Born in Waverly, Tennessee, on this day (June 28) in 1924, George Morgan holds the distinction of being both the final Grand Ole Opry performer at the Ryman Auditorium and the first to christen the brand-new Opry House a week later. The father of country music legend Lorrie Morgan, he is best remembered for his self-penned 1949 chart-topper “Candy Kisses”.
Raised in Barberton, Ohio, George Morgan learned to play guitar at age 11. Appearing on Ohio radio at a young age, his music career gained steam in the 1940s with regular appearances on the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Videos by American Songwriter
When Eddy Arnold left the Grand Ole Opry in 1948, the hallowed country music institution invited Morgan—whose singing style was similar—to take his place.
Just days earlier, Morgan had signed with Columbia Records.
George Morgan Scored His First Hit in 1949
During one morning in 1947, George Morgan passed the time on his commute to work at WWST radio by humming along to the car engine and reminiscing on a relationship with a recent ex-girlfriend.
Within 20 minutes, he had thought up the song “Candy Kisses”: Candy kisses wrapped in paper / Mean more to you than any of mine / Candy kisses wrapped in paper / You’d rather have them any old time.
Unfortunately, a musicians’ union strike barred Morgan from recording the song until January 16, 1949, at Nashville’s Castle Studio. Released the following month, “Candy Kisses” had rocketed to the top of the best-selling folk charts, remaining three for three weeks.
Morgan named his first daughter “Candy” after his breakout hit.
That same year, he also scored his only crossover hit with “Room Full of Roses”, which reached number four on the country charts and number 25 on the pop charts.
“The Light of My Life”
Briefly leaving the Opry in 1956 to host a TV show in Nashville, George Morgan eventually returned and remained a fixture until his death. In 1973, he brought youngest daughter Lorrie Morgan onstage to sing “Paper Roses”.
Sadly, Morgan died in 1975 of a heart attack after undergoing open-heart surgery. The country music legend was just 51 years old.
“He was the light of my life,” Lorrie recalled in a 2024 interview with Country Stars Central. “He did no wrong in my eyes, was a perfect gentleman. Funny. He was a great dad.”
Lorrie Morgan briefly toured with her father’s band after his untimely death. Eventually, she decided to go her own way, scoring three number-one hits.
Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images