The Big Easy List: South in New Orleans

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Another day, another country song! This is the last one until the top ten. And this one is a little different…they might say “That ain’t no Hank Williams song” at Bob’s Country Bunker to this one. Here’s today’s journey to the Big Easy. South in New Orleans - Johnnie and Jack You’ve probably never heard of these guys, except in reference to someone else. That’s usually how they are described these days: Johnnie (Wright) was Kitty Wells’ husband; and Jack (Anglin) died in a car wreck on the way to Patsy Cline’s memorial service. That’s sad. I supposed the career has been largely forgotten because that’s not exactly exquisite harmony. Charlie Louvin once said, “Jack Anglin sang like a B string.” A little vicious but true. But you know, it’s like Linda McCartney’s singing on Wings songs. You get used to, so it sounds “natural” in that element. Put it next to Linda Ronstadt and no. Same thing with Johnnie and Jack: you don’t compare them to the Louvins, the Blue Sky Boys, or the Wilburns, you just accept them for what they were. And what they were was eastern Tennessee country music. Their band was called the Tennessee Mountain Boys. In the early 50s the “rhumba” sound caught on in country music. Hank Snow had a hit with “The Rhumba Boogie,” and then everyone wanted to rhumba. Lots of Johnnie and Jack’s songs had this beat to them (such as their biggest hits, “Ashes of Love” and “Poison Love”). I don’t think rhumba was all that popular in New Orleans, but it’s still a good song! South in New Orleans Written by Johnnie Wright, Jack Anglin, and Jim Anglin Recorded by Johnnie and Jack Released as a single, 1953 NEW ORLEANS LYRICS: title One way ticket, I ain’t comin’ back: