On This Day in 1951, Lefty Frizzell Scored a 13-Week No. 1 With a Country Classic Later Covered by George Jones and Merle Haggard

On 31 October 1951, Lefty Frizzell’s “Always Late (With Your Kisses)” topped all three Billboard country charts. The song’s success reinforced Frizzell’s standing as one of country music’s leading stars and helped cement his influence on later performers.

Before Billboard combined its surveys into one Hot Country Songs chart in 1958, it separately tracked jukebox plays, radio airplay and retail sales; “Always Late” reached No. 1 across all three. The article says it spent 12 weeks at the top, while its headline describes a 13-week run. It was Frizzell’s second chart-topper of 1951, following “I Want to Be with You Always”; the song’s B-side, “Mom and Dad’s Waltz”, reached No. 2. George Jones and Merle Haggard later recorded versions, and Dwight Yoakam’s 1988 single reached No. 9.