''Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. 1'' is the 10th album by

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

released on

Smash Records Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966. Its recording artist ...

in 1969.

Background

After his resurgence on the country charts, Lewis and producer Jerry Kennedy opted to record two albums worth of classic country songs in four sessions spread over two days as a way to fulfill his obligation to his record label, Smash, for 1969. As country music historian Colin Escott notes in his essay for the 1986 retrospective ''The Killer: The Smash/Mercury Years'', "Not only did this avoid the problem of screening new material but it also gained Jerry some instant credibility in his new found quest to be viewed as a country artist." The album includes country standards such as " Sweet Dreams", made famous by Patsy Cline, and the classic

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

lament " I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". The duet " Jackson" features

Linda Gail Lewis Linda Gail Lewis (born July 18, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She has recorded with Stephen Ackles, Van Morrison, and with her brother, Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an A ...

. Critics have often cited the rushed nature of the sessions as a reason for the album's uniform feel when compared to Lewis's previous albums '' Another Place, Another Time'' and ''

She Still Comes Around ''She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)'' is the ninth album by Jerry Lee Lewis. It was released on Smash Records in 1969. Background After leaving Sun Records for Smash in 1963, Lewis had scored only a few minor hits and, unhapp ...

'', but in truth the tight schedule likely had little impact since Lewis would usually record no more than two takes of a song if he could get away with it. The album soared to number 2 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart. It was during this period that Lewis appeared at the Toronto Peace Festival in front of twenty thousand people, sharing the bill with

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

as well as fellow rock and roll icons Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

. Lewis also appeared in a television special called ''The Many Sounds of Jerry Lee'', which showcased "the Killer" performing an array of diverse music. The album appeared on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...

on May 10, 1969, staying for ten weeks and reaching a peak position of #127.''The Billboard Albums'', 6th edn. Joel Whitburn. 2006. Record Research Inc. p. 601. .

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 1969 albums Jerry Lee Lewis albums Albums produced by Jerry Kennedy Smash Records albums