In early August of 1984, the Judds were at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “Mama He’s Crazy.” It was their first chart-topper. Later, the song brought the duo their first Grammy Award. Hall of Fame songwriter Kenny O’Dell penned it for the duo after being inspired by a daytime soap opera.
The Judds burst onto the country scene in the early 1980s. Their debut EP, Wynonna & Naomi, produced a pair of hit singles. “Had a Dream (For the Heart)” was their debut, which peaked at No. 17 in 1983. The next year, “Mama He’s Crazy” kicked off a string of 8 consecutive No. 1 hits.
Videos by American Songwriter
The Stars Aligned for the Judds
Things worked out perfectly for the Judds in the early days of their career. Their live performances had already caught the ear of Kenny O’Dell, who had already penned several hits, including Charlie Rich’s smash “Behind Closed Doors.” According to Songfacts, he wanted to take the duo on and develop them. With that in mind, he wanted to write something that would fit their style.
O’Dell was working from home and had a daily routine. At around 2 o’clock every afternoon, he and his wife would have lunch and watch TV. “There was this soap opera on TV at the time, a short-lived one called Texas, a take-off on Dallas,” he recalled. “I had my legal pad there by me to write down lines and anything that came off the dialogue. ‘Mama, he’s crazy’ was one of the dialogues they used on this particular show.”
[RELATED: 3 of the Greatest Parent-Child Duos in Music History ]
Before they made it big in Nashville, Naomi Judd worked in a hospital in nearby Franklin, Tennessee. She treated producer Brent Maher’s daughter after she’d been in a car accident. She took the opportunity to pass their demo to Maher when he came to visit. He liked what he heard and helped them land a deal with RCA. He also produced their debut EP and all of their studio albums.
Featured Image by John Atashian/Getty Images
-
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Mel Tillis Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
American musician and bassist, Marshall Grant smiling while recording songs for Johnny Cash's The Last Gunfighter Ballad album at Sound Spectrum Recording, Inc., also known as the House of Cash Studios in Nashville, Tennessee 1976. Photo is part of the Nashville Music Collection. (Photo by Al Clayton/Getty Images). -
Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto -
Merle Haggard, left, and George Jones. (Photo courtesy of Facebook) -
LAS VEGAS – MARCH 1995 – Raul Malo of the alternative country band The Mavericks performs at the MGM Grand Hotel in March 1995 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sherry Rayn Barnett/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
