The music business is full of oddities but very few involve a song written in the 1920's being revived and recorded in the 1970's – to become a No. 1 single AND part of a best selling album which was on the Billboard Country Album Charts for over 500 weeks.
In 1926 Irving Berlin wrote a song he titled "Blue Skies" as a last-minute addition to a Rodgers and Hart musical titled "Betsy," starring Belle Baker.
In 1927, the song was recorded by a group known as The Knickerbockers and became a hit. It was also featured in the Al Jolson "The Jazz Singer" movie.
Benny Goodman recorded the tune in 1935 and in 1946 – it was included in a 1946 Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire movie and was featured in the 1954 "White Christmas" film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.
Willie Nelson was a huge fan of Bing Crosby and when Crosby died in 1977, Nelson began thinking of Bings' records which prompted him to ask producer/arranger Booker T. Jones to arrange and produce his "Stardust" album.
The entire album was recorded in nine days in December 1977 using a remote truck which was set up at Emmylou Harris' home in Hollywood Hills.
Jones proved to be the right choice to arrange and produce the LP as the first single from the album produced a No. 1 hit with "Georgia On My Mind" followed by another No. 1 with "Blue Skies," which topped the charts September 2nd, 1978.
It was Willie's 46th charted song and was on the charts for 13 weeks.
The "Stardust" album entered the Top Country LP charts May 13th, 1978, topped the chart and was there for 11 weeks. It was on the album charts for 551 weeks.
Between 1962 and 2015, Willie Nelson placed 120 songs on the country music charts, including 21 No. 1s. Twenty-two of his 120 country chart songs also made the pop music charts.
Willie joined The Grand Old Opry in 1964, received a Grammy Legend Award in 1990, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2000, was inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1993 and received Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.
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Willie Nelson (Photo courtesy Doug Davis)