Don't Be Angry

Album: I Love a Song (1964)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Don't Be Angry" is an easy listening Country & Western song which has a bizarre claim to fame. Recorded in 1964 by Stonewall Jackson on the Columbia label, it was written by his brother Wade, and runs to 2 minutes 59 seconds. It was also sung not quite as a duet but down the telephone by Johnny Cash and convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, hours before the latter was executed.
    Habitual criminal Gilmore committed two senseless murders during the course of two robberies in Utah in July 1976, and after a speedy trial was sentenced to death the following October. Realizing he'd led a worthless life and not wishing to spend the rest of it behind bars, he expedited his execution in the face of protests by anti-death penalty campaigners. The night before his execution in January 1977, his Uncle Vern smuggled three small bottles of whisky into the prison, and already high on medication, Gilmore took a phone call from his favorite musician, Johnny Cash, which had been arranged by defense attorney Ron Stanger. Cash sang "Don't Be Angry" down the telephone, and Gilmore did his best to sing back. At 8.07am the following day, he was executed by firing squad. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments: 3

  • John C from Simi Valley, CaI don't remember this one either, but I remember Donna Fargos version
  • Kev from Rogers, ArI don't remember this song, but I remember "Waterloo", which I heard as a young school kid on the radio as I was getting ready for school. "Waterloo" can be viewed on YouTube.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyHere's some obscure trivia:
    On June 18th 1815, the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, the defeat ended Napoleon's rule as Emperor of France...
    Exactly 144 years later on June 18th, 1959 Stonewall Jackson's "Waterloo" was at #24 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; just under a month later on July 13th, 1959 it would peak at #4 {for 3 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 16 weeks...
    He had three other records make the Top 100 chart; "Igmoo (The Pride of South Central High)" {#95 in 1959}, "Mary Don't You Weep" {#41 in 1960}, and "Why I'm Walkin'" [#83 in 1960}...
    "Don't Be Angry" didn't make the Top 100 chart; but on November 8th, 1964 it peaked at #4 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart...
    Mr. Jackson, and Stonewall is he real first name, will celebrate his 83rd birthday in five months on November 6th {2015}.
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