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STORY BEHIND THE SONG
A lot of hit songs are actual slices of life from the writer’s past and according to Johnny Rodriguez, his 1973 number one, “Ridin’ My Thumb To Mexico” was one of those tunes!
Rodriguez commented,” That was my first time to write a song by myself and I wrote it on the bus. I don’t remember where we were going to or coming from but that song was written just ridin’ down the highway. I got to thinking about that summer when I was growin’ up in South Texas. We used to hitch hike everywhere and even hitch hiked to Mexico a few times and that’s where the idea for that song came from!”
“Ridin’ My Thumb To Mexico” entered the country music charts August `18th, 1973 and was at the top of the charts October 13th and stayed there for two weeks.
It was his 3rd charted song and his second number one.
The Mercury records single also scored a # 70 on the pop music charts.
The record was produced by Jerry Kennedy.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTION: Do you have any information concerning Willie Nelson songs being put in space? My son said he heard about it on the radio.
ANSWER: NASA is currently letting fans vote on which songs should be played to wake up the astronauts in space on the upcoming final mission of the space shuttle program, and Alan’s “Where I Come From” and Willie’s “On the Road Again” are among the contenders. To vote, go to SongContest.NASA.gov.
QUESTION: I heard that one of Reba McEntire’s dresses is for sale. Is that true?
ANSWER: The green dress that Reba wore for the 2010 CMT Music Awards is now up for bid on eBay to benefit the Kenya Island Missions through Thursday. It’s listed as item number 180553365771.
QUESTION: The radio folks were talking about Barbara Mandrell doing some kind of gathering for an African mission. Do you have any details?
ANSWER: Barbara, ,Louise and Irlene Mandrell will reunite as the Mandrell Sisters on Thursday, September 2 at the Nashville Palace, in support of S.E.E.K. (Suba Environmental Education of Kenya), to help raise funds for those in need in that African nation.S.E.E.K. provides opportunities for the people of Kenya by addressing urgent issues of poverty, hunger and disease in a Biblical and environmentally literate way, to bring about transformation of their communities.
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QUESTION: There was a song on the radio several years ago by a guy singing about a girl named “Kay.” Do you know his name? Was the song a big hit?
ANSWER: “Kay” scored a # 9 for John Wesley Ryles in 1968. He re-recorded the song in 1978 and the second version peaked at # 50
QUESTION: My dad has a record of “The Ballad Of The Green Berets.” The label is worn off but he said it was an actual soldier singing on the record. Is that true?
ANSWER: “The Ballad Of The Green Berets” scored a # 2 in 1966 for Sgt. Barry Sadler, who served as a Staff Sergeant of U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) in Viet Nam. Sadler died of heart failure in 1989
QUESTION: My aunt says that Jeannie Seely is not her real name. Is that true?
ANSWER: Jeannie was born Marilyn Jeanne Seely in Titusville, Pa. in 1940.
NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:
1944
Soldier’s Last Letter – Ernest Tubb
1952
It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels – Kitty Wells
1960
Alabam – Cowboy Copas
1968
Mama Tried – Merle Haggard
1976
(I’m A) Stand by My Woman Man – Ronnie Milsap
1984
Let’s Fall to Pieces Together – George Strait