Forty-nine years ago, a country song with a single-word title soared to the top of the charts, putting one name in the spotlight and giving everyone who shared it a fleeting moment of fame.Kenny Rogers dominated the country and pop charts with the song "Lucille" in June of 1977. The song told the story of a brokenhearted man whose unhappy wife had left him and their four children behind.
According to U Discover Music, the song was included as part of Rogers' self-titled 1977 album. The single crossed over for Rogers, becoming a pop hit, and reaching No. 5 on the Billboard charts by June of that year.
The Tennessean shared a deep dive into the song's creation in 2017. The song was written by Hal Bynum and in the interview, he addressed the urban legend that the song was named after Rogers' mother, Lucille.
Parade Daily? SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ?
"No," he responded when asked if that were true. However, he added that the name "sings good."
Rogers addressed the similarities between his biggest hit and his beloved mother in an interview as reported by Taste of Country. After the song became a hit, he said his mother called him up on the phone thinking the song was about her.
"She called me up on the phone one day, and said 'Kenneth Ray, what are you doing?' I knew when she said that I was in trouble," the singer revealed.
"She thought I was putting her business out on the street," he recalls. "She said 'How dare me tell people she had four hungry children.' I told her 'First of all, you have eight kids. Secondly, I didn't write it, and thirdly, it's not about you. Then she tamed down a little bit."
RELATED: 1975 Country Apology Ballad Turned Heartbreak Into a No. 1 HitIn fact, Bynum told The Tennessean that the song was inspired by a sight-impaired busker on the streets of Norfolk, Virginia, where he was on shore leave. "I was walking up this hill looking for a bar, and on my way there, there was a blind man coming down the street playing guitar and singing, and he had a cup on the end of his guitar," he explained.
"There was some people and kids going along with him and when he got through with it I went on to the bar. I kept thinking about him and finally wrote that song," he continued.
RELATED: 1978 Unforgettable Country Warning Song Beat Its Own Songwriter to No. 1Bynum concluded that he ultimately sat down with a fellow songwriter named Roger Bowling, and together, they finished his original song idea. "When we sat down to write, I said, 'You know I’ve got this song and I don’t know whether Kenny would want it or not.' I sang it to him, and he said, 'Man, that is a monster (for) anybody,'" the songwriter concluded.
Additionally, the song was covered by Waylon Jennings, Justin Moore, and Billy Currington.
Kenny Rogers would go on to become one of the most beloved country artists of his generation. He died on March 20, 2020, at 81.
Hence then, the article about 49 years ago a single word country hit broke hearts and conquered the charts was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 49 Years Ago, a Single-Word Country Hit Broke Hearts and Conquered the Charts )
Also on site :
- The Wailers and The Pogues Confirm Australian Tours Despite Bluesfest Collapse
- Joseph Duggar's Wife Kendra Duggar's Mugshot Revealed After Arrest
- Trump weighs options to secure Iran’s nuclear stockpiles