In February 1969, the Johnny Cash hit "Daddy Sang Bass" was the most popular record in country music. It remained in the No. 1 position on the Billboard country singles chart for six consecutive weeks, and it crossed over to the Billboard pop chart as well.
The female singing the "Mama sang tenor" line on the record is not June Carter Cash, but rather longtime Grand Ole Opry star Jan Howard.
Jan recalls, "Carl Perkins, who wrote the song, called one night at ten o'clock and asked if I'd come to the studio where Johnny was recording and sing one line. He said he couldn't hear anyone but me doing it. Coming from Carl that was a great compliment, and I rushed right over. The Statler Brothers were there and we all sang together...but that one line was mine alone."
A country music artist from Norway, Aslak Gjennestad, recorded a country gospel album in February 2009 at Soundshop Studios on Music Row, and he invited Jan to reprise her "Mama sang tenor" line for his recording of "Daddy Sang Bass".
Jan, who was honored by the request, also joined Aslak on "Far Side Banks Of Jordan", a song she also recorded with Johnny Cash and the Carter Family.
Jan contributed backing vocals for Johnny Cash's No. 1 hit "Ring Of Fire", as well as dozens of his other recordings. She notes that through the years there have been many contests on radio stations as to who sang the "Mama sang tenor" line. "They've guessed everyone but me", laughs Jan.
18 сен 2024
