Jack Greene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Greene
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jack Henry Greene |
| Also known as | "The Gentle Giant" "The Jolly Greene Giant" |
| Born | January 7, 1930 Maryville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 2013 (aged 83) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1965–2011 |
| Associated acts | Ernest Tubb Jeannie Seely |
Jack Henry Greene (born January 7, 1930 – died March 14, 2013) was a famous American country singer. People called him the "Jolly Greene Giant" because he was tall and had a deep voice. He was a long-time member of the Grand Ole Opry, a very famous country music show.
Jack Greene was nominated for a Grammy Award three times. He is best known for his big hit song from 1966, "There Goes My Everything". This song was number one on the country music charts for almost two months in 1967. It also helped him win many awards from the Country Music Association. These awards included "Male Vocalist of the Year" and "Single of the Year". Jack Greene had five number one country hits and three more that reached the top ten. Billboard magazine, a well-known music publication, even named him one of the Top 100 "Most Played Artists".
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Jack Greene was born in Maryville, Tennessee. He started playing the guitar when he was only ten years old. His first job in music was as a disc jockey at a radio station called WGAP in Maryville. He was still a teenager at the time.
By the age of 18, Jack was performing regularly on the Tennessee Barn Dance show. This show was on radio station WNOX in Knoxville, Tennessee. In the early 1950s, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he started his own band called The Peach Tree Boys. Jack was the lead singer, drummer, and guitarist for this group for eight years. In 1959, he moved back to Tennessee and settled in Nashville. He then formed another band, The Tennessee Mountain Boys.
A big chance came for Jack Greene in 1961. His band opened for the famous country singer Ernest Tubb. Tubb was very impressed with Jack. In 1962, he asked Jack to join his own band, the Texas Troubadors.
Music Career and Big Hits
Joining the Texas Troubadors
For the next few years, Jack Greene played many roles for the Texas Troubadors. He was a drummer, guitarist, and singer. He also worked as the master of ceremonies for their shows. Soon, he started opening for Ernest Tubb regularly, while still playing in the band.
In 1964, Jack released his first solo song called The Last Letter. This song was first on one of Ernest Tubb's live albums. But it became so popular that Tubb's record label, Decca Records, released it as a single song. Another song, "Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)", came out in 1965. However, it did not become a hit. This was because Ray Price released his own version of the song at the same time.
Ernest Tubb encouraged Jack Greene to leave the Texas Troubadors. He told Jack to try a solo singing career. Jack Greene later said in an interview, "Ernest told me 'Son I believe it's time to go.' But also said 'If you can't make it you can always come back and be a Troubador'."
"There Goes My Everything" and Awards
Jack Greene's first song to reach the Top 40 was "Ever Since My Baby Went Away" in early 1966. It reached number 37 on the charts. Later that year, Decca Records released "There Goes My Everything". This song became his most famous hit. It reached number one and stayed there for seven weeks. It was also popular outside of country music.
His success continued into 1967 with another number one hit, "All The Time". This song was number one for five weeks. He also had a number two hit with "What Locks The Door". In 1967, he won important awards from the Country Music Association. These included Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year, and Album of the Year. Overall, he had nine number one country hits on different charts. Five of these were number one hits on the Billboard charts.
His success continued in 1968 with another number one song, "You Are My Treasure". He also had a top five hit with "Love Takes Care Of Me". In 1969, he had two more number one hits: "Until My Dreams Come True" and "Statue of a Fool". He finished that year with the Top 5 song "Back In The Arms Of Love". Also in 1967, Jack Greene became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He performed there often every year until he became too sick to perform.
Duets and Later Career
In 1970, Jack Greene started singing and touring with Jeannie Seely. They had three country hits together. One of their biggest was "Wish I Didn't Have To Miss You". This song reached number two on the charts. It was Jack Greene's last song to reach the top ten. Jack and Jeannie's stage shows became very popular in the 1970s.
Jack continued to have solo hits and duets with Jeannie Seely. Some of his big hits in the 1970s included "Lord, Is That Me" (1970) and "There's A Lot About A Woman A Man Don't Know" (1971). He also had two more duets with Jeannie: "Much Obliged" (1972) and "What In The World Has Gone Wrong With Our Love" (1972).
Decca Records changed its name to MCA Records in the early 1970s. Jack Greene still had popular songs like "Satisfaction" (1973), "I Need Somebody Bad" (1973), and "It's Time To Cross That Bridge" (1974). After that, his songs did not do as well on the charts. He was no longer with MCA Records in 1976.
Jack Greene had a short comeback with the Frontline Records label in 1980. His song "Yours For The Taking" reached number 28 on the Country charts. This was his last song to be in the Country Top Forty. He had a few more smaller hits on different record labels. He kept touring and performing at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2007, he celebrated his 40th anniversary with the Opry.
Final Years and Passing
Jack Greene continued to record music sometimes in the 2000s. He recorded a duet called "You Have Won My Heart" and "Stetson Cowboy" with Santana Maria. However, these songs did not become hits. Jack Greene recorded his last studio album, Precious Memories, Treasured Friends, in 2010. This album featured duets with other country stars like Lorrie Morgan and George Jones.
Because of his failing health, Jack Greene stopped performing in 2011. He passed away on March 14, 2013. He was 83 years old. He died in Nashville, Tennessee, from problems related to Alzheimer's disease.
Awards and Achievements
- 1967 – Became a member of the Grand Ole Opry
- 1967 – Country Music Association – Male Vocalist of the Year
- 1967 – Country Music Association – Single of the Year
- 1967 – Country Music Association – Album of the Year
Discography
Selected Studio Albums
- There Goes My Everything (1966)
