1955 Songs: When It Rains It Pours

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The end of the alphabetical list for 1955! Starting tomorrow it’ll be the top ten. Just a fair warning (Linda ), 1955 was a great year for country music. Here’s a smokin’ R&B (emphasis on the “B”) song from 70 years ago to close out the alphabetical list. When It Rains It Pours - Billy “The Kid” Emerson When William Robert Emerson passed away in April 2023, it closed the book on the roster of Sun Records. Most people point to Elvis and Cash as “the” names from Sun Records back then (and that’s true), but there were plenty of other acts on the label. One of them was Emerson. Although his biggest hit was “Red Hot” (“my gal is red hot, your gal ain’t doodly-squat”), this song was no slouch. In fact, this song was so well received in the R&B world that Elvis fell in love with it and recorded it (adding “really” to the title of his version). It’s easy to see why he’d fall in love with it: a blues-based song about “troubles, troubles, troubles” (you know, the standard blues subject ). After the career faded, Emerson became a minister. The royalties from songs like “Red Hot” kept him comfortable until his death in 2023. This song is part of his underrated legacy. When It Rains It Pours Written by William Emerson Recorded by Billy “The Kid” Emerson Released as a single, 1955 You thrill me from head to toe: