This week in 1982: The World's Fair opened in Knoxville, Tennessee; major air and sea battles erupted as the British launched counter attacks in the Falklands; Gato del Sol won The Kentucky Derby with E. Delahoussaye in the saddle; and a singer/songwriter from Abbott, Texas, had his 72nd hit record.
Once in a while you hear a songwriter mention carrying a song around for a long time before actually writing the song.
According to Wayne Carson, Willie Nelson's 1982 No. 1 "Always On My Mind" was certainly one of those tunes.
Wayne commented that he had the idea for the song for at least 10 years before he and Johnny Christopher began writing it at a Memphis recording studio. And after hitting a snag, Mark James helped them finish the tune which was recorded by Wayne Carson, Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley and John Wesley Ryles before Johnny Christopher played it for Willie Nelson during the recording sessions for the "Poncho And Lefty" album with Merle Haggard and the rest is music history.
Willie Nelson's Columbia Records single "You Were Always On My Mind" came on the country music charts March 6, 1982 and was in the top slot starting May 8th for two weeks.
It was Nelson's 72nd charted song and his 11th No. 1. The single was on the country music charts for 21 weeks and also scored a No. 5 on the pop charts.
Willie's "Always On My Mind" was CMA's Single and Song Of The Year and ACM's Single Of The Year, in addition to winning a Grammy and being placed in The Grammy Hall of Fame.
The "Always On My Mind" Columbia album was No. 1 on the Country Album Charts for 22 weeks and on the charts for 253 weeks.
Not bad for an idea that was carried around in Wayne Carson's hip pocket for 10 years before becoming a song.
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