This week in 1971: An arms plant explosion in Georgia killed 24 people; OPEC announced it would set oil prices without consulting buyers; Two Apollo 14 astronauts walked on the moon; and a singer from Sledge, Missis-sippi had his 13th hit record.
Songs are written in just about every place you can imagine and according to Johnny Duncan, Charley Pride's 1971 hit, "I'd Rather Love You" was written in a motel room in Amarillo, Texas.
Duncan commented, "We had just finished an early show at a fair and one of the guys asked me if I wanted a ride back to the motel. I was tired and ready for some rest so I did. When I got to the motel, I sat down and that idea just popped in my head and I wrote that song in about 20 minutes in my motel room in Amarillo, Texas. I don't know where the idea came from or why - I just know it came to me and I wrote the song."
Duncan first recorded the song himself, but as soon as Charley Pride heard it, he wanted to record it and did.
"I'd Rather Love You" was recorded for Pride's RCA Victor "I'm Just Me" album - along with two other songs written by Duncan.
"I'd Rather Love You" was later pulled from the album and released as a single. It entered the country music charts Feb. 6, 1971, and made it to No. 1 the week of March 6th and stuck there for three weeks.
It was Pride's 13th charted song and his 6th No. 1. It was on the charts for 14 weeks.
Charley Pride placed 67 songs on the country music charts between 1966 and 1989 - including 29 No. 1s. Sixteen of those 67 country chart songs also placed on the pop charts.
Charley Pride joined The Grand Ole Opry in 1993. He was inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2000 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2017.
Join Doug Davis at 6 a.m. Saturdays for "Roots Of Country" on "The Pig" - 103.9 and 98.5. This week's featured artists will be Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers. You can also listen online at "Mypigradio.com." or on the "Mypigradio" Facebook page. Also, "Sunday Country" airs 6 a.m. to noon Sundays on the same station.