‘There Goes My Everything’ bounced around before becoming a hit
This week in 1966: The U.S. and U.S.S.R. signed an accord for direct air service from Washington to Moscow, A government report stated that corruption was taking up to 40 percent of U.S. aid to Saigon, James Lovell and Edwin Aldrin ended the Gemini 12 flight— the last in the program, and a singer from Maryville, Tenn., had his first No. 1 record.
According to Jack Greene, his 1966 hit, “There Goes My Everything,” was written about a man and his guardian.
Jack says, “The song came to me when Dallas Frazier first came to Nashville, Tenn., from California. I was down at the Moss Rose Music office looking for new songs and Shorty Lavender pulled out the Ferlin Husky song catalog and “There Goes My Everything” was one of the songs. I got a tape of the song and took it over to Owen Bradley at least six different times and Owen would always say, “Let’s hold that song awhile because I think we’ve got something better.”
“So I carried the song with me to three different recording sessions—but couldn’t record it. And finally on about the third session we needed some fill in so—I finally got to record it.”
“And the whole thing got started because my wife was sold on the song— from the first time she heard it. She kept telling me the song was a hit and I needed to record it—so I kept trying to get it on a recording session and it finally happened!”
“Ferlin Husky had recorded “There Goes My Everything” about six months before I did—but nothing happened! It seemed like the song just fit me! The song just fits many walks of life—it’s not a drinkin’ song or a triangle situation— it’s just a smooth ballad that people can relate to.”
Jack Greene’s version of “There Goes My Everything” became his second chart single and his first No. 1.
It entered the country music charts Oct. 22, 1966 and made it to
No. 1, where it stuck for seven weeks.