Pat Boone Revisits Country Hit “Chattanoogie Shoeshine Boy”

The 89-year-old pop music icon first explored country on Howdy! in 1956 with two more albums in 1976 — Texas Woman and The Country Side of Pat Boone — and has returned to the genre with a cover of the late Red Foley’s 1950 hit “Chattanoogie Shoeshine Boy,” on Boone’s upcoming album Country Jubilee, out Aug. 25.

Originally featured on Boone’s 1956 album, “Chattanoogie Shoeshine Boy” was originally recorded by Foley — also Boone’s father-in-law— in 1949 and hit No. 1 in 1950. The song was later recorded by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Jimmy Dean, among others.

Married to Foley’s daughter Shirley since 1953 and through her death in 2019, Boone wanted to honor his father-in-law by rerecording the classic.

“I’m truly moved to pay tribute to Daddy Red (Foley) with my recording of ‘Chattanoogie Shoeshine Boy,’” said Boone in a statement. “This song holds a special place in my heart, and I hope to bring back cherished memories while introducing it to a new generation of listeners.”

For nearly 70 years, Pat Boone has shown his many musical sides, from his first metal album, In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, in the late ’90s along with We Are Family: R&B Classics in 2006. In 2023, Boone also released another Country Jubilee song, “Grits,” featuring Ray Stevens, The Gatlin Brothers, Lorrie Morgan, Deborah Allen, and Dean Miller.

For the past 20 years, Boone has also run The Gold Label, which has published releases from legendary acts like Patti Page, Sha Na Na, The Ventures, Roger Williams, Debby Boone, Glen Campbell, Jack Jones, and Cleo Laine, along with his own music.

Celebrating the 70th anniversary of his career in entertainment, Boone has continued acting and recently starred in the films A Cowgirl’s Story in 2017, and The Mulligan in 2022, along with hosting the SiriusXM radio show The Pat Boone Hour and continuing a book tour to promote his 28th release The Eternal Choice We All Must Make.

Photo: Justin Renfroe / Aristo PR