Country Music
The song “Young Love” was written by Ric Cartey and Carole Joyner and published in 1956. Cartey recorded it with The Jiva-Tones in 1956, but did it not chart. Sonny James recorded it in 1956 and had a big hit with it in 1957. It crossed over from the country charts into the pop charts, as it went to #1 U.S. Billboard Country Chart, Billboard Pop Chart, and Cashbox Pop Chart. It went to #11 in the U.K. The single sold more than one million copies and was awarded an RIAA gold record. Also, in 1957, he was the first country artists to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Sonny James was born James Hugh Loden in Hackleburg, Alabama. He was known as a country singer and songwriter as well as a music producer and publisher. He was called the Southern Gentleman because of his polite demeanor and also gave that name to his backup group. James was part of the Alabama Army National Guard and served during the Korean War from 1950-1951. Sonny James had a career with many chart-topping hits. He had 72 country and pop charted released from 1953 through 1983. From 1967, beginning with “Need You” and ending with “Here Comes Honey Again” in 1971, he recorded 16 straight #1 country singles. This record has yet to be broken. Over the years, he had 26 #1 hits. In 2007, accompanied by his group The Southern Gentlemen, James was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the music industry, as he helped to broaden country music‘s appeal across the nation.
Sonny James (May 1, 1928 – February 22, 2016)
