Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck (* 31 May 1938 as Donald Eugene Lytle in Greenfield , Ohio ; † 19th February 2003 in Nashville , Tennessee ) was an American country music singer who primarily by the hit Take This Job and Shove It became known .
Life
Beginnings
As a teenager, he traveled North America as a hobo on freight trains. His time in the US Navy ended with a two-year prison sentence after an assault on a superior. After a few months of restless wandering, he then ended up in Nashville , where he recorded some unsuccessful singles under the name Donny Young. He then joined the backing bands of stars like Porter Wagoner , Faron Young and Ray Price . He worked with George Jones for four years. Both influenced each other stylistically.
Career
In 1965 he renamed himself Johnny Paycheck after a Chicago boxer. In the same year he recorded several singles for an independent label. The song A-11 reached number 26 on the country charts. Encouraged by the success, he founded the label Little Darlin 'Records in 1966 together with his producer Aubrey Mayhew. The first single from the new label The Lovin 'Machine was already in the top 10. During these years Paycheck had his first successes as a songwriter. Tammy Wynette made it with Apartment No. 9 in the top 10; Ray Price had a number 3 hit with Touch My Heart .
Several medium hits were produced for the Little Darlin 'label in the following years. His very hard honky tonk wasn't to everyone's taste. Due to the lack of success, which had been caused in part by Paycheck's alcoholism , the label went bankrupt in 1969 . Over indebted, Paycheck disappeared to California, where he lived on the street.
comeback
The Nashville producer Billy Sherrill managed to track down the talented musician and songwriter in 1971. Sherryl offered Paycheck a new record deal on the condition that this overcomes his alcohol and drug addiction. Paycheck agreed and started a second career. The first single, She's All I Got , reached number two on the country charts. The more pleasant Nashville Sound made this success possible.
More hits followed. Paycheck had established itself in the scene, but repeatedly came into conflict with the law. In 1972 he received a twelve-month suspended sentence for check fraud. In 1976 he filed for personal bankruptcy . A year later he had his first and only number 1 hit with Take This Job and Shove It . In the same year, the two hits Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets and I'm the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised) also landed in the top 10 of the country charts. The now long-haired and neglected-looking Paycheck joined the outlaw movement around Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson . Despite further success, he lost his record deal in 1983. The decisive factors were a rape lawsuit and a brawl that he instigated while drunk on a scheduled airline.
He changed the label, but could not produce any more hits. He hit the headlines again in 1985 after shooting a man in the shoulder for no reason. He was sentenced to seven to nine years in prison. Due to several appeals negotiations , he did not have to begin the sentence until 1989. In the meantime he released other records for the Mercury label. Ultimately, after a pardon from Governor Richard Celeste, he spent less than two years behind bars. Here he successfully managed to combat his alcohol and drug addiction and even catch up with his school leaving certificate. Johnny Paycheck was last bedridden and died of emphysema in a nursing home in Nashville in February 2003 .
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1966 | At Carnegie Hall | - |
Country22 (11 weeks) Country |
Little darlin '
|
| 1967 | Jukebox Charlie (And Other Songs That Make The Jukebox Play) |
- |
Country10 (13 weeks) Country |
Little darlin '
|
| 1968 | Country Soul | - |
Country41 (4 weeks) Country |
Little darlin '
|
| 1971 | She's All I Got | - |
Country5 (27 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| 1972 | Someone To Give My Love To | - |
Country9 (17 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| Somebody Loves Me | - |
Country16 (14 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1973 | Mr. Lovemaker | - |
Country12 (15 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| Song & Dance Man | - |
Country16 (14 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1976 | 11 Months And 29 Days | - |
Country40 (4 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| 1977 | Slide Off Of Your Satin Sheets | - |
Country22 (15 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| Take This Job And Shove It |
US72  (14 weeks)US |
Country2 (49 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
|
| 1978 | Armed and Crazy | - |
Country15 (31 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| 1979 | Everybody's Got A Family… Meet Mine | - |
Country42 (14 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| 1980 | Double trouble | - |
Country45 (16 weeks) Country |
Epic
with George Jones |
| 1981 | Mr. Hag Told My Story | - |
Country40 (7 weeks) Country |
Epic
with The Strangers |
| 1987 | Modern Times | - |
Country54 (12 weeks) Country |
Mercury
|
More albums
- 1966: The Lovin 'Machine (Little Darlin')
- 1967: Gospel Time 'In My Fashion' (Little Darlin ')
- 1969: Wherever You Are (Little Darlin ')
- 1970: Again (Certron Corporation)
- 1972: Heartbreak, Tenn. (Hilltop)
- 1975: Loving You Beats All I've Ever Seen (Epic)
- 1982: Lovers & Losers (Epic)
- 1983: I Don't Need To Know That Right Now (Allegiance)
- 1988: Outlaw At The Cross (Damascus To The Cross Records)
- 1991: The Last Outlaw (Air Records)
- 1995: Difference In Me (Playback Records)
- 1996: Johnny Paycheck Sings George Jones (K-tel)
- 1996: I'm A Survivor (Sterling)
Live albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1980 | New York Town | - |
Country48 (7 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
More live albums
- 1993: Live in Branson, MO, USA (LaserLight Digital)
- 1999: Live At Gilley’s (Atlantic Records)
- 2011: Live at the Palomino (Vintage Masters Inc.)
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1974 | Johnny Paycheck's Greatest Hits | - |
Country21 (20 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
| 1978 | Johnny Paycheck's Greatest Hits 2 |
US-  |
Country23 (23 weeks) Country |
Epic
|
More compilations
- 1968: Johnny Paycheck's Greatest Hits
- 1975: At His Best
- 1979: The Outlaw
- 1979: Jesus and the Outlaw
- 1979: Honky Tonk & Slow Music
- 1979: Touch My Heart
- 1981: Encore
- 1982: Biggest hits
- 1996: The Real Mr. Heartache: The Little Darlin 'Years
- 1999: 16 biggest hits
- 2002: Remembering
- 2002: The Soul & the Edge: The Best of Johnny Paycheck
- 2003: The Collection
- 2004: The Little Darlin 'Sound of Johnny Paycheck: The Beginning
- 2005: The Little Darlin 'Sound of Johnny Paycheck: On His Way
- 2005: The Little Darlin 'Sound of Johnny Paycheck: The Gospel Truth - The Complete Gospel Sessions
- 2006: 11 Months and 29 Days / Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets
- 2006: Shakin 'the Blues
- 2007: Take This Job and Shove It / Armed and Crazy
- 2009: Nowhere to Run: The Little Darlin 'Years 1966–1970
- 2010: Someone to Give My Love To / Somebody Loves Me
- 2013: Double Trouble / A Taste of Yesterday's Wine
- 2014: The Essential Johnny Paycheck
- 2015: I'll Take That Paycheck Now
- 2015: Paycheck Time
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1965 | A-11 |
- |
Country26 (12 weeks) Country |
|
| Heartbreak Tennessee |
- |
Country40 (2 weeks) Country |
||
| 1966 | The Lovin 'Machine The Lovin' Machine |
- |
Country8 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| Motel Time Again Jukebox Charlie |
- |
Country13 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1967 | Jukebox Charlie Jukebox Charlie |
- |
Country15 (15 weeks) Country |
|
| The Cave |
- |
Country32 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| Don't Monkey with Another Monkey's Monkey Greatest Hits |
- |
Country41 (11 weeks) Country |
||
| 1968 | (It Won't Be Long) And I'll Be Hating You Greatest Hits |
- |
Country59 (7 weeks) Country |
|
| My Heart Keeps Running to You Greatest Hits |
- |
Country66 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| If I'm Gonna Sink Wherever You Are |
- |
Country73 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| 1969 | Wherever You Are Wherever You Are |
- |
Country31 (13 weeks) Country |
|
| 1971 | She's All I Got She’s All I Got |
US91 (2 weeks) US |
Country2 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| 1972 | Someone to Give My Love To Someone to Give My Love To |
- |
Country4 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| Love Is a Good Thing Someone to Give My Love To |
- |
Country12 (11 weeks) Country |
||
| Somebody Loves Me Somebody Loves Me |
- |
Country21 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| 1973 | Something About You I Love Mr. Lovemaker |
- |
Country10 (12 weeks) Country |
|
| Mr. Lovemaker Mr. Lovemaker |
- |
Country2 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| Song and Dance Man Song and Dance Man |
- |
Country8 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1974 | My Part of Forever Song and Dance Man |
- |
Country19 (12 weeks) Country |
|
| Keep on Lovin 'Me Greatest Hits (1974) |
- |
Country23 (11 weeks) Country |
||
| For a Minute There Song and Dance Man |
- |
Country12 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1975 | Loving You Beats All I've Ever Seen Loving You Beats All I've Ever Seen |
- |
Country26 (11 weeks) Country |
|
| I Don't Love Her Anymore Loving You Beats All I've Ever Seen |
- |
Country38 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| All-American Man |
- |
Country23 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| 1976 | The Feminine Touch 11 Months and 29 Days |
- |
Country56 (8 weeks) Country |
|
| Gone at Last 11 Months and 29 Days |
- |
Country49 (8 weeks) Country |
with Charnissa
|
|
| 11 Months and 29 Days 11 Months and 29 Days |
- |
Country34 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| I Can See Me Lovin 'You Again 11 Months and 29 Days |
- |
Country44 (8 weeks) Country |
||
| 1977 | Slide Off Your Satin Sheets Slide Off Your Satin Sheets |
- |
Country7 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| I'm the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised) Slide Off Your Satin Sheets |
- |
Country8 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| Take This Job and Shove It Take This Job and Shove It |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| Colorado Kool-Aid |
- |
Country50 (6 weeks) Country |
B-side of Take This Job and Shove It
|
|
| 1978 | Georgia in a Jug Take This Job and Shove It |
- |
Country17 (7 weeks) Country |
|
| Me and the IRS |
- |
Country33 (3 weeks) Country |
B side of Georgia in a Jug
|
|
| Maybellene Double Trouble |
- |
Country7 (13 weeks) Country |
with George Jones
|
|
| Friend, Lover, Wife Armed and Crazy |
- |
Country7 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| 1979 | The Outlaw's Prayer Armed and Crazy |
- |
Country27 (11 weeks) Country |
|
| Down on the Corner at a Bar Called Kelly's |
- |
Country94 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| You Can Have Her Double Trouble |
- |
Country14 (11 weeks) Country |
with George Jones
|
|
| (Stay Away From) The Cocaine Train Everybody’s Got A Family… Meet Mine |
- |
Country49 (6 weeks) Country |
||
| Drinkin 'and Drivin' Everybody's Got A Family… Meet Mine |
- |
Country17 (13 weeks) Country |
||
| 1980 | Fifteen Beers Everybody’s Got A Family… Meet Mine |
- |
Country40 (9 weeks) Country |
|
| When You're Ugly Like Us (You Just Naturally Got to Be Cool) Double Trouble |
- |
Country31 (9 weeks) Country |
with George Jones
|
|
| You Better Move On Double Trouble |
- |
Country18 (12 weeks) Country |
with George Jones
|
|
| In Memory of a Memory New York Town |
- |
Country22 (11 weeks) Country |
||
| 1981 | I Can't Hold Myself in Line Mr. Hag Told My Story |
- |
Country41 (8 weeks) Country |
with Merle Haggard & The Strangers
|
| Yesterday's News (Just Hit Home Today) Mr. Hag Told My Story |
- |
Country57 (7 weeks) Country |
with The Strangers
|
|
| The Highlight of '81 Lovers and Losers |
- |
Country75 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| 1981 | No Way Out Lovers and Losers |
- |
Country69 (5 weeks) Country |
|
| DOA (Drunk on Arrival) Lovers and Losers |
- |
Country88 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| 1984 | I Never Got Over You I'm a Survivor |
- |
Country30 (18 weeks) Country |
|
| 1985 | You're Every Step I Take I'm a Survivor |
- |
Country47 (10 weeks) Country |
|
| Everything Is Changing I'm a Survivor |
- |
Country63 (8 weeks) Country |
||
| 1986 | Old Violin Modern Times |
- |
Country21 (22 weeks) Country |
|
| Don't Bury Me 'Til I'm Ready Modern Times |
- |
Country49 (10 weeks) Country |
||
| 1987 | Come to Me Modern Times |
- |
Country56 (7 weeks) Country |
|
| I Grow Old Too Fast (And Smart Too Slow) Modern Times |
- |
Country72 (5 weeks) Country |
||
| 1988 | Out of beer |
- |
Country81 (2 weeks) Country |
|
| 1989 | Scars Outlaw at the Cross |
- |
Country90 (2 weeks) Country |
|
More singles
- 1964: I'd Rather Be Your Fool
- 1965: For Those Who Think Young
- 1966: I'm Barely Hangin 'on to Me
- 1966: Ballad of Green Berets
- 1966: Right Back Where We Parted
- 1969: My World of Memories
- 1969: Wildfire
- 1983: I Don't Need to Know That Right Now
- 1986: Sexy Southern Lady
- 1988: Josie
- 1994: There Lies the Difference
Guest Posts
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Country
|
|||
| 1972 | Let's All Go Down to the River There's a Party Goin 'On |
Country13 (11 weeks) Country |
with Jody Miller
|
Trivia
His song It Will not Be Long (And I'll Be Hating You) is the radio of the video game Grand Theft Auto V game.
Web links
swell
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Paycheck, Johnny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lytle, Donald Eugene |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 31, 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Greenfield , Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 19, 2003 |
| Place of death | Nashville , Tennessee |