Rising from the unpretentious background of a Georgia schoolboy, Billy Joe Royal was rubbing elbows with the most popular country and rhythm-and-blues performers of the 1950s by the time he had graduated from high school. Joe South would later record his version of the song for his 1969 album, Games People Play. Billy Joe Royal, center with members of the Waycross, GA band, Our Gang, circa 1966 Born on April 3, 1942, near Valdosta, GA.Flemons would become a founding member of Earth, Wind & Fire in 1971. Wade Flemons released a version of the song as a single in 1964 on Vee-Jay Records. It did best on the adult contemporary charts, reaching #29 (U.S.) and #17 (Canada). The song was also a Top 40 Hit in Australia, giving Ronstadt an underappreciated hit, reaching #36 on the Kent Music Report chart in early 1983. Aided by a popular music video, it reached #30 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart and #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the album's second single.Īdditionally, it reached No. Her single was produced by Peter Asher and released on Asylum Records. Linda Ronstadt recorded a cover version for her Gold-plus 1982 album, Get Closer. Donny Osmond version ĭonny Osmond released a version in 1971 as the B-side of " Hey Girl" that went to No. 1 on the Canadian music chart in November 1965. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of November 6, 1965. "I Knew You When" was first recorded by Billy Joe Royal for his 1965 studio album, Down in the Boondocks. There have also been several other hit cover versions of this song, including by Donny Osmond and Linda Ronstadt. It became a popular hit in 1965 when recorded by American pop and country singer Billy Joe Royal. " I Knew You When" is a song written and composed by Joe South. Royal died in his sleep on October 6, 2015, in Morehead City, North Carolina.1965 single by Billy Joe Royal "I Knew You When" He also played Robert Ally in the indie Western film, Billy the Kid (2013), co-starring country singer Cody McCarver. His set lists included a mixture of songs representing multiple genres from the 1960s onwards. Royal continued to tour regularly, performing concerts at casinos, music festivals, and clubs in North America, Japan, and throughout Europe. His music was further exposed to younger generations through a movement known as The Beat Army, an online music forum based on Facebook which is operated by author and music producer Paul Collins. Royal experienced a second comeback during the 2000s due to regular airplay on Country and Classic radio stations. His successes on the country charts continued until the early 1990s. His other country hits included " I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow" (1987), " Tell It Like It Is", and " Till I Can't Take It Anymore" (both 1989). However, he reinvented himself in the 1980s as a mainstream country star, and had his first hit on the country music chart in 1985 with " Burned Like a Rocket", released on the Atlantic label. His last hit on the US pop charts was in 1978, when his version of " Under the Boardwalk" became a minor hit. īy the late 1970s, Royal had become a regular performer in Las Vegas, and also appeared as an actor in movies and on television. In the 1970s his recording of "Heart's Desire" gained popularity among Northern soul enthusiasts and was regularly played in Northern soul nightclubs. His 1969 single, " Cherry Hill Park", peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. when Royal released it in 1967, but a later remake by The Osmonds was a much greater success. Another South composition, " Yo-Yo", just missed the top 40 in Canada and charted poorly in the U.S. He followed up his initial success with the singles " I Knew You When" (Top 20, 1965) and " Hush" (1967), also written and produced by Joe South. "Down in the Boondocks" remained his best-known song, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 38 in the UK. The recording was heard at Columbia Records, who offered Royal a singing contract in 1965 and released his version of the song, produced by South. Royal was a friend of performer and songwriter Joe South, and recorded what was intended as a demo of South's song " Down in the Boondocks". He formed his own rock and roll band, and became a local star at the Bamboo Ranch in Savannah in the late 1950s and early 1960s, where his singing style was influenced by African-American performers, including Sam Cooke. His most successful record was " Down in the Boondocks" in 1965.īorn in Valdosta, Georgia, to Clarence and Mary Sue Smith Royal, and raised in Marietta, Georgia, Royal performed at the Georgia Jubilee in Atlanta during his teens. Billy Joe Royal (Ap– October 6, 2015) was an American country soul singer.
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