Jack Green Stories

(written by Dallas Frazier)

Jack Greene (#1 country, #65 pop, 1966)

Engelbert Humperdinck (#20 pop, 1967)

Elvis Presley (#9 country, 1971)

In 1952, when he was just 12 years old, Dallas Frazier won a talent contest sponsored by country music performer Ferlin Husky. Husky was so impressed with the Bakersfield, California youth that he took him on a summer tour. Dallas charmed audiences with his singing and poise. He also impressed musicians with his talents on a wide variety of instruments. While still in his teens, Frazier put together a band and became well-known on the west coast while performing on Cliffie Stone’s “Hometown Jamboree” television show. Most figured that he was well on his way to a long and rich career in country music. Yet by the time he had completed high school in 1958, his association with country music consisted of little more than a few photographs and some wonderful memories.

It was, of all things, a comic strip that probably kept Frazier’s music career from ending altogether. As the teenager read a strip about a group of prehistoric misfits, the concept for a song began to come together in his head. Within a few months Gary Paxton and his Hollywood Argyles had recorded Frazier’s “Alley Oop,” and the novelty record became one of 1960’s biggest pop hits. Unfortunately, Dallas couldn’t assemble a follow-up. Within three years, Frazier had drifted up the coast to Portland, Oregon and dropped out the music business. He had gotten married, put away the toys of his youth, and was getting on with life in the real world.

Frazier wasn’t pursuing music at all when Ferlin Husky came through town on a tour and Dallas went to see him, just to visit with an old friend, nothing more. During the visit, Husky, who is famous for three of country music’s all-time biggest hits, “A Dear John Letter” (1953), “Gone” (1957) and “On the Wings of a Dove” (1960), urged Dallas to get back in the music business. The singer thought that Frazier was wasting his talent outside the industry, and to emphasize that point, Ferlin offered Dallas a songwriter’s contract in his publishing company. That was all it took to convince Frazier to make the long move to Nashville.

Immediately upon his arrival in Music City, Frazier started working long hours putting words and music together. He wasn’t sure if this endeavor would prove successful, but he vowed that if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be for lack of effort. For inspiration, the songwriter observed the lives of the people he knew best. In the case of what was to become his greatest writing achievement, that inspiration came from his mentor.

The idea for “There Goes My Everything” came from Ferlin Husky’s life story. He had just gone through a painful divorce and was obviously distraught about it. As Frazier thought about what Ferlin must be going through, the song came together very quickly. To Dallas, its lyrics seemed to just fall out of the air.

Frazier played “There Goes My Everything” for Husky at his first opportunity. The singer was very proud of his protégé’s efforts and considered it a great song, but possibly, because it hit so close to home, Ferlin quickly decided not to consider releasing it as a single. However, he did agree to record the song for his “I Could Sing All Night” album, released in May, 1966.

A former construction worker happened to hear Ferlin Husky’s rendition of “There Goes My Everything” and liked the song very much. Jack Greene was a one-time drummer and guitar player with Ernest Tubb’s “Texas Troubadours,” and it was Tubb himself who had inspired Greene to try his hand as a singer, even helping him land a recording contract with Decca Records. Still, even with the legendary Tubb’s backing, until late 1966 Jack had spent a total of just seven weeks on the chart. However, that was about to change in a big way, as Greene prepared to record his version of Ferlin Husky’s obscure album cut.

Jack’s rendition of “There Goes My Everything” raced to #1 on Billboard’s country singles chart and remained there for seven weeks. The record was so strong that, although as country sounding as it was, it reached a respectable #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Less than a year after the all-but-unknown Jack Greene cut the Frazier tune, he would win the Country Music Association’s “Male Vocalist of the Year” award, join the Grand Ole Opry, and become one of the era’s most consistent hit-makers. “There Goes My Everything” swept the 1967 CMA awards, winning three of the majors: song, single and album of the year.

“There Goes My Everything,” inspired by Ferlin Husky’s divorce, would have probably been a huge hit for Husky had he and his label (Capitol) released it as a single. It certainly would have re-vitalized his flagging career. As it turned out, Ferlin missed his opportunity to be associated with this classic. Although Husky continued recording until 1975, he never again enjoyed major chart success. Even Jack Greene’s career floundered after only a few years of stardom. His name appeared in the Billboard Top Ten for the last time in 1970.

The song itself fared much better. “There Goes My Everything” has been covered by dozens of artists through the years. In 1967, pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck immediately covered Greene’s country version and climbed to #20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart. Even Elvis Presley notched his own top ten country hit with the tune, reaching #9 in 1971. “There Goes My Everything,” the classic that literally “fell out of the air,” will forever be remembered by fans of genuine country music.