John D. Loudermilk Bonus Song #1: Callin' Doctor Casey

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In addition to all of the great songs that John D. Loudermilk wrote, which earned him a spot in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (and will probably eventually get him in the Country Music Hall of Fame as well), he also recorded several albums. For some reason he was lumped in the "folk revival" scene, which always puzzled me. This first bonus song will show why. Bonus #1: Callin' Doctor Casey Ben Casey was a major hit TV series in the early 1960s, starring the goo-oo-oo-ood looking Vince Edwards in the title role. With the success of the series, Loudermilk decided to give the world a little rockin' novelty. In this song he pleaded with Ben Casey to "mend a broken heart," pointing out that "there ain't nothin' you can't do, from postnasal drip to a dislocated hip" on the TV show. If you listen you will almost immediately notice this isn't folk music. It's also not country (which is where a lot of Loudermilk's songs charted). It's more of a typical early 60s rock song. And we had the 45, which surprises me: as I've mentioned before, my late father was one of those "we don't have anything but country music" types. The song made a tiny dent in the Billboard charts, peaking in the high 80s. It was one of the few times John D. made his own journey to the charts. Callin' Doctor Casey Written by John D. Loudermilk Recorded by John D. Loudermilk Released as a single, 1962 Do a little psychiatry: