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American country music singer songwriter (1928–2016)

Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love", topping both the Billboard Hot Country and Billboard's Disk Jockey singles charts. Dubbed the "Southern Gentleman" for his congenial manner, his greatest success came from ballads about the trials of love. James had 72 country and pop charted releases from 1953 to 1983, including an unprecedented five year streak of 16 straight Billboard Hot Country No. 1 singles among his 26 Billboard Hot Country No. 1 hits. From 1964 to 1976, James placed 21 of his albums in the Top 10 of Billboard Top Country Albums. James was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1961 and co hosted the first Country Music Association Awards Show in 1967. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. to Archie Lee "Pop" Loden and Della Burleson Loden, Atkins invited Capitol Records executive Ken Nelson to join them for dinner. James stated, "After dinner Chet and I began woodshedding on our guitars. We played a few songs I had written, then Chet turned to Ken and said, 'What do you think, Ken?' And Ken said, 'I'd like to record him.'" Following his long streak of No. 1 hits, James is also remembered for his 1975 No. 6 song "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon" that was in the 1977 Paul Newman hockey comedy Slap Shot.

In late 1956 James released "Young Love", a 45 rpm single for which he would forever be remembered. As the first teenage country crossover single, it topped both the US country and pop music charts in January to February 1957. Record sales could have been higher if Capitol Records had anticipated the exposure on popular music charts; they had ordered only enough copies of the record to satisfy the anticipated country music demand, and were therefore unable to supply most of the requests for records. It sold well over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Dubbed the Southern Gentleman because of his polite demeanor, he gained more exposure with an appearance on the popular Ed Sullivan Show and the Bob Hope Show. Thus began a seven year search for a sound that gave him a lasting career. Two more years at Capitol Records didn't produce it and they parted ways in 1959. James signed with National Recording Corporation, and then stints with Dot (1960–1961), RCA (1961–1962), his second time with Capitol (1963–1972), and later with Columbia (1972–1979), Monument (1979) and Dimension (1981–1983). In 1962 he returned to his roots and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and a year later signed again with Capitol Records. From 1964 to 1972 he was a dominant force in country music. James and his Southern Gentlemen appeared on the major TV shows during that period including Ed Sullivan, Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Dean, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, The Joey Bishop Show, was a multi time guest on Hee Haw, also on the Johnny Cash Show and made minor singing appearances in four motion pictures.

On August 15, 1964, James made his first appearance with a vocal group that had been together for five years. The group consisted of Lin Bown – 1st tenor, Gary Robble – 2nd tenor, Duane West – baritone and Glenn Huggins – bass. These four young men had started singing as freshmen at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1959, and in September 1962 they transferred to a sister college in Nashville, Tennessee. 16 months later in January 1964 they replaced the Jordanaires as the Grand Ole Opry quartet. James felt he had found the combination that propelled him into his second career – that sound he had been seeking for seven years. So these 21 and 22 year old men, along with James' multi talented bass player Milo Liggett, became the Southern Gentlemen and joined 36 year old Sonny James. Two months later, James had his first No. 1 Billboard hit since "Young Love" – topping the country charts with the song he co wrote with Bob Tubert, "You're The Only World I Know". His next five releases peaked on the Billboard country charts at 2, 1, 3, 1, and 2 (though all five of them hit No. 1 on either Billboard, Record World or Cashbox). With his musical style now refined and his "sound" on records and on personal appearances produced to be immediately identifiable, Sonny James was set to begin what became his streak of 16 straight No. 1 singles – an uncontested record which no other solo recording artist has surpassed in any genre.

Beginning in 1967 with "Need You" and ending with "Here Comes Honey Again" in 1971, James recorded 16 straight No. 1 country singles. His career No. 1 total was 26, the last coming with 1974's "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)". During his career had 72 charted releases. In 1973, James also helped launch the solo career of Marie Osmond, producing and arranging her first three albums, including her smash hit, "Paper Roses".

In July 1957, Sonny married Doris Shrode in Dallas, Texas. He died of natural causes at Nashville's Alive Hospice, according to a statement on his official website. He is buried at Cedar Tree Cemetery, in Hackleburg, Alabama.

In 1956, as rock and roll was just beginning, James's multi million selling single "Young Love" became a No. 1 country and pop hit, one of the first such crossover hits by a country artist. In 1957, James became the first country recording artist to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1961, honoring his contribution to the music industry, James was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6630 Hollywood Blvd. He was the first country music star to receive this honor. In 1967, along with Bobbie Gentry, James hosted the first CMA Awards show. From 1969 through 1971, James became the first country artist to achieve a feat previously not done in the country music industry. In the middle of his highly successful run of sixteen consecutive No. 1 hits, of the next seven singles that James released, five had previously been moderately successful releases for soulful R&B artists Ivory Joe Hunter, Brook Benton & Clyde Otis and Jimmy Reed. Those five songs were Since I Met You Baby, It's Just A Matter of Time, Endlessly, Empty Arms, and Bright Lights, Big City, all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard country charts. In 1969, Billboard magazine named Sonny James Country Music's Artist of the Year. In February 1971, James was the first country artist whose music went into space; he made a special music recording for the crew of Apollo 14. They later presented him with one of the small American flags that they had carried to the Moon. On August 15, 2015, exactly 51 years to the day when he first teamed up with The Southern Gentlemen in 1964, James was inducted into The Birmingham Record Collectors Hall of Fame. Gary Robble, one of The Southern Gentlemen, accepted the award on behalf of James and all of The Southern Gentlemen.