{"id":3943,"date":"2014-11-18T14:37:35","date_gmt":"2014-11-18T20:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstlook.ws\/sonnyjames\/?p=3943"},"modified":"2026-09-30T15:56:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T21:56:46","slug":"the-rb-songs-of-sonny-james","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonnyjames.com\/hof\/the-rb-songs-of-sonny-james\/","title":{"rendered":"The R&B Songs of Sonny James"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sonny Takes R&B Into the Country Mainstream & Achieves Legendary Success<\/h3>\n

From the inception of the R&B genre in 1949 through 1971 when Sonny’s last such recording topped the charts, no other country artist ever achieved such success with R&B material. The 2nd country artist to reach #1 with an R&B song would not occur again until April of 1976. And so from the beginnings of R&B in 1949 until April 1976, Sonny James stood alone for 27 years as a true innovator towards the broadening of limits in what country music and its appeal could be through the adaptation of great R&B songs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In April 1966 during the American Civil Rights Era, Sonny’s recording of Adam Wade’s<\/a> “Take Good Care of Her” quickly became a #1 country hit. This single recording made Sonny the first country artist to record and deliver an R&B song into the country music mainstream. During his highly successful run of 16 consecutive #1 hits, beginning in 1969, 5 of the next 7 singles James recorded were songs that had already been top-three R&B hits for Ivory Joe Hunter<\/a>, Brook Benton<\/a> and Jimmy Reed<\/a>, two of them co-written by Clyde Otis<\/a>. Those 5 songs were Since I Met You Baby, It\u2019s Just A Matter of Time, Endlessly, Empty Arms and Bright Lights, Big City \u2013 all of which reached #1 for Sonny James on the Billboard country charts. In 1965 Sonny also recorded “Take Me Back”, a top 20 R&B hit for Little Anthony and the Imperials, however this recording was never released as a single and therefore never reached significance on the country charts.<\/p>\n

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The R&B Songs of Sonny James<\/h3>\n
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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Adam Wade<\/h4>\n

“Take Good Care of Her”<\/p>\n

1966 – #1 Country<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Etta James<\/h4>\n

“Something’s Got a Hold On Me”<\/p>\n

1966<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Little Anthony and The Imperials<\/h4>\n

“Take Me Back”<\/p>\n

1967<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Ivory Joe Hunter<\/h4>\n

“Since I Met You Baby”<\/p>\n

1969 – #1 Country<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Brook Benton<\/h4>\n

“Endlessly”<\/p>\n

1970 – #1 Country<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Clyde Otis<\/h4>\n

“It’s Just A Matter Of Time”<\/p>\n

1970 – #1 Country<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording Performed by Brook Benton. Written by Clyde Otis.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Ivory Joe Hunter<\/h4>\n

“Empty Arms”<\/p>\n

1971 – #1 Country<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Jimmy Reed<\/h4>\n

“Bright Lights Big City”<\/p>\n

1971 – #1 Country<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Sam and Dave<\/h4>\n

“When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”<\/p>\n

1976<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording: Written & Produced by Issac Hayes<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n

Joe Tex<\/h4>\n

“Hold What You’ve Got”<\/p>\n

1979<\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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Original Recording: Recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Video<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From 1966 to 1971, Sonny James carried R&B songs into the country mainstream, taking one after another to No. 1 and standing alone as the genre’s bridge for years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3656,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t