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In the mid 1970s, Charlie Rich became a huge country/pop crossover star...but it was a long journey to get there.
Here's the short version:
Charlie started out as a jazz & blues artist in the '50s, but after after auditioning for Sam Phillips, owner of the legendary Sun Records in Memphis, he quickly became a rockabilly session musician, backing up some of Sun's finest, including Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.
After leaving Sun, he bounced around the industry for a while, scoring a couple of minor hits along the way...but finally, in 1973, after moving into country music...he started finding incredible crossover success with Great Songs like "Behind Closed Doors, "The Most Beautiful Girl," and "A Very Special Love Song:" all of which we've highlighted in the past.
Today, however, we're looking at an almost forgotten Great Charlie Rich song : 1975's "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High.)"
This bluesy "countrypolitan" crossover hit was a chart topper in both the US (#1 Adult Contemporary and #3 Country) and Canada (#1 Country, #2 Adult Contemporary).
Unfortunately, after a drunken display at at the 1975 CMA Awards, which underscored a drinking problem , Charlie's star started to flicker. He was able to score a few more hits, but in 1981, he decided to retire and live off his investments...only to return in 1991 with one final album. He died in 1992.
Charlie Rich's body of work included a number of Great Songs, and although it's not one of his most well-known, "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)" was still a #1 hit and a Great Song of 1975! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JsnwDCGioY
Tomorrow: Chris Cross sails into Greatness!
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