On the Charts This Day in 1984, Johnny Lee and Lane Brody Ruled With the Theme Song to a Beloved NBC Television Series

The 1980 film Urban Cowboy marked a sea change for country music. Starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, the movie revolves around Gilley’s, a honky-tonk the size of a football field in Pasadena, Texas. Perhaps no artist received a bigger push from the film’s platinum-selling soundtrack than Texas City, Texas native Johnny Lee. A regular performer at Gilley’s, Lee scored his first No. 1 song with the crossover hit “Lookin’ for Love”. This marked the first of 17 Top 40 hits for Lee in the 1980s, including four more chart-toppers. On this day (April 26) in 1984, he was back atop the country singles chart with “The Yellow Rose”, his duet with country singer Lane Brody.

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Johnny Lee “Never Dreamed” This Song Would Be a Hit

Borrowing its medley from the 19th-century folk song “The Yellow Rose of Texas”, Lee and Brody co-wrote brand-new lyrics with John Wilder.

Released in February 1984, “The Yellow Rose” spent 22 weeks on the country singles chart, including one week at No. 1. This marked Lane Brody’s first and only career No. 1, and Johnny Lee’s fourth.

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🎶 Johnny Lee Rocks His #1 Hit “The Yellow Rose of Texas” Live in Beaumont! #johnnylee #lanebrody

♬ original sound – Jim King of the Road

Featured on Lee’s 1984 studio album ‘Til the Bars Burn Down, “The Yellow Rose” served as the theme song to the NBC series of the same name, a Dallas-esque soap opera starring Cybill Shepherd and Sam Elliott.

NBC canceled the series after just one season. However, “The Yellow Rose” lives on in country music history.

“I wrote a song and sang it with a young lady by the name of Lane Brody,” Lee said during a 2009 performance in Beaumont, Texas. “I never dreamed this song would go to No. 1.”

[RELATED: 4 Hit Country Songs From the 1980s That Disappeared Without a Trace]

He’s Still Performing

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, Johnny Lee launched his ‘Hey Bartender, Last Call’: The Farewell Tour in February 2023.

In spite of that, Lee has continued performing here and there as he prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday on July 3 of this year. According to the singer’s official Facebook page, he took the stage in February at 7 Clans First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma, with Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley.

“My plan has always been to keep doing this as long as I’m here,” wrote the “Cherokee Fiddle” crooner. “After all, I’m still LOOKIN’!”

Featured image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Webster PR