Born on This Day in 1928, the Korean War Veteran and Longtime Friend of Chet Atkins Who Dominated the Country Charts in the 60s and 70s

On this day (May 1) in 1928, James Loden was born in Hackleburg, Alabama. Before he stepped into the spotlight, he took the name Sonny James because it helped him gain name recognition. He found chart success in the late 1950s, but became a dominant force in country music in the following decade with an unbroken string of No. 1 singles that spanned four years.

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James didn’t just grow up in a musical family. Instead, he was raised by professional entertainers. He was playing in his family band by the time he was four years old. Before he was 10, the Loden family had a radio show. In his teens, he mastered the guitar and began winning fiddle competitions.

The family relocated several times to take gigs at radio stations around the Southeastern United States. In the mid-1940s, they landed in Raleigh, North Carolina. There, James met and befriended an up-and-coming musician named Chet Atkins. They roomed together until the family relocated again. A few years later, in 1950, the Loden family’s band dissolved, and James moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he continued performing on the radio.

His solo career was gaining steam when, in September 1950, he was called to serve his country. He was a member of the National Guard, and his unit, the 252^nd Truck Company, was activated. The future country star continued honing his skills while deployed. Two years later, he returned to the United States and embarked on his solo career.

James Loden Becomes Sonny James

When his deployment ended, James Loden moved to Nashville, where he lived with Chet Atkins and his wife for a week. Atkins had already established himself in the industry and helped launch his old friend’s career.

According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Atkins introduced him to Ken Nelson, an executive and producer with Capitol Records. After hearing Loden sing and play, Nelson agreed to record him. He also suggested the young musician change his name. Not long after that, Sonny James emerged with his debut single, “Short Cut.”

Four years later, James landed his first No. 1 with “Young Love,” which topped the pop and country charts. It helped get him in front of larger audiences thanks to television appearances. However, it didn’t immediately translate to further chart or commercial success.

James only scored two more top 10 hits in the 1950s. He bounced from one label to another, hoping to replicate the success of “Young Love,” but failed to do so. In the early 1960s, he returned to Capitol Records, where he released “The Minute You’re Gone” in 1963. It was a top 10 hit. A year later, he was back at the top of the chart with “You’re the Only World I Know.”

More hits followed, with “Behind the Tear” and “Take Good Care of Her” giving him two more chart-toppers. Then, in 1967, he released “Need You.” It kicked off a string of 16 No. 1 singles that ended in 1971 when “Only Love Can Break a Heart” stalled at No. 2.

James had several more hits throughout the decade and continued to chart in the 1980s. He retired in 1984, living out the rest of his days in Nashville with his wife, Doris, whom he had married in 1957.

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