On this day in 1938, Melba Montgomery was born in Iron City, Tennessee. She was best known as a duet artist early in her career. However, she found solo fame in the mid-1970s with a series of hit singles. Later, she began working as a songwriter in Nashville, penning songs recorded by the likes of George Strait, Randy Travis, and Terri Clark.
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Montgomery was a member of a large and musical family. Her parents passed their love of music to her and her six siblings to sing and play multiple instruments. According to Hillbilly Music, she competed in several talent contests as a teenager. One of those contests brought the then-19-year-old Montgomery an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in 1958. Soon after that appearance, she moved to Nashville and began singing with Roy Acuff. Four years later, she began her solo career.
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Melba Montgomery: America’s Number One Country and Western Girl Singer
Melba Montgomery began her career as a “girl singer” for Roy Acuff’s touring band. After leaving Acuff’s outfit, she began recording as a solo artist. She released her debut single, “Shoe Old Ranger,” in 1962. Two years later, Montgomery released her first full-length album, America’s Number One Country and Western Girl Singer. However, despite her popularity with country fans at the time, she did not see much chart success as a solo artist. In the 1960s, she was more successful as a duet partner.
Montgomery found her first hit with “We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds,” a song she wrote and recorded with George Jones in 1963. It peaked at No. 3 on the country chart. Since then, dozens of duos have recorded covers of the song. Montgomery also recorded the song with John Prine on his 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves.
She and Jones released Singing What’s in Our Hearts, the first of four collaborative albums, in 1963. She also recorded LPs with Gene Pitney and Charlie Louvin of the Louvin Brothers.
A Solo Resurgence
After a decade of being known almost exclusively as a duet singer, Melba Montgomery inked a deal with Elektra Records and released her self-titled album in 1973. The album’s lead single peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard country chart. It was her highest-charting solo single since “The Greatest One of All” reached No. 26 in 1963.
The next year, she released No Charge. It was her first solo full-length to reach the Top Country Albums chart, where it peaked at No. 14. The Harlan Howard-penned title track brought Montgomery her only No. 1 single. It also peaked at No. 39 on the Hot 100, giving her a crossover hit.
Melba Montgomery: Songwriter
Melba Montgomery was much more than a “girl singer.” She was also a talented, accomplished, and prolific songwriter. She wrote or co-wrote many of the duets she recorded with George Jones and others in the 1960s. Her solo albums are also full of songs she co-wrote, mostly with her brother, Earl “Peanut” Montgomery.
Dozens of artists have recorded Montgomery’s songs over the years. Bobby Bare, Conway Twitty, Kris Kristofferson, Del Reeves, Randy Travis, Miranda Lambert, and many more have put their spins on her compositions. Notably, George Strait took “What Do You Say to That” to No. 4 on the country chart in 1999. Montgomery co-wrote the song with Jim Lauderdale.
Melba Montgomery retired in 2015, after the death of Jack Solomon, her husband of 46 years. She died earlier this year at the age of 86, leaving behind an immortal legacy.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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