On this day (January 7) in 1930, Jack Greene was born in Maryville, Tennessee. After becoming a regular on local radio stations and forming multiple bands, he joined Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours. Later, he began his solo career, which led to multiple major country hits, Grammy nominations, and Grand Ole Opry membership.
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Greene learned to play guitar when he was just 10 years old. A few years later, he became a disc jockey on the Maryville-based radio station, WGAP. By the time he was 18 years old, he was making regular appearances on the Tennessee Barn Dance on WNOX in nearby Knoxville, Tennessee.
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In his early 20s, Greene moved to Atlanta and formed the Peach Tree Boys. Later, he relocated to Nashville, where he formed the Tennessee Mountain Boys. The band got a major break when they began opening for Ernest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours. According to Country Road TV, Tubb invited Green to become a Texas Troubadour in 1962. He played guitar, drums, and sang in the Troubadours for a few years. Then, he began opening for Tubb as a solo act while still playing with the band.
Greene’s first solo recording, “The Last Letter,” appeared on one of Tubb’s live albums and caught the attention of Decca Records. Seeing that he had a shot at a solo career, Tubb urged Greene to leave the band. “Ernset 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 Troubadour,’” Greene recalled. It was an offer he wouldn’t need to accept.
Jack Greene Becomes a Solo Star
Jack Greene was a striking individual. Standing at 6’4” with a deep voice, he earned the nicknames Jolly Greene Giant and Gentle Giant. His success in the early years of his career matched his stature.
His first single, “Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me),” failed to chart. Unfortunately, Ray Price released a version of the song around the same time, and it was a hit. Greene saw more success with his second release, “Ever Since My Baby Went Away,” which broke into the top 40.
He followed that success with his biggest career hit, “There Goes My Everything.” It spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 between December 1966 and February 1967. His next single, “All the Time,” gave him another chart-topper. Greene released seven more top 10 singles in the 1960s, three of which went to No. 1.
In 1970, Greene began recording duets with Jeannie Seely. They recorded multiple hits together, including “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” which became Greene’s final top 1 hit. They also became one of the most popular touring acts of the decade.
Greene retired in 2011. Two years later, he died from Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 83.
Featured Image by Bruno Of Hollywood/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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