Charlie Rich - Lonely Weekends

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Charlie Rich (December 14, 1932 - July 25, 1995) was an American Country Music Singer/Musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.

In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver Fox. He is perhaps best remembered for a pair of 1973 hits, "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl". "The Most Beautiful Girl" topped the U.S. country singles charts, as well as the pop singles charts. .

Though he resided in Benton, Arkansas most of his life, Rich was born in Colt, Arkansas to rural cotton farmers, beginning a professional musical career while in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s. His first musical group, called the Velvetones, played jazz and blues and featured his fiancée, Margaret Ann, on lead vocals. Rich left the military in 1955 and tried to farm five acres in Tennessee. He also began performing in clubs around the Memphis area, playing both jazz and R&B. It was during these hard times that he began writing his own material.

Rich was a session musician for Judd Records, which was owned by Jud Phillips, the brother of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips. After recording some demos for Sam Phillips at Sun Records that Phillips didn't find commercial enough, and too jazzy, legend has it that he was given a stack of Jerry Lee Lewis records and told: "come back when you get that bad." In 1958, Rich became a regular session musician for Sun Records playing on records by Lewis, Johnny Cash, Bill Justis, Warren Smith, Billy Lee Riley, Carl Mann, and Ray Smith. He also wrote songs for Lewis, Cash, and others.

His third single for the Sun subsidiary, Phillips International Records, was the 1960 Top 30 hit, "Lonely Weekends," noted for its Presley-like vocals. None of his seven follow-up singles was a success, though several of the songs became staples in his live set, including "Who Will the Next Fool Be," "Sittin' and Thinkin'," and "No Headstone on My Grave." These songs were often recorded by others to varying degrees of success, such as the Bobby Bland version of "Who Will the Next Fool Be."

Rich's career stalled, and he left the struggling Sun label in 1963, signing with a subsidiary of RCA Records Groove. His first single for Groove, "Big Boss Man," was a minor hit, but again his Chet Atkins-produced follow-ups all stiffed. Rich moved to Smash Records early in 1965. Rich's new producer, Jerry Kennedy, encouraged the pianist to emphasize his country and rock & roll leanings, although Rich considered himself a jazz pianist and had not paid much attention to country music since his childhood. The first single for Smash was "Mohair Sam," an R&B-inflected novelty-rock number, and it became a Top 30 pop hit. Unfortunately again for Rich, none of his follow-up singles were successful. Rich was forced to change labels, moving over to Hi Records, where he recorded blue eyed soul music and straight country, but none of his singles made a dent on the country or pop charts.

You can read the rest of Charlies bio at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Rich

Category:

Education

Tags:

• rock
• rockabilly

[Kenbramham]

I used to see Charlie rich in the Purple Steer in Vancouver in the early 70's he and Buddy Knox had an interest in the club and used to appear there a lot. Les Vogt and Irene Butler had aninterest also and she used to sing there also.

[John1948TwoC]

I would have lived in that place!

[jaymesmomaw]

o000hhhhhhh this is GREAT its just what i love to sit and listen to.i've been looking for an old album on Groove Records by him it's the Big Boss Man album it has The Grass Is Always Greener"" on it ,thats the song i'm looking for,i believe it came out in 1963/1964, if you happen to know where i could find it let me know please.Thanks for posting.

[John1948TwoC]

You can get it here - musicmp3[DOT]ru/artist_charlie­-rich__album_groove-recordings

Just replace [Dot] with a period.

[KissMeQuk]

Charlie Rich sounds like Elvis on this song..... I like it....

[John1948TwoC]

 Better!

[countrysinger1952]

He does sound kind of like Elvis, doesn't he? I think he looks a little bit like him, too.

[sauquoit13456]

On this date in 1960 {May 3rd} Charlie Rich performed this song on the late Dick Clark's American Bandstand...

Two months earlier on March 14th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100; eventually it peaked at #22 and spent 21 weeks in the Top 100...

Mr. Rich passed away on July 25th, 1995 at the age of 62...

R.I.P. Mr. Clark and Mr. Rich... 

[prettycountrygirl2]

I just heard this song on the music channel; and just knew that it was Elvis until I looked at the caption; had to come here to double check. He sure does sound like Elvis. Beautiful song. I love it.

[Wilcox3]

He Definitely Sounds Like Elvis Presley.

[MrChrispd]

Thanks John1948 for this blast from the past,then you mention Buddy Knox"Party Doll" and the memories come flooding back,thanks again

[beckyrhian]

Good lord, I heard this on a Sun Records album and was sure it was Elvis lol. Wow love the song and Charlie's voice too

[houstonmac01]

A great song with drive.My motorcycle buddies referred to this hundred mile an hour music.

[tommieparch]

he was tryin to / or rather sun records was tryin to find an elvis sound & look alike/ (sun lost thier ass on the elvis contract sale) sam phillips was a money hungry hillbilly jew, & it cost him .they even altered charliies looks to look like elvis on an album... phillips wasnt well liked as u can see from his selfishness & the artist that left his label. sam once said :we need a dumn hick that can sound like a nigger!(elvis).when charlie got big in the 70s, it wasnt with sun...

[dakotaba]

This song made it to Number ONE on the Billboard chart, July 12, 1961.

[jackm39]

thanks for this great oldie