The first year the Country Music Association rewarded anyone was 1967. The CMA's would not be televised until the following year, but Jack Greene could boast that he was the first ever recipient of Male Vocalist of the Year. He also won in the Single of the Year and Album of the Year categories. And Dallas Frazier won song of the year, by penning Jack's big hit, "There Goes My Everything".
Jack began his career as a drummer with Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours, but by 1966, he had a Decca Records contract, and the hits began.
Granted, it was more than 45 years ago when Jack Greene began topping the charts, but just because things aren't new doesn't mean that they are inconsequential. The penultimate lounge lizard, Engelbert Humperdinck, covered "There Goes My Everything", and glommed onto Jack's country music success with the song; creating a crossover hit that the blue-haired ladies swooned over. But Jack did it first, and he did it right; the way Dallas Frazier intended.
Jack formed a duo with classic songwriter Jeannie Seely in the 1970's. I bought their singles. Their voices fit together just right.
In his later years, his chart success long behind him, Jack Greene continued performing on the Grand Ol' Opry. Seems that some people still remembered.
Jack had more hits besides "There Goes My Everything". There was also "All The Time". The man knew how to spot a hit song.
One song, though, while not garnering any rewards, will be the song that I, and probably most classic country fans will remember (later covered by Ricky Van Shelton, although a cover is never quite as good as the original):
Statue of a Fool (written by Jan Crutchfield)
I read that Jack had Alzheimer's Disease. Anybody who knows me knows that AD is something very personal to me ~ I lost my dad to Alzheimer's.
I liked Jack Greene. Jack Greene was country music when country music was perhaps a bit more innocent; and not jaded. A Jack Greene song reminds me of a cold winter's eve, bundled up with a blanket in my room, listening to WSM crackle on my AM radio; Ralph Emery's warm voice introducing the song.
Jack's passing makes me a bit misty.
RIP, Jack Greene. Thank you for Statue of a Fool.