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.
In short
- Frizzell’s “Always Late” topped three country charts in 1951.
- The article reports 12 weeks at No. 1; its headline says 13.
- Jones, Haggard and Yoakam later recorded the song.
Explained simply
In the early 1950s, country music reached listeners through radio, jukeboxes and record shops. Billboard tracked those routes in separate country charts, before combining them into one chart in 1958.
Lefty Frizzell was a leading country singer whose phrasing influenced later performers. “Always Late (With Your Kisses)” was one of his hit songs; George Jones, Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam later recorded their own versions.
The song’s success across radio, jukeboxes and record sales shows how country hits were measured at the time. Its later recordings also reflect Frizzell’s continuing influence on country music.
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