"(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time" is a song written and recorded by

Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoy ...

in 1960. It appeared as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of his hit "Far Far Away", from the album ''Sweet Dreams''. Gibson re-recorded the song on the 1972 album ''Country Green''.

Ronnie Milsap Recording

The song was recorded by

Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, ...

and released in November 1974 as the lead single from his album ''

A Legend in My Time ''A Legend in My Time'' is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Ronnie Milsap, released in 1975. Two singles were released from the album, including the Don Gibson penned "(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time," which reached No. 1 on ...

''. This was Milsap's sixth country hit and his third number one. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of ten weeks within the top 40. Milsap's recording altered the song from its original 3/4

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

to a 4/4 time signature.

Chart performance

Other cover versions

Frequently covered, the song is usually titled without the parenthetical lead. Versions have been recorded by *

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

covered the track for his 1961 album '' Lonely and Blue'', and recorded a second later version which was featured on his 1967 tribute album to Gibson, ''

Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson ''Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson'' is a tribute album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records, and his tenth studio album overall. Released in January 1967, it is a collection of songs written by Country Music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Don G ...

''. *

Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...

on her 1967 LP, '' I'll Help You Forget Her''. *

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

(on the album '' American V: A Hundred Highways'') *

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

* B. B. King * A live version by

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

and the Good Guys on Navy Hoedown NH-21, among others. *A 1973 rendition by

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

became an Adult Contemporary chart hit, reaching #33 in Canada and #29 U.S.

References

1974 singles Don Gibson songs Roy Orbison songs Dottie West songs Sammy Davis Jr. songs Ronnie Milsap songs Songs written by Don Gibson Song recordings produced by Tom Collins (record producer) RCA Records Nashville singles 1960 songs {{1970s-country-song-stub