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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWEATHERLY, Jim(b 17 March 1943, Pontotoc MS) Soulful country singer/songwriter best known for hits written for Gladys Knight & The Pips ('Neither One Of Us', 'Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me', 'Midnight Train To Georgia', etc.) His songs and singing style were always evocative of the deep South, where he grew up. He played guitar and sang through high school and college and had also started writing; he moved to Nashville '70 and had his first success with 'Neither One Of Us', a country top 10 hit for Bob Luman and later a pop smash for Knight.Country giant Ray Price recorded more that 60 of Weatherly's songs; he had a no. 1 hit with 'Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me' '73, and his next six singles, all penned by Weatherly, included top tens 'Like Old Times Again' and 'Roses And Love Songs'. Weatherly had recorded for Jimmy Bowen's Amos Records, and signed to Buddah '72 and had his own country top 10, 'I'll Still Love You' '75, and then moved through ABC and Elektra with minor hits. He became one of Nashville's senior writers, co-writing with younger country acts and providing Vince Gill, Bryan White, etc with hits. His own albums included A Gentler Time '72, Weatherly '73, The Songs Of Jim Weatherly '74, Magnolias And Misfits '75, The People Some People Choose To Love '76 all on Buddah; Pictures And Rhymes '77 on ABC. |