Kim Carnes is an American singer and songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles. She began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a session background singer with the famed Water Sisters. After she signed her first publishing deal with Jimmy Bowen, she released her debut album Rest on Me in 1971. Carnes' self-titled second album primarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me", which reached No. 35 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1975. In the following year, Carnes released Sailin', which featured "Love Comes from Unexpected Places". The song won the American Song Festival and the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival in 1976.
"Misty" is a jazz standard written and originally recorded in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional 32-bar format, and recorded it on July 27, 1954 for the album Contrasts. Lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. It appeared on Johnny Mathis' 1959 album Heavenly, and this recording reached number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. It has since become Mathis’ signature song.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1962.
"I Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter, and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 3, 1957, for RCA Victor Records. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of "Oh, Lonesome Me", becoming a double-sided country hit single. At the time of Gibson's death in 2003, the song had been recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles, whose recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
Myrna Joy "Jody" Miller was an American singer, who had commercial success in the genres of country, folk and pop. She was the second female artist to win a country music accolade from the Grammy Awards, which came off the success of her 1965 song "Queen of the House". By blending multiple genres together, Miller's music was considered influential for other music artists.
"I'm Not Lisa" is the most successful song by American country music artist Jessi Colter. It was released on January 16, 1975, as the lead single from her album I'm Jessi Colter. The song hit number 1 on the country charts in the US and Canada, and it crossed over to number 4 on the Billboard pop chart. The plaintive love song was Colter's first major hit as a solo artist, following more than ten years of country music performances. The song is Colter's only foray into the pop Top 40, technically giving her a one-hit wonder status despite her multiple country chart hits.
The Versatile Burl Ives! is a 1961 album by Burl Ives, containing his hit single "A Little Bitty Tear." The album reached No. 35 on Billboard's 1962 Pop Album Chart. In the same year, "A Little Bitty Tear" climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart, No. 2 on the Country Singles Chart, and No. 9 on the Pop Singles Chart. The pop, country, and folk songs on this album were selected to highlight the folk singer's versatility. Some of his performances, such as his cover of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line," represent a significant departure from his earlier repertoire. Ives is accompanied by the Anita Kerr Singers and Owen Bradley's orchestra.
Songs of the West is one of the several albums from the early 1960s that signalled Burl Ives's move away from folk music into country western and pop. In Ives's discography this album is immediately preceded by The Versatile Burl Ives! and followed by It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin', two Decca albums containing songs that earned Ives his highest rankings on Billboard's pop, country, and easy-listening charts.
"A Little Bitty Tear" is a song written by the American country songwriter Hank Cochran. It has been recorded by many musical acts, the first being American recording artist Burl Ives. It has since been recorded by others, including Wanda Jackson, Bing Crosby, Chet Atkins, The Shadows and Cochran himself.
"Funny Way of Laughin'" is a song written by Hank Cochran and performed by Burl Ives. It reached #3 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart, #9 on the U.S. country chart, #10 on the U.S. pop chart, #18 on Canada's CHUM Chart, and #29 on the UK Singles Chart in 1962. It was featured on his 1962 album It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin'.
"You Needed Me" is a song written by Randy Goodrum, who describes it as being about "unconditional undeserved love". It was a number-one single in the United States in 1978 for Canadian singer Anne Murray, for which she won a Grammy Award. In 1999, Irish pop band Boyzone recorded a hit cover of the song that reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.
"Husbands and Wives" is a song written and first recorded by American country music singer Roger Miller. Miller's original, from his album Words and Music, was released in February 1966 and was a crossover hit for him, reaching Top Ten on the U.S. country and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as Top 40 on the pop charts. Since the release of Miller's original, the song has been covered by several other artists, including The Everly Brothers, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, a duet between David Frizzell and Shelly West, Jules Shear, and Brooks & Dunn, whose version was a number-one country hit in 1998.
"Any Day Now" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard in 1962. It has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including notable versions by Chuck Jackson in 1962, Alan Price in 1965, Elvis Presley in 1969, Scott Walker in 1973 and Ronnie Milsap in 1982. In the lyrics, the singer predicts the imminent demise of a romantic relationship and describes the sadness this will leave.
"Little Green Apples" is a song written by Bobby Russell that became a hit for three different artists, with their three separate releases, in 1968. Originally written for and released by American recording artist Roger Miller, "Little Green Apples" was also released as a single by American recording artists Patti Page and O. C. Smith that same year. Smith's version became a #2 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles charts, while Miller's version became a Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 as well as the UK Singles Chart. Page's version became her last Hot 100 entry. The song earned Russell a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and for Best Country Song. In 2013, "Little Green Apples" was covered by English recording artist Robbie Williams featuring American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, which became a top 40 hit in Mexico.
"Funny How Time Slips Away" is a song written by Willie Nelson and first recorded by country singer Billy Walker. Walker's version was issued as a single by Columbia Records in June 1961 and peaked at number 23 on the Hot C&W Sides chart. The song has been featured in several live action films and television shows, such as in the first episode of the second season of AMC’s Better Call Saul and in the 2020 Netflix drama The Devil All the Time.
The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. is the debut studio album by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in May 1972 on Dot Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. The album's title track became Fargo's first major hit and a crossover Country pop hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard country chart and the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single entitled "Funny Face" had similar success the same year. The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. is Donna Fargo's highest-selling album in the United States.
"It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'" is a song written and recorded by Johnny Tillotson, which was a major hit for him in 1962. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country & Western song for 1962 but lost to Burl Ives' Funny Way Of Laughing. It has been recorded by many other artists.
Thanks, Hank! is a studio album by American country artist Jeannie Seely. It was released on May 1967, by Monument Records and was produced by Fred Foster. The album contained songs written entirely by songwriter Hank Cochran, some of which were cover tunes while others were new tracks. Among the new tracks were two singles: the top 20 country song "A Wanderin' Man" and the charting song "These Memories". The LP also made the top 20 of the US country chart. The album received reviews from AllMusic, Cash Box and Record World following its release.
Still is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on June 17, 1963 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. Still was Anderson's debut studio album as a recording artist after recording several singles for the Decca label. Two singles were included in the album. Its most successful was the title track, which became a crossover hit in 1963. It reached positions on the Billboard country, pop and adult contemporary charts. The album itself would also reach peak position on Billboard charts.
"If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me" is a song written by Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by American Rockabilly and Country artist Wanda Jackson. It was released as a single in 1962 via Capitol Records and was issued on her album titled Wonderful Wanda. The song reached chart positions on the American country, pop and adult contemporary charts following its release.
