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And now for something completely different…
I turned 8 the year of our country’s 200th birthday, and one of the gifts I received was a little “Spirit of ’76” AM radio. The first radio station I found (and probably the only one the little transistor radio could receive) was KWMT, the country-music station out of Fort Dodge, Iowa. So that’s what I listened to. And that’s where I first listened to John Conlee.
Conlee was graced with one of the most distinct voices – thick, kind of throaty, and sort of baritone-ish – that I’ve ever heard. Born in Kentucky on August 11, 1946, and raised on a farm, John understood the value and pride of hard work, and many of his most popular songs reflect that. He worked in radio, but discovered his voice was well-suited to more than just speaking on the air.
He received a contract from ABC Records (later MCA records) and his first album, Rose Colored Glasses, went straight to nowhere…until the title cut (written by Conlee) was released, which made Conlee a star. MCA actually re-released one of earlier singles that had done nothing and, with Conlee’s new-found stardom, Backside of Thirty became his 2nd #1 hit.
John had 7 #1 releases during his heyday from the late ’70’s to mid ’80’s. And another half-dozen songs would have been #1 had they not been prevented by mega-hits from artists like Kenny Rogers and Alabama. Most of my favorites are songs that came from this “2nd tier”. There’s Friday Night Blues, quite possibly the first Conlee song I heard. Then there’s Busted, the song about a cotton farmer for whom every conceivable thing has gone wrong. The melancholy Miss Emily’s Picture, in which a man struggles to cope with the loss of his love. The humorous I Don’t Remember Loving You, written in an asylum by a man whom love drove insane. And finally, Old School…about the temptation a man faces (and overcomes) when encountering his ex-girlfriend at his class reunion.
John Conlee was an artist over which super-stardom cast a very brief shadow. But he was consistently popular for a decade, which is a long time in the music business. His material was usually very good, with a few really outstanding songs (I think Miss Emily’s Picture is terrific and I Don’t Remember… is exceptionally written) mixed in. In our house, there’s a box somewhere that still contains that little “Spirit of ’76” radio. And I still listen to John Conlee.
Happy Birthday, John Conlee!!
Recommended Listening: John Conlee – 20 Greatest Hits – Some of you like older country music, untainted by a couple of artists that largely ruined the genre in the ’90’s. Conlee is for you. Some of you hate country music, so try broadening your horizons a little and see what happens.
Today's History Lesson 