"The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" is a song written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Tom T. Hall Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...

Background

The song is based on Hall's childhood neighbor and boyhood hero, Lonnie Easterling.

Chart performance

It was released in July 1971 as the only single from the album, '' In Search of a Song''. "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" was Hall's second number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent a total of eighteen weeks on the country charts.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* 1971 singles Tom T. Hall songs Songs written by Tom T. Hall Song recordings produced by Jerry Kennedy 1971 songs Mercury Records singles {{1970s-country-song-stub