On This Day in 1958, George Jones Released a Self-Pity Heartbreak Anthem Later Recorded by Loretta Lynn, Elvis Costello, Patty Loveless, and John Prine

On this day (January 15) in 1958, George Jones released “Color of the Blues” as a non-album single. The song peaked at No. 7, adding to Jones’ ever-growing list of top 10 hits. Moreover, the song, co-penned by Jones and Lawton Williams, inspired multiple future covers from A-list artists.

Videos by American Songwriter

Jones signed a deal with Mercury Records in 1957. Later that year, he released his major label debut, “Don’t Stop the Music.” The difference in quality between that single and his previous output was glaring. He was no longer cutting songs in an improvised home studio. Instead, he had access to the up-to-date technology his contemporaries were using.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1955, George Jones Released What Would Be His Second Hit Single, Co-Written With His Childhood Friend]

The songs Jones released didn’t just sound better. They were consistently more successful. He notched several top 10 hits with his Starday releases. However, they were usually bracketed by singles that failed to chart. The same wasn’t true for his later singles. Seven of his first dozen Mercury singles charted, including “Color of the Blues” and his first No. 1, “White Lightning.” Jones’ consistency increased in the early 1960s as he entered the most successful two decades of his career.

George Jones Inspires Various Future Covers

Lawton Williams wrote the lyrics for “Color of the Blues,” and George Jones worked out the melody and title. Together, they came up with a vividly poetic honky tonk heartbreaker. The quality of the song didn’t go unnoticed. Some of country’s biggest stars put their stamp on it over the years.

Red Sovine was the first to cover “Color of the Blues” in 1961. Two years later, Loretta Lynn recorded it for her album Loretta Lynn Sings. Skeeter Davis included it on her 1973 album The Hillbilly Singer.

Decades later, in 2008, Patty Loveless recorded it for Sleepless Nights: The Traditional Country Soul of Patty Loveless. In 2016, John Prine and Susan Tedeschi turned the song into a duet for Prine’s album For Better, Or Worse.

“Color of the Blues” didn’t just attract country stars, though. Elvis Costello included the George Jones classic on his 1981 album Almost Blue.

Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images