Behind Closed Doors (1973) 3/13/20

Back in the '50s, at Sun Records in Memphis, there was quite a lineup of young singers who went on to bigger and better things: Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and a future King named Elvis.

One of the session musicians during that time, was a former college football player turned music major who was into jazz.

Sam Phillips, the legendary owner of Sun, told him he was "too jazzy," and maybe if he could sound more like Jerry Lee Lewis, he might make it big someday.

Phillips was half right.

In 1959, as an Elvis sound-alike, Charlie Rich had a minor Rockabilly hit with "Lonely Weekends," but after that, he worked his way through several record labels and failed singles (1965's "Mohair Sam" was another minor exception.) before things finally clicked.

In 1973, he recorded an album called "Behind Closed Doors," and the title track (written by Kenny O'Dell) finally pointed him in the direction of those "bigger and better things."

The song was a hit on 3 Billboard charts in the US: #15 on the Hot 100, #8 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, and #1 on the Country Chart. In Canada, it was #5 on the Top 40, and #1 on the Country Chart. It might have charted a bit higher on the "non-country" charts, but some radio stations thought the lyrics were a bit racy. (Pretty tame, though, by today's standards.)

And speaking of bigger and better...

"Behind Closed Doors" was named "Song of the Year" and "Single of the Year" by the Country Music Association AND the Academy of Country Music!

It also won two Grammy Awards: "Best Country Song ' for O'Dell, and "Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for Rich.

In 2003, CMT ranked it at #9 on their list of the "Greatest Songs in Country Music."

All of this from an artist who sounded NOTHING like Jerry Lee Lewis. Sam Phillips was half wrong. :)

Here's Today's "Great Song of the '70s!"