Jack Greene | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | "The Gentle Giant" "The Jolly Greene Giant" |
| Born | Jack Henry Greene (1930-01-07)January 7, 1930 Maryville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 2013(2013-03-14) (aged 83) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1965–2011 |
Jack Henry Greene[1] (January 7, 1930 – March 14, 2013) was an Americancountry musician. Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, Greene was a long time member of theGrand Ole Opry. A three-timeGrammy Award nominee,[2] Greene is best known for his 1966 hit, "There Goes My Everything". The song dominated the country music charts for nearly two months in 1967 and earned Greene "Male Vocalist of the Year", "Single of the Year", "Album of the Year", and "Song of the Year" honors from theCountry Music Association.[2][3] Greene had a total of five number-one country hits and three others that reached the top 10.Billboard named Greene one of the top 100 "Most Played Artists".[4]
Greene was born inMaryville, Tennessee, and learned to play guitar when he was 10 years old.[3] His first involvement with the music industry came when he was still a teenager, working as a disc jockey at radio stationWGAP in Maryville.[2][3]
By the age of 18, Greene was a regular on theTennessee Barn Dance show onWNOX (Knoxville, Tennessee). In the early 1950s, he moved toAtlanta, where he formed his own band, the Peach Tree Boys. Greene was lead vocalist, drummer, and guitarist for the group for eight years.[4] In 1959, he moved back to Tennessee and settled inNashville and formed another band, the Tennessee Mountain Boys. A major career break came Greene's way in 1961 when his band served as the opening act forErnest Tubb. Impressed, Tubb asked Greene to become a part of his backing band, the Texas Troubadors, in 1962.[3]
For the next few years, Jack Greene was a drummer, guitarist, vocalist, andmaster of ceremonies for the Troubadors' performances. He soon began serving as opening act on a regular basis for Tubb, as well as playing in the band.[3] In 1964, Jack released his first solo record withThe Last Letter. The song originally appeared on one of Ernest Tubb's live albums, but drew enough attention that Tubb's record label,Decca Records, released it as a single. Another single, "Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)", followed in 1965, but failed to make the country music charts, having the bad luck to come out at the same time asRay Price's version. Tubb encouraged Jack Greene to leave the Texas Troubadors and pursue a solo career. Said Greene in an interview, "Ernest told me, 'Son, I believe it's time to go.' But also said, 'If you can't make it, you can always come back and be a Troubador'."[3]
Greene's first top-40 hit came in early 1966 with "Ever Since My Baby Went Away", peaking at number 37. Later that year, Decca released what became his signature song, "There Goes My Everything". The song reached number one and stayed on top of the country charts for seven weeks, while becoming a crossover hit. His success continued into 1967 with another number one in "All the Time" (on top for five weeks) and a number-two hit with "What Locks the Door". In 1967, he received the prestigious awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year, and Album of the Year from theCountry Music Association. In all, he recorded nine number-one country hits on various charts, including five number-oneBillboard hits. His success continued into 1968 with another number one with "You Are My Treasure" and the top-five hit "Love Takes Care of Me".[citation needed]
In 1969, he had two number-one hits with "Until My Dreams Come True" and "Statue of a Fool". He completed the year out with the top-five "Back in the Arms of Love".[5] Also in 1967, Jack Greene became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.[6] He became an Opry mainstay, performing there frequently each year until his health failed.
In 1970, Greene gained a duet and a touring partner inJeannie Seely. Together, they had three country hits, including "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You", which reached number two on the charts and became Greene's last top-10 hit.[6] Jack and Jeannie's stage show became one of the biggest touring acts during the 1970s. Jack continued to have both solo hits and duets with Seely. Among the biggest of these hits during the 1970s were "Lord, Is That Me" (1970), "There's a Lot About a Woman a Man Don't Know" (1971), and two more duets with Jeannie with "Much Obliged" (1972) and "What in The World Has Gone Wrong with Our Love" (1972).[4]
Decca becameMCA Records in the early 1970s, but Greene kept on having chart success with "Satisfaction" (1973), "I Need Somebody Bad" (1973), and "It's Time to Cross That Bridge" (1974). Afterwards, his chart success declined rapidly, as another song in 1974 and one song in 1975 were minor hits, and he was dropped by MCA Records in 1976.[4]
Jack Greene enjoyed a brief comeback with the Frontline Records label in 1980 as the song "Yours for the Taking" peaked at number 28 on the country charts.[6] The song was Greene's last in the country top 40. He achieved several more minor hits, however, on Frontline and then on EMH andStep One Records. He continued to tour regularly and to appear on the Grand Ole Opry program; 2007 marked his 40th anniversary with the Opry.[7][8]
Greene continued to record sporadically in the 2000s, including the duet "You Have Won My Heart" and "Stetson Cowboy" with Santana Maria, but neither charted. Greene recorded his final studio albumPrecious Memories, Treasured Friends in 2010. An album of duets, it featured fellow country starsLorrie Morgan andGeorge Jones.[6] In failing health, Greene retired from performing in 2011. He died on March 14, 2013, from complications ofAlzheimer's disease at the age of 83 in Nashville.[2]
