AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Duncan

Artist:Johnny Duncan f/Janie Fricke
Song:It Couldn't Have Been Any Better
Album:It Couldn't Have Been Any Better




Not to be confused with the Johnny Duncan who was a big skiffle star in England in the 50s, this Johnny Duncan had success on the country music charts in the 70s working with legendary producer Billy Sherrill. Two of his three number one hits were duets with then country music newcomer Janie Fricke. He was born Oct. 5, 1938 in Dublin, TX into a musical family. His family had a bluegrass group and his cousins were Jimmy Seals of Seals & Crofts and Dan Seals of England Dan & John Ford Coley. Duncan moved to New Mexico in 1959 and recorded some singles with Buddy Holly's producer Norman Petty that went nowhere. He moved to Nashville in 1964 and signed with Columbia Records in 1966. Duncan may have looked like a country music outlaw but his music was easy going country pop. His music didn't catch on until he got together with Billy Sherrill and Larry Gatlin in 1972. Gatlin was a country music star who also worked behind the scenes at Columbia. Sweet Country Woman was Duncan's first top ten country hit in 1973. Janie Fricke came to Nashville from Indiana in the mid-70s and was working as a session singer when Sherrill signed her to Columbia and decided to feature her on Duncan's records. All four of their duets were top ten hits and Thinkin' Of A Rendezvous and It Couldn't Have Been Any Better both topped the country charts. Of course Fricke went on to country music stardom in the 80s. It Couldn't Have Been Any Better was written by Canadian country music star Ray Griff. His songs were popular in Nashville in the 70s. Duncan had one more number one hit with She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed (Anytime) in 1978. But by the early 80s he faded and Columbia dropped him. You can get all of Duncan's hits on this comp. Duncan moved back to Texas and the last time he recorded was 1986. He died on Aug. 14, 2006 at age 67. Here's Johnny Duncan with Janie Fricke performing It Couldn't Have Been Any Better on Pop Goes The Country 1977.