ARTIST SPOTLIGHT = Jimmy Wakely (3 songs)

This Mineola AR-native singer-songwriter-guitarist-pianist was a regular on Gene Autry’s “Melody Ranch” radio show in the early 1940s. Known as “The Melody Kid”, he starred in several movies, hosted his own radio show, 1952-1957 & co-hosted TV’s “5 Star Jubilee” (1961). He died 09/23/1982.

#1
This song, his 3rd overall release, debuted on the country charts 09/04/1948; it spent 32 weeks on the charts, 11 of those at #1. It crossed over & reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. His prior 2 country releases had also reached the Top 10: 1944’s “I’m Sending You Red Roses” (#2) & 1948’s “Signed, Sealed & Delivered” (#9).

#2
The follow-up to his 1st chart topper, this song hit the airwaves 10/30/1948 & spent 28 weeks on the country charts, 5 of those at #1. It also crossed over & reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 4th of 9 straight Top 10s, it was followed by such tunes as 1948-9’s “Mine All Mine” (#8), 1949’s “Till The End Of The World” (#9) & 1949’s “I Wish I Had A Nickel” (#4).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N04u8XuY6ec

#3
From the movie ‘Captain Carey, USA’ starring Alan Ladd, this song debuted 09/23/1950 & spent 1 week on the country charts, peaking at #10. It was his 8th of 13 straight Top 10s on the country charts, sparked by a duet with Margaret Whiting, 1949’s “Slipping Around”, which spent 28 weeks on the charts, 17 of them at #1. 8 songs in the string of 13 straight country Top 10s also peaked in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.