On the Charts in 1976, Emmylou Harris Scored Her First No. 1 Country Album With a Record That Featured Classic Covers of Patsy Cline and Buck Owens

Emmylou Harris began her career as a folksinger, releasing her debut album, Gliding Bird, in 1970. Harris’ focus shifted to country music after joining Gram Parsons’ touring band and contributing to the late, influential country-rock artist’s two solo albums.

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After Parsons’ death in 1973, Emmylou relaunched her solo career. She released her first country album, Pieces Of The Sky, in February 1975, and it was an immediate success. It peaked at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and included the No. 4 country hit with “If I Could Only Win Your Love,” a cover of a 1958 Louvin Brothers tune.

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Harris’ follow-up, Elite Hotel, arrived in December 1975. With it, the angelic-voiced songbird soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums tally on April 10, 1976.

Elite Hotel took over the top spot from Wanted! The Outlaws, a compilation featuring performances by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. Emmylou’s album spent two weeks at No. 1 before being replaced by Nelson’s The Sound In Your Mind.

Two songs from Elite Hotel went on to top Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart later in 1976. “Together Again,” a cover of a 1964 Buck Owens song, reached No. 1 on April 24 song. Harris’ rendition of the Don Gibson-penned Patsy Clne classic “Sweet Dreams” topped the tally for the last week in 1976 and the first week in 1977. The latter tune featured prominent backing vocals by Rodney Crowell

In addition, Emmylou’s cover of “One Of These Days,” which first was recorded by George Jones in 1972, peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Country Singles chart.

More About ‘Elite Hotel’

Elite Hotel also included renditions of The Beatles’ “Here, There And Everywhere” and Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya (On The Bayou).” In addition, the album featured three tunes co-written by Parsons—The Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Sin City” and “Wheels” and the solo Gram song “Ooh Las Vegas.” “Wheels” saw Harris duetting with singer-songwriter Jonathan Edwards.

Elite Hotel included contributions from a variety of other respected singers, musicians, and session players. They included Linda Ronstadt, Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon, pedal-steel guitarist Ben Keith, and Little Feat pianist Bill Payne.

In 1977, Harris won her first Grammy Award for Elite Hotel, in the Best Country Vocal Performance, Female category. She also was nominated for the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female prize for her cover of “Here, There And Everywhere.”

(Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)