Billy joe royal death12/21/2023 South would go on to have some hit under his own name in the late '60's and early '70's as well. (In all, nine of Royal's 16 charted Billboard hits were written by Joe South. along with several other tracks over the years. and later a hit for Deep Purple, #4, 1968) . and later a #1 Hit of The Osmonds) and "Hush" (#48, 1967. Royal also recorded Joe's "Yo Yo" (#111, 1966. Along the way he made songwriter Joe South quite a bit of money, too, as South penned all of these hits. Royal hit The National Top 40 with his first three hits. but based on all the mail I've ever received over the years of doing Forgotten Hits, by ALL accounts, there's never been a nicer or more appreciative artist to take the stage.īilly Joe passed away on Tuesday (October 6th) at the age of 73. Royal is survived by his ex-wife, a daughter and two step-sons.I never had the pleasure of meeting or the opportunity to see Billy Joe Royal perform live in concert. ![]() His final performance was on September 24 at the Gwinnett County Fair in Georgia. In recent years, Royal continued to tour and record with his last two albums being Going By Daydreams (2007) and His First Gospel Album (2009). Billy’s new string of hits started with Burned Like a Rocket (1985 / #10 Country), written by Gary Burr who is now part of the Blue Sky Riders with Kenny Loggins, and was followed by I’ll Pin a Note On Your Pillow (1987 / #5 Country), Tell It Like It Is (1989 / #2), Love Has No Right (1989 / #4) and Till I Can’t Take It Anymore (1989 / #2). Over the next three years, Royal had lest success, with his biggest hits being I’ve Got to Be Somebody (1966 / #38) and South’s Hush (1967 / #52) but, in 1969, he had a resurgence with Cherry Hill Park which peaked at number 15.ĭuring the 80’s, both Royal and his friend Thomas had a resurgence in their respective careers on the Country charts. Royal had a second Canadian number 1 a few months later with I Knew You When which went to 14 in the U.S. In 1965, South had Royal record his song Down in the Boondocks which shot to number 9 in the U.S. Royal soon found himself as a regular on The Georgia Jubilee radio show along with Ray Stevens, Jerry Reed, Joe South and Freddy Weller and moved to a headlining spot at The Bamboo Ranch in Savannah. ![]() “When he made it so big, all us Southern boys thought maybe we had a shot, too.”Įven at a younger age, he dabbled with the stage, first appearing at a PTA show at the age of five and, later, received his first paycheck after doing a show in Atlanta that also featured a young Gladys Knight. ![]() One of a kind.”īorn in Valdosta and raised in Marietta, GA, Royal realized that music might be a career choice after seeing Elvis Presley on the Tommy Dorsey Show. Thomas broke the news to the world on Wednesday morning on Twitter, saying “My best friend Billy Joe Royal, died this morning. Billy Joe Royal, who had hits in the 60’s like Down in the Boondocks and Cherry Hill Park and reemerged in the 80’s with a series of country hits, died in his sleep on Tuesday at his home in North Carolina at the age of 73.ī.J.
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