Jerry Wallace ~ If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry

Jerry Wallace, who shot to fame in the late 1950s with a pair of hit songs including "Primrose Lane," died Monday May 5, 2008. He was 79. Wallace died of congestive heart failure at his home.

Wallace was born December 15, 1928 in Guilford, Missouri. He later lived in Glendale, Arizona and Los Angeles, California. Jerry developed an interest in guitar and singing. He also acted in various school productions, which came in handy later in his career.

After serving in the U. S. Navy, Jerry began recording for Allied Records (1951). Although a few singles were released, they only garnered regional attention. From there he turned out singles on Vogue from 1952 through the mid-'50s.

In 1958 Jerry turned up on Challenge Records and scored a respectable single titled, "How the Time Flies." Wallace followed-up with "Diamond Ring (1958) and "A Touch of Pink" in 1959. He finally broke the top-10 that year with "Primrose Lane." Jerry ended his association with Challenge Records after the release of "In the Misty Moonlight."

During his early career, Wallace was billed as a pop singer, but in 1965, he moved to Mercury Records and began to generate a more country sound. Then he switched to Liberty Records in 1967, but turned out only minor hits.

Jerry signed on with Decca in 1970 and ignighted his career with a string of top-20 country hits. His biggest single "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry" charted in 1972 and went all the way to No.1. That year, he gained a nomination for the Country Music Association Award as Male Vocalist of the Year, and his song "To Get to You" gained a nomination for Single of the Year. The popularity of "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry" was heightened when it was featured in the soundtrack of Night Gallery, a popular TV show in the '70s. He had a few more successful singles with Decca and then turned up on MGM, BMA, 4 Star and Door Knob. Throughout his career, he racked up 35 singles through 1980.

Nicknamed "Mr. Smooth" because of his vocal style, Wallace did not hit it big like Faron Young, Ray Price and Carl Smith who were around during that time. The reason was partly due to him not getting good material from prolific writers. He definitely had the talent and style to put him in the arena with these singers, but he just didn't get the big songs to catapult him to the top.

RJB, Country Music Connoisseur
Nashville, Tennessee.

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[otherworldtrader1]

I remember this song as one which once it hit the juke boxes became a favorite slow dance number at about all country dances. It was requested nightly for a long time both in juke joints and dances.

[flashbell]

@otherworldtrader1, It is great to hear real life events regarding thes songs. I wish I had paid more attention.

[5171967cafk]

@HistoryofTek ........yep it is hun, the one on The NG epsd is a some kind of derivitive of the original song, probably, anyway :/  Still neat to hear it....

[HistoryofTek]

this sounds like a different jerry wallace version than the night gallery one....

[JUDA59ful]

I always liked this song.JUDA59ful

[06dufus]

i can recall hearing it on night gallery...love the song

[mkl62]

The only #1 song of Jerry Wallace's career. It was the 236th #1 C&W song of the Rock Era. It also hit #3 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks charts and #38 on both the Top 40 and Canadian Pop charts. When this song hit #1, I was still mourning the sudden loss of my grandfather (August 16, 1972). Besides farming, he also played the fiddle. He played at square dances in the area and at his home. To Jerry and PaPa, thank you for the memories. We love you and miss you both.

[MrTammywynettefan]

I first heard this in "Rod Serling's Night Gallery. I loved the song, of course that TV show really made a big hit for Jerry Wallace!!! I'll always remember this song:)

[JubalCalif]

@CrashingCrockery

Thanks for the background info, Crock! It's greatly appreciated! CHEERS, mate! :-)

[CrashingCrockery]

@flashbell Why yes, I do! It was (is) on the album featuring him with very whitish blonde hair, I think with a blue background. I have it on a tape I listen to in the car often (last night in fact). I do have the LP someplace, but it is buried with hundreds of others. I am intrigued someone other than myself has heard it (save for the poor citizens of Wickenburg, for whom it was an anthem years ago, probably forgotten by now!)

[flashbell]

@CrashingCrockery , I have been searching for Out Wickenburg Way for years. Do you have it?

[CrashingCrockery]

@JubalCalif Jerry lived in Arizona, or at least for a time, because some of the songs thay might have been cryptic to some were shockingly familiar to me, living there. He uses place names and towns particular to Arizona, perhaps the most well-known (for us Phoenicians) was "Out Wickenburg Way," Wickenburg being a township where he resided. And the locals there haaated it! He refers to pot and coke and "colored pills," so I am guessing he was getting over an addiction problem, perhaps?