On this day (February 11) in 1975, Willie Nelson stepped into the Autumn Sound Studio in Garland, Texas, and recorded “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” The song was part of his landmark concept album, Red Headed Stranger. While the song was Nelson’s first No. 1 single and is largely associated with him, he was far from the first country legend to record it.
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A long list of country music A-listers recorded “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” before Nelson put his stamp on it. Legendary songwriter and publisher Fred Rose wrote it, and Elton Britt was the first to record it. A year later, in 1948, Roy Acuff, an inspiration for Hank Williams, made the song popular with his rendition. Williams recorded his version in 1951. Other high-profile artists who cut the song before Nelson included Bill Anderson, Hank Snow, Conway Twitty, Ferlin Husky, and Slim Whitman.
Nelson released what has become the definitive version of the song in July 1975. In October, it reached the top of the country chart dated October 4 and stayed there for two weeks. Red Headed Stranger reached the top of the country albums chart the same week. It occupied the top spot for three weeks, giving Nelson his first No. 1 LP.
Willie Nelson Earns Hits on His Terms
Willie Nelson played the Nashville game for more than a decade before he topped the charts with “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and Red Headed Stranger. He released most of his early albums and singles on the RCA Victor label with limited success. He left his longtime label in the early 1970s and moved to Atlantic for a pair of now-classic releases–Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. Then, he negotiated a deal with Columbia Records.
His new contract gave him full creative control of his output. As a result, he was finally able to make the music he wanted to make. Red Headed Stranger was his first album on Columbia. The LP’s stripped-down production style made label executives believe that Nelson had sent them a collection of demo tapes. They were initially reluctant to release the finished product. However, they were contractually bound to do so.
To put things into perspective, Nelson had released 17 albums before Red Headed Stranger. Ten of them charted, and three reached the top 10. The album started a run of three consecutive No. 1 LPs. Most of his albums between 1975 and 1985 landed firmly within the top five of the chart.
He saw a similar change in success on the singles chart. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” was the first of many hit songs he released in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
In short, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and Red Headed Stranger were more than hits for Willie Nelson. The releases marked the beginning of the most successful period of his career and the beginning of his rise to country stardom.
Featured Image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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