# On This Day in 1969, Sonny James Was No. 1 With a Tragic Love Song Written by the Big Bopper and Previously Recorded by George Jones

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/on-this-day-in-1969-sonny-james-was-no-1-with-a-tragic-love-song-written-by-the-big-bopper-and-previously-recorded-by-george-jones/
- Published: 2026-07-16T18:20:29+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-25T21:14:51+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/on-this-day-in-1969-sonny-james-was-no-1-with-a-tragic-love-song-written-by-the-big-bopper-and-previously-recorded-by-george-jones/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Sonny James topped the country chart with “Running Bear” in July 1969.
- The song was first a 1959 hit for Johnny Preston.
- Its tragic storyline reflects a popular teenage-ballad trend.

## Summary

On 16 July 1969, Sonny James was three weeks into a country-chart run at number one with “Running Bear”, a tragic love song written by the Big Bopper. The song’s success illustrates the enduring appeal of melodramatic teenage tragedy records, even as it crossed from a 1959 pop hit into country music.

“Running Bear” tells of two Indigenous teenagers from warring tribes who drown while trying to reach each other across a river. The Big Bopper declined to record the serious song himself and gave it to Johnny Preston, whose 1959 version included backing vocals from George Jones; Preston’s release was delayed by copyright issues after the Big Bopper died in the 1959 plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

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