John Conlee
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John Conlee | |
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![]() Conlee in 2017 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | John Wayne Conlee |
Born | Versailles, Kentucky,United States | August 11, 1946
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 1970s–present |
Labels | ABC,MCA Nashville,Columbia,16th Avenue |
Website | johnconlee |
John Wayne Conlee(born August 11, 1946)[1]is an Americancountry musicsinger.
Between 1978 and 2004, Conlee charted a total of 32singleson theBillboardHot Country Songscharts, and recorded 11studio albums.His singles include seven No. 1 hits: "Lady Lay Down","Backside of Thirty","Common Man","I'm Only in It for the Love","In My Eyes","As Long As I'm Rockin' with You"and"Got My Heart Set on You".In addition to these, Conlee had 14 other songs reach the Top Ten.
Conlee has been a member of theGrand Ole Oprysince 1981.[2][3]
Early life
[edit]Conlee was born on atobaccofarm inVersailles, Kentucky.[4]By age 10, Conlee had begun singing and playingguitar,and later sangtenorin abarbershop quartet.[5]
Conlee did not immediately take up a musical career, instead becoming a licensedmortician,[6][5]employed by Duell-Clark Funeral Chapel, and later adisc jockeyat radio stationsWQXEinElizabethtown, Kentucky,[7]and atWLACinNashville.[8]
Music career
[edit]![]() | This section needs to beupdated.(March 2022) |
In pursuit of a music career, Conlee moved toNashville, Tennessee,by 1971. He signed toABC Recordsin 1976.[4]Conlee charted for the first time in 1978 with "Rose Colored Glasses", a No. 5 hit on theBillboardHot Country Singleschart, as well as the title track on his 1978 debut album.[4]The album produced his first two No. 1 hits with "Lady Lay Down" and "Backside of Thirty".[4]
Following ABC's merger withMCA Records,Conlee released his 1979 albumForeveron MCA. Its singles, "Before My Time" (No. 2) and "Baby, You're Something" (No. 7), were top ten hits.[8]A second MCA release,Friday Night Blues,produced two more No. 2 hits: the title track and "She Can't Say That Anymore". The song "What I Had with You" (No. 12) followed. The 1981 album,With Love,accounted for yet another hit with "Miss Emily's Picture" (No. 2), which Conlee performed live onHee Hawon January 3, 1981.[9]
Conlee's 1982 albumBustedled off with acoverof theHarlan Howardsong of thesame name.The album's last single, "Common Man", returned him to the top of the charts in 1983.[4]Three more No. 1 hits came from the 1983 albumIn My Eyes:"I'm Only in It for the Love" (co-written withKix Brooks), the title track and "As Long as I'm Rockin' with You". MCA also released aGreatest Hitsalbum in 1983.[10]
Blue Highwayin 1984, his last studio album for MCA, produced another No. 2 with "Years After You". A year later, a secondGreatest Hitsalbum produced his last MCA single with the No. 5 "Old School", before he moved toColumbia Records.Conlee's first Columbia release,Harmony,gave him his last No. 1 hit with "Got My Heart Set on You" in 1986. A second and final album for Columbia,American Faces,reached the Top 10 for the last time with "Domestic Life". This was followed by "Mama's Rockin' Chair" at No. 11 (his last Top 40 hit). From there, Conlee moved to16th Avenue Records,releasingFellow Travelersin 1989.[1]
In 2005, Conlee donated his concert performance of "Rose Colored Glasses" at theWildhorse Saloonin Nashville, to benefit the Lymphatic Research Foundation in New York. Conlee sang his signature song and auctioned off a pair of "rose-colored glasses" with the proceeds going to LRF.[citation needed]
Conlee has appeared onLarry's Country DinerandWednesday Night Prayer Meeting(released on DVD/CD) viaRFD-TVand Country Road TV.[11][12][13][14][15]
Discography
[edit]- Studio albums
- Rose Colored Glasses(1978)
- Forever(1979)
- Friday Night Blues(1980)
- With Love(1981)
- Busted(1982)
- In My Eyes(1983)
- Blue Highway(1984)
- Harmony(1986)
- American Faces(1987)
- Fellow Travelers(1989)
- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus(2004)
Awards and nominations
[edit]Academy of Country Music Awards
[edit]Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | John Conlee | Top New Male Vocalist | Won |
Country Music Association Awards
[edit]Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Rose Colored Glasses | Album of the Year | Nominated |
John Conlee | Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
1980 | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^abColin Larkin,ed. (1993).The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music(First ed.).Guinness Publishing.p. 90.ISBN0-85112-726-6.
- ^"John Conlee".
- ^"Opry Member List PDF"(PDF).April 23, 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 7, 2012.RetrievedJune 29,2012.
- ^abcdeHuey, Steve."John Conlee biography".AllMusic.Retrieved2009-10-07.
- ^ab"John Conlee biography".Oldies.Retrieved2009-10-07.
- ^"List of active licensees"(PDF).An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.Louisville, KY: Kentucky Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors. 2019-10-17. p. 12.Retrieved2020-02-02.
funeral director and embalmer license number 3783
- ^Nash, Francis M. (1995).Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State(PDF).HOST Communications. p. 129.ISBN9781879688933– via World Radio History.
- ^abWhitburn, Joel (August 2008).Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008.Record Research, Inc. p. 102.ISBN978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^"Hee Haw - S12E15".
- ^"John Conlee's Greatest Hits - John Conlee | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".AllMusic.
- ^"Episode 5 Featuring John Conlee".
- ^"Episode 3 Featuring John Conlee & Teea Goans".
- ^"Episode 5 Featuring John Conlee".
- ^"Another Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting Episode 1".
- ^"Country's Family Reunion: Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting DVD & CD - Gaither Music Company".