Sonny James
Encyclopedia
James Loden known professionally as Sonny James, is an American
country music
singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1 hits. Twenty-one of his albums reached the country top ten from 1964 to 1976. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. James is currently retired and lives in Nashville, Tennessee
.
. His parents were amateur musicians, and his sister Thelma (five years older) also played instruments and sang from an early age. By age three he was playing a mandolin
and singing. In 1933 the family appeared on a radio audition which resulted in their being offered a regular Saturday slot on Muscle Shoals, Alabama
radio station WMSD-AM
. About this time the parents volunteered to raise an Alabama girl named Ruby Palmer, and soon Ruby was also part of the musical group, and the singing Loden Family was soon playing theaters, auditoriums and schoolhouses throughout the Southern United States
.
To this point the musical appearances had been a part-time effort for the family, as they returned after each gig or tour to work the family farm. After a few years the father decided they were professional enough to immerse themselves into the field full-time, so the father leased out the farm and they took a daily spot on radio station KLCN, where they provided early-morning accompaniment for the area's early-risers. After that they had spots on several other radio stations around the South. In 1949 they returned to Alabama, with a show on radio station WSGN in Birmingham, Alabama
. Near Christmastime that year, the two girls were married in West Memphis, Arkansas
in a double ceremony and left the group. The parents found other girls to take their place, but the group soon fell apart (the parents returned to Hackleburg and opened a clothing store, where James worked while belatedly finishing his final year of high school). During the summer of 1950 James worked with a band on the Memphis, Tennessee
radio station WHBQ, but that was interrupted near the end of the summer when James' National Guard unit was activated to participate in the Korean War
, one of the first US groups to respond to that conflict. On September 9, 1950 his Alabama Army National Guard
unit was sent to Korea, returning home in the fall of 1951. Loden was honorably discharged and moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he signed with Capitol Records
with the help of Chet Atkins
, with whom he had previously roomed. The company asked him to drop his last name professionally, and he released his first studio record as Sonny James.
While appearing on Louisiana Hayride
he met musician Slim Whitman
. James' performance on stage playing a fiddle
and singing brought a strong crowd response, and Whitman invited him to front for his new touring band. James stayed with Whitman's group for two months. before returning to Nashville to make further recordings, including what became his first Top Ten country hit, "That's Me Without You". Over the next few years, he had several songs that did reasonably well on the country music charts and he continued to develop his career with performances at live country music shows. He also appeared on radio, including Big D Jamboree
, before moving to the all-important new medium, television, where he became a regular performer on ABC
's Ozark Jubilee
in Springfield, Missouri
beginning in October 1955.
single
for which he would forever be remembered. As the first teenage country crossover
single, it topped both the US country and pop music charts in January 1957. The track peaked at No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. Dubbed the Southern Gentleman because of his polite demeanor, he gained more exposure with an appearance on the popular Ed Sullivan Show. After leaving Capitol Records for the first time in 1959, James signed with National Recording Corporation
. His career also included stints with Dot
(1960–1961), RCA
(1961–1962), his second stint with Capitol
(1963–1972), Columbia
(1972–1979), Monument
(1979), and Dimension
(1981–1983).
He went on to a long and highly-successful career, and in 1962 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry
. From 1964 to 1972 he was a dominant force in country music. He was a guest on the Bob Hope Show
and Hee Haw
, and made minor appearances in several Hollywood motion pictures. In 1969 Billboard magazine named him Artist of the Year. In 1971, James made a special music recording for the crew of Apollo 14
, who later presented him with one of the small American flags that they had carried to the Moon
.
" and ending with "Here Comes Honey Again
" in 1971, James recorded 16 straight No. 1 country singles of his 72 verified chart hits. His career No. 1 one total was 23, the last coming with 1974's "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)
". During this time James also helped launch the solo career of Marie Osmond
, producing her first three albums, including the 1973 smash hit, "Paper Roses
".
The No. 1 streak record, however, is a point of contention. Country supergroup Alabama
surpassed James' record in 1985 with their 17th No. 1 one song, "Forty Hour Week (For a Livin')", but the dispute stems from their 1982 Christmas single, "Christmas in Dixie
". The song peaked at 35 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles
chart in January 1983, during what could be considered a streak of 21 No. 1 songs. Some sources, such as Joel Whitburn
's "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," disregard non-No. 1 Christmas singles in determining chart-topping streaks, and consider Alabama to have surpassed the record; others, however, including the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Web site, state that the failure of "Christmas in Dixie" snapped Alabama's streak before it could achieve parity with James' 16.
. He came home to Hackleburg during the Neighbor Day Festival on April 25, 2009 and recognized the 100th birthday of the town of Hackleburg on the main stage during the festival. He was scheduled to appear at the Hackleburg Neighbor Day Festival's 10th anniversary celebration on April 30, 2011.
at 6630 Hollywood Blvd., and in 1987 he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
. In 2006 James was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
, and appeared on TV
for the first time in nearly 20 years to accept his induction during the Country Music Association Awards
on November 6, 2006. In 2009 Sonny James was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1 hits. Twenty-one of his albums reached the country top ten from 1964 to 1976. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. James is currently retired and lives in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Musical beginnings
Loden was born to Archie Loden and Della Burleson Loden, who operated a 300-acre (121 hectare) farm outside Hackleburg, AlabamaHackleburg, Alabama
Hackleburg is a town in Marion County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 1,430. It is also the hometown of country music singer Sonny James. James had numerous country and cross over pop hits starting in the 1950s though the 1970s...
. His parents were amateur musicians, and his sister Thelma (five years older) also played instruments and sang from an early age. By age three he was playing a mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and singing. In 1933 the family appeared on a radio audition which resulted in their being offered a regular Saturday slot on Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
radio station WMSD-AM
WLAY (AM)
The station celebrated the FM launch with a two-day marathon, broadcasting live from two of the city’s most celebrated recording studios. FAME Studios, where legendary recordings by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, the Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Solomon Burke, George...
. About this time the parents volunteered to raise an Alabama girl named Ruby Palmer, and soon Ruby was also part of the musical group, and the singing Loden Family was soon playing theaters, auditoriums and schoolhouses throughout the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
To this point the musical appearances had been a part-time effort for the family, as they returned after each gig or tour to work the family farm. After a few years the father decided they were professional enough to immerse themselves into the field full-time, so the father leased out the farm and they took a daily spot on radio station KLCN, where they provided early-morning accompaniment for the area's early-risers. After that they had spots on several other radio stations around the South. In 1949 they returned to Alabama, with a show on radio station WSGN in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. Near Christmastime that year, the two girls were married in West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
in a double ceremony and left the group. The parents found other girls to take their place, but the group soon fell apart (the parents returned to Hackleburg and opened a clothing store, where James worked while belatedly finishing his final year of high school). During the summer of 1950 James worked with a band on the Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
radio station WHBQ, but that was interrupted near the end of the summer when James' National Guard unit was activated to participate in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, one of the first US groups to respond to that conflict. On September 9, 1950 his Alabama Army National Guard
Alabama Army National Guard
The Alabama Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
unit was sent to Korea, returning home in the fall of 1951. Loden was honorably discharged and moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he signed with 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...
with the help of Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, with whom he had previously roomed. The company asked him to drop his last name professionally, and he released his first studio record as Sonny James.
While appearing on Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
he met musician Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. , known professionally as Slim Whitman, is an American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodelling abilities. He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings...
. James' performance on stage playing a fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and singing brought a strong crowd response, and Whitman invited him to front for his new touring band. James stayed with Whitman's group for two months. before returning to Nashville to make further recordings, including what became his first Top Ten country hit, "That's Me Without You". Over the next few years, he had several songs that did reasonably well on the country music charts and he continued to develop his career with performances at live country music shows. He also appeared on radio, including Big D Jamboree
Big D Jamboree
Big D Jamboree was an American radio program broadcast by KRLD-AM in Dallas, Texas. The show consisted of appearances by famous country musicians as well as sketch comedy and jokes. It was also carried by KRLD-TV during the 1950s.-History:...
, before moving to the all-important new medium, television, where he became a regular performer on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
beginning in October 1955.
Top of the charts
In late 1956 James released "Young Love", a 45 rpmGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for which he would forever be remembered. As the first teenage country crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
single, it topped both the US country and pop music charts in January 1957. The track peaked at No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Dubbed the Southern Gentleman because of his polite demeanor, he gained more exposure with an appearance on the popular Ed Sullivan Show. After leaving Capitol Records for the first time in 1959, James signed with National Recording Corporation
National Recording Corporation
-Early years:National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records and performed on...
. His career also included stints with Dot
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
(1960–1961), RCA
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...
(1961–1962), his second stint with Capitol
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...
(1963–1972), Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(1972–1979), Monument
Monument Records
Monument Records was an American record label, Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958, by Fred Foster and Buddy Deane . Buddy Deane soon left the company, and in the early 60's bought KOTN in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he retired to until his death...
(1979), and Dimension
Dimension Records
Dimension Records was a record label founded in 1962 in New York City by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins, owners of Aldon Music. It concentrated on the girl group sound and showcased songs by Goffin and King. Their composition "The Loco-Motion", sung by Little Eva, gave it its biggest hit...
(1981–1983).
He went on to a long and highly-successful career, and in 1962 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
. From 1964 to 1972 he was a dominant force in country music. He was a guest on the Bob Hope Show
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
, and made minor appearances in several Hollywood motion pictures. In 1969 Billboard magazine named him Artist of the Year. In 1971, James made a special music recording for the crew of Apollo 14
Apollo 14
Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the American Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions", targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks....
, who later presented him with one of the small American flags that they had carried to the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
No. 1 streak
Beginning in 1967 with "Need YouNeed You
"Need You" is a 1967 single by Sonny James. The single went to number one on the country charts where it spent two weeks at the top . "Need You" spent a total of seventeen weeks on the chart.-Chart performance:...
" and ending with "Here Comes Honey Again
Here Comes Honey Again
"Here Comes Honey Again" is a 1971 single by Sonny James. "Here Comes Honey Again" would be the last of sixteen, number one country hits in a row for Sonny James. His next release, his remake of "Only Love Can Break a Heart", would peak at number two on country charts...
" in 1971, James recorded 16 straight No. 1 country singles of his 72 verified chart hits. His career No. 1 one total was 23, the last coming with 1974's "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)
Is It Wrong (For Loving You)
"Is It Wrong " is a 1974 single by Sonny James. "Is It Wrong " would the final of twenty-three number ones on the country chart for Sonny James. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of eleven weeks on the country chart.The song was written by Warner MacPherson in...
". During this time James also helped launch the solo career of Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
, producing her first three albums, including the 1973 smash hit, "Paper Roses
Paper Roses
"Paper Roses" is a popular song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre which was a hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant with Monty Kelly's Orchestra and Chorus and later for Marie Osmond in 1973....
".
The No. 1 streak record, however, is a point of contention. Country supergroup Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
surpassed James' record in 1985 with their 17th No. 1 one song, "Forty Hour Week (For a Livin')", but the dispute stems from their 1982 Christmas single, "Christmas in Dixie
Christmas in Dixie
"Christmas in Dixie" is a Christmas song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Originally released in 1982, the song was included on Alabama's 1985 Christmas album , and has since been included on many Christmas compilations in both the country and all-genre fields.-Content:The song is a...
". The song peaked at 35 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles
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...
chart in January 1983, during what could be considered a streak of 21 No. 1 songs. Some sources, such as Joel Whitburn
Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
's "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," disregard non-No. 1 Christmas singles in determining chart-topping streaks, and consider Alabama to have surpassed the record; others, however, including the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Web site, state that the failure of "Christmas in Dixie" snapped Alabama's streak before it could achieve parity with James' 16.
Settling down
In 1983, James retired to his home with Doris in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He came home to Hackleburg during the Neighbor Day Festival on April 25, 2009 and recognized the 100th birthday of the town of Hackleburg on the main stage during the festival. He was scheduled to appear at the Hackleburg Neighbor Day Festival's 10th anniversary celebration on April 30, 2011.
Recognition
For his contribution to the music industry, in 1971 James received a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6630 Hollywood Blvd., and in 1987 he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a after a state-wide referendum in 1987...
. In 2006 James was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum identifies and preserves the evolving history and traditions of country music and educates its audiences...
, and appeared on TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
for the first time in nearly 20 years to accept his induction during the Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
on November 6, 2006. In 2009 Sonny James was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.