Kentucky Rain - Elvis Presley (1970) 10/3/21

In 1969, Eddie Rabbitt was a staff songwriter for the Nashville division of Hill and Range Publishers when he and his collaborator Dick Heard came up with a tune about a man searching in the rain for a woman who left him without explanation.

Eddie's success as a singer was still years away...but Hill & Range thought this particular song was so good, they gave him the OK to record it himself.

That's when fate stepped in. A co-worker at Hill & Range, Lamar Fike, heard Eddie's demo, loved it, and played it for his good friend, Elvis Presley.

Elvis immediately decided to record it, which, according Eddie, was "good news and bad news." The bad news: Eddie's demo would never see the light of day. The good news: Elvis could--and DID--make "Kentucky Rain" a "Great Song on 1970!" (Trivia: The piano on the track was played by future country music superstar, Ronnie Milsap.)

Years later, after he'd had several hits of his own, Eddie was asked about the "Kentucky Rain" situation and said, "I thought if this is the only hit song I ever write, then it's better that Elvis does it because he's the King."

Good point. Too bad Eddie didn't have a crystal ball to see it was FAR from the only hit song he'd ever write! ("Drivin' My Life Away,: "I Love a Rainy Night," and You & I" are just 3 examples)!

Elvis' version was released in early 1970, and was a big hit in both the US and Canada. Up North, the song went to #1 on the Country Chart, #4 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #10 on the Top 40. In the states, it peaked at #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #16 on the Hot 100.

"Kentucky Rain:" a "Great Song of 1970!"