Song:Primrose Lane
Album:Primrose Lane: The Very Best Of Jerry Wallace
Smooth singing Jerry Wallace scored a top ten pop hit with Primrose Lane in 1959. He was known as Mr. Smooth. The song is very memorable but most music fans have no idea who sings it. He was born Dec. 15, 1928 in Guilford, MO. His father owned a grocery store. After a stint in the US Navy, Wallace moved to Los Angeles. After recording singles for Allied and Mercury, Wallace signed with Gene Autry's Challenge label. His first chart single was How The Time Flies which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. Then Primrose Lane reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was recorded with the legendary Los Angeles studio musician collective The Wrecking Crew. Wayne Shanklin produced and wrote the song with jazz bassist Red Callender. The sax solo is by Plas Johnson. Shanklin wrote plenty of hits including Jezebel by Frankie Laine and The Big Hurt by Toni Fisher. Primrose Lane got a big boost when it was used as the theme for the 70s ABC sitcom The Smith Family. Some of Wallace's other singles charted but he was unable to repeat the success of Primrose Lane. He left Challenge in 1964. This CD covers those years. Wallace switched to country first for Liberty and then Decca. He topped the country charts with the 1972 single If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry. This record appeared on an episode of the popular NBC TV series Night Gallery. That record was produced in Nashville by recording engineer Joe Johnson and arranged by Bill Justis. After some other country hits, Wallace left Decca in 1974 and recorded for United Artists, Mercury, MGM and smaller labels. Apparently Wallace had legal problems with his management. Though he last recorded in 1980, Wallace continued to perform occasionally until he died on May 5, 2008 at age 79. Wallace lived his final years in Victorville, CA. Here's a video for Primrose Lane by Jerry Wallace.
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