hank Williams on a moon flight, but it was actually a
musical program requested by NASA to be recorded personally by Sonny James which
became the first country artist to travel into space and go as far as our
moon's orbit on-board Apollo 14, which launched January 31st, 1971.
· Immediately following his string of #1's, Sonny
then went on to produce the first 3
albums for Marie Osmond, which saw
the first single, Paper Roses, surpass sales of 1 million worldwide and Marie
nominated for a Grammy Award.
Sonny James first No.1 hits (Hot Country Songs):
"Young Love" (1956; writers Ric Cartey, Carole Joyner)
Also #1 on all genre US Hot 100.
Note: It peaked at #11 in the UK chart dated March 8, 1957 when at the time American actor and singer Tab Hunter was No.1 on UK single chart with the song.
The Tab Hunter Show was a huge hit in the United Kingdom, where it ranked as one of the top situation comedies of the year.
Donny Osmond also had a #1 UK Single with the song in 1973.
"You're the
Only World I Know" (1964; writers Sonny James and Robert Tubert) #91
US Hot 100
"Behind the
Tear" (1965; writers Ned Miller, Sue Miller) #113 US Hot 100
Sonny James sixteen consecutive No.1 songs were:
“Need You”
(1967; writer Johnny Blackburn, Lou Porter, Teepee Mitchell),
“I’ll Never Find
Another You” (1967; writer Tom Springfield)
“It’s The Little
Things” (1967; writer Arlie Duff)
“A World Of Our Own”
(1968; writer Tom Springfield) an international hit for The Seekers
“Heaven Says Hello”
(1968; writer Cindy Walker)
“Born To Be With You”
(1968; writer Don Robertson)
“Only the Lonely”
(1969; writers Roy Orbison, Joe Melson)
“Running Bear”
(1969; writer J. P. Richardson)
“Since I Met You,
Baby” (1969; writer Ivory Joe Hunter)
“It’s Just a Matter
of Time” (1970; writers Brook Benton, Clyde Otis)
“My Love” (1970;
writer Tony Hatch)
“Don’t Keep Me
Hangin’ On” (1970; writers Sonny James, Carole Smith)
“Endlessly”
(1970; writers Brook Benton, Clyde Otis)
“Empty Arms”
(1971; writer Ivory Joe Hunter)
“Bright Lights, Big
City” (1971; writer Jimmy Reed)
“Here Comes Honey
Again” (1971; writer Sonny James)
Source: sonnyjames.com
Read More: Sonny James,
The Southern Gentleman (Bio)
The string of 16 consecutive (non-holiday) single releases
would be surpassed in 1985 by the country super-group Alabama; the band would go on to have 21 No.1 songs in a row.
Earl Thomas Conley and Blake Shelton also have sixteen No.1 winning
streaks.
** Billboard statistician disregard all non-No.1 duets, B-side releases that chart on their own and Christmas releases in determining No. 1 streaks.
If Christmas songs and duets were to be included in No.1 streaks, however, Sonny James would continue to hold the standard with 16.
Alabama's streak would be eight and 13 (with the 1982 Christmas song "Christmas in Dixie" splitting the pair of streaks)
Earl Conley's streak split into nine and seven (broken up by the 1986 duet "Too Many Times" with Anita Pointer),
Blake Shelton’s run is split starting with "Hillbilly Bone" (featuring Trace Adkins) then "Boys 'Round Here" (feat. Pistol Annies and friends), "My Eyes" (featuring Gwen Sebastian) and "Lonely Tonight" (featuring Ashley Monroe)
"Is It Wrong (For Loving You)" writer Warner MacPherson; was the final of Mr. James' twenty-three number ones on the country chart.
Albums
Twenty-one of his Albums reached the country top ten from 1964 to 1976.
His No1. Billboard Top Country Albums were:
studio album NEED YOU released in
April 1967 and with Compilation album The
Best of Sonny James released in Nov 1966 (#141 Billboard 200)
200 Years of Country Music (#6, 1976, Columbia Records) was his final Top 10 studio album.
His last album to chart was YOUNG LOVE (Capitol Records), released in 1973, which reached #50
on Top Country Albums
Capitol Collectors
Series:
Amazon UK
Sonny James retired
from the music industry in 1984 with his wife, Doris Shrode. He and his wife
married in 1957 in Texas.
Sonny James is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years,
Doris.
MUSIC
Discography: Amazon
UK | UK iTunes | Amazon.com
| Spotify
Sonny James - The
Southern Gentleman: The First Four Albums 1957-1959
[2xCD] (Jasmine Records)
The Southern Gentleman features four classic albums of pure
country: The Southern Gentleman; Sonny; Honey & The Sonny Sidetogether for
the first time on CD outside of multidisc box sets.
Available from Amazon UK
| Smart Choice Music
Sonny James - Sonny
Rocks (Bear Family Records)
Sonny Rocks is a 2003 Bear Family release covering 33
Capitol and RCA tracks from Sonny James, the 'Southern Gentleman' of country.
Details: 1-CD Digi-Pac (6-plated) with 32-page booklet, 34 tracks, playing time 76:27 minutes.
These 33 songs catch Sonny James’ transition from
journeyman country singer to pop star. We begin with a few early songs that
pointed towards Young Love (including For Rent and Twenty Feet Of Muddy Water),
then Sonny James’s great original version of Young Love itself, and then a
selection of the very best Capitol and RCA recordings from the golden years,
including "First Date First Kiss First Love", "Uh-Huh Mm", "Talk Of The School", and
Sonny James' great vocal version of the Shadows’ "Apache". As a special bonus the
original version of "Young Love" by Ric Cartey is included. Dave Samuelson’s
notes draw on extended interviews with Sonny James, and recount the
song-by-song journey of one of the towering figures of pop and country music! Available from:
Sonny James - Young
Love (6-CD) [6-CD-Box & 68-Page
Book] (Import)
This boxed set presents every surviving recording 'The
Southern Gentleman' made between 1952
and 1962, across six compact discs.
The first two discs feature Sonny James' rarely heard country sides, including
the original “I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know” and such chart singles as “That's
Me Without You”, “She Done Give Her Heart To Me, For Rent” (One Empty Heart), “Twenty
Feet Of Muddy Water”, and “The Cat Came Back”. The heart of the box set
collects such teen pop sides as “Young Love”, “You're The Reason I'm In Love”, “First
Date, First Kiss, First Love”, “Uh-Huh-mm”, “You’ve Got That Touch”, and “Talk
Of The School”, plus all three of Sonny James' original Capitol albums. The set
ends with the singer's often-overlooked NRC, RCA Victor and Dot sides,
including Jenny Lou and his vocal version of the guitar standard, “Apache”.
Produced with Sonny James' cooperation, this collection
includes a 68-page book by Dave
Samuelson covering Sonny James' early years on radio with the Loden Family
through his 1963 return to Capitol Records.
Available from: Bear Family Records | Amazon
UK | Amazon.com
OBITUARIES
TRIBUTES
Charlie Daniels: The music
world has lost a great artist and a good Christian man Rest in peace Sonny
James
The Oak Ridge Boys RIP Sonny James... A big loss
Rhonda Vincent: (pictured) So saddened to hear of passing of country music HOF member Sonny James born 5/1/1929 he hosted 1st #CMA awards
Travis Tritt Very sorry to hear that Sonny James has died. I covered his "Christmas In My Hometown" for my Christmas album
Taste of Country: We are so sad to hear that Sonny James has died at 87:
Grass Roots Promotions: We are
saddened at the news of the passing of country music legend Sonny James. His
incredible career included 16 #1 singles in the 60's and 70's; James was
inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He was a class act and
will be missed.
Marie Osmond tweeted a photo
Country Music Hall of Famer, producer & lifelong friend #SonnyJames U will be missed! #RIP🙏 https://t.co/GouXvw6M9Z pic.twitter.com/jjjj6NxFvy— Marie Osmond (@marieosmond) February 23, 2016
