Jim Weatherly
Encyclopedia
James Dexter Weatherly is an American
singer-songwriter
. Weatherly played quarterback
at the University of Mississippi and was an All-American before choosing songwriting over a football career. Weatherly wrote songs that were performed by Ray Price
, Brenda Lee
, Lynn Anderson
, and Bob Luman
, but it is for the songs covered
by Gladys Knight & the Pips
that he is best known. Knight recorded the Weatherly-penned tunes "Midnight Train to Georgia
", "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)
", and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
".
Weatherly, who had previously recorded
with RCA Records
, was offered a solo
recording contract
with Buddah Records
after the success of "Georgia", and he released a number of album
s in the 1970s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. Weatherly played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at the University of Mississippi and was an All-American before choosing songwriting over a football career. Weatherly wrote songs that were performed by Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
, Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
, Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
, and Bob Luman
Bob Luman
Bob Luman was an American country and rockabilly singer.-Early life and career:...
, but it is for the songs covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
that he is best known. Knight recorded the Weatherly-penned tunes "Midnight Train to Georgia
Midnight Train to Georgia
"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records...
", "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)
Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)
"Neither One of Us " is a song recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Released in 1973 from the album, Neither One of Us, the song spent four weeks at number one on the Soul Singles chart during the spring of that year. The song was also one of their biggest crossover hits, peaking at number 2 on...
", and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
"You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" — also known simply as "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" — is a song written by Jim Weatherly, and enjoyed two runs of popularity, each by an artist in a different genre.-Ray Price country version:...
".
Weatherly, who had previously recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, was offered a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
after the success of "Georgia", and he released a number of album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s in the 1970s.
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | 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... |
CAN | |||
| 1972 | Weatherly | — | — | — | RCA |
| 1973 | A Gentler Time | — | — | — | |
| Jim Weatherly | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | The Songs of Jim Weatherly | — | 94 | 94 | |
| 1975 | Magnolias & Misfits | 45 | — | — | |
| 1976 | Pictures & Rhymes | — | — | — | Brizac |
| The People Some People Choose to Love | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | Dancing Moon | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | Songs I've Written | — | — | — | |
| 2004 | Christmas Like Christmas Used to Be | — | — | — | |
| 2008 | Autumn Lights | — | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
CAN Country | CAN | CAN AC | ||
| 1974 | "The Need to Be" | — | 11 | 6 | — | 13 | 17 |
| 1975 | "I'll Still Love You" | 9 | 87 | — | 23 | — | 9 |
| "It Must Have Been the Rain" | 58 | — | — | 46 | — | — | |
| 1977 | "All That Keeps Me Going" | 27 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979 | "Smooth Sailin'" | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | "Gift from Missouri" | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Safe in the Arms of Love (Cold in the Streets)" |
82 | — | — | — | — | — |