Today’s classic song with word night in the title of the day is “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence. This little tune, released in November of 1972, went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100—for two weeks straight.
Vicki Lawrence was not known as a singer. At the time she was a featured comedienne on The Carol Burnett Show, and had been for five years. She was just 23 years old at the time and married to songwriter Bobby Russell.
Bobby Russell is the key here. A successful songwriter, he was known for writing “Little Green Apples” (a hit for both Roger Miller and O.C. Smith) and “Honey” (for Bobby Goldsboro). He even had a hit as a performer with a recording of his own Goldsboro-sounding “Saturday Morning Confusion.” Not a bad run.
Russell had tried to get “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” placed with Cher, who would have a hit a few years later with the similarly themed “Dark Lady.” Unfortunately, Sonny Bono, Cher’s husband, vetoed recording Russell’s song as he thought it might offend her southern fans.
Russell then decided heck with it, he’d keep it in the family and have his wife record it. So he rented a recording studio, brought in Snuff Garrett to produce, and hired the Wrecking Crew to provide the backing tracks. The result was a hit for a young woman not necessarily known as a singer.
Bobby Russell and Vicki Lawrence divorced in 1974, less than two years after the release of “The Night the Lights Went Out…” Russell passed away in 1992 at age 52. Vicki Lawrence is still with us today, age 75, most recently performing as Miley Cyrus’ mother in Hannah Montana and alongside Martin Mull in the Fox sitcom Cool Kids. She’s currently touring the country as both herself and “Mama” (her character from Mama’s Family) in what she calls a two-woman show.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Vicki Lawrence lip-syncing “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” on the February 3, 1973, episode of The Carol Burnett Show. I bet Carol and Harvey were proud of their young friend.
