On This Day in 1959, George Jones Released One of the Decade’s Biggest Country Albums, Featuring a No. 1 Hit Written by the Big Bopper

Recording his debut single “No Money in This Deal” in 1954, George Jones was the soundtrack to many a heartbreak and a hell-raisin’ good time. With a career spanning five decades, he gave us unforgettable gems such as “The Grand Tour” (1974) and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (1980). On this day (May 26) in 1959, Jones released one of his most popular works, White Lighting and Other Favorites. That same year, the album’s title track gave Jones the first of 14 chart-topping career hits.

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Written by J.P. Richardson—better known by his stage name, the Big Bopper—”White Lightning” also found success in the pop realm. It peaked at number 73 on the Hot 100. While George Jones would score 13 more country number one hits, this would remain his highest entry on the all-genre chart.

Sadly, Richardson wouldn’t live long enough to see the success of “White Lightning”. The 24-year-old musician died alongside fellow pop stars Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens in an Iowa plane crash on February 3, 1959—just six days before the song’s release.

George Jones Was Intoxicated When He Recorded His First No. 1 Hit

Decades before he grappled with the reputation of “No Show Jones” due to his struggles with alcohol, George Jones was drunk when he showed up to the Bradley Studios in Nashville to record “White Lightning”.

“The word ‘slug’ is slurred in that record,” Jones wrote in his 1996 autobiography I Lived to Tell It All,. “That’s because I was drunk. . . If you listen to the original recording of ‘White Lightning,’ you can hear me stumble over the word ‘slug.’” 

That lyric wasn’t the session’s only casualty. It took about 80 takes to get the track just right. Bassist Buddy Killen reportedly developed painful blisters on his fingers from replaying his part dozens of times.

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Understandably angry, Killen threatened both to walk out of the session and to physically the singer. Making matters worse, producer Pappy Daly decided to go with the first take anyway—despite Jones’ flubbing of the word “slug.”

 “We tried doing the song again, but it never was as good as it was that first time. So we just released it that way,” explained former Starday Records president Don Pierce.

Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images