65 Years Ago Today, George Jones Was in the Middle of a No. 1 Run With a Country Classic That Spawned Two Foreign-Language Versions

Briefly dabbling in rock n’ roll with his first number-one hit “White Lightning”, George Jones shifted his focus to country music in the 1960s. With his distinct vocals and emotive singing style, he quickly earned his place in history as “the Rolls-Royce of country music,” sending 13 songs to the top of the Billboard charts. On this day (September 7) in 1961, Jones found himself at number one for the second time with “Tender Years”, the self-penned single that provided a glimpse of the greatness to come.

This George Jones Ballad Was the Blueprint for His Career

George Jones co-wrote “Tender Years” with his childhood friend and frequent musical collaborator Darrell Edwards. He recorded the song at Bradley Studios in Nashville.

Produced by Shelby Singleton, “Tender Years” hit the airwaves in February 1961, along with the B-side “Battle of Love”.

The song is a study in quiet longing and heartbreak. You keep saying you love him
I believe that it’s true / And it just doesn’t matter / How much I love you / But in time you’ll understand, dear / When you shed a tear / Then you’ll know you were living / In your tender years.

“Tender Years” spent 32 weeks on the Billboard country chart, with seven of those (non-consecutive) weeks at number one. It also crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at number 76.

Many critics agree that “Tender Years” marked the beginning of the “King of Country Music” we all recognize today.

In his essay for The Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country, music journalist Rich Kienzle wrote, “Here, his singing voice, which so far had been high and nasal, began to deepen. His restrained delivery and the smoother, ‘Nashville Sound’ production (complete with muted accompaniment and a vocal chorus) produced a smoother, but no less expressive George Jones.”

Covered in Multiple Languages

Multiple artists have since covered “Tender Years”, and not only in English.

In 1963, French singer Johnny Hallyday recorded his own rendition called “Tes tendres années”. The song reached number one in the Netherlands.

Later that same year, Dutch singer Willeke Alberti put her own spin on “Tender Years”. It peaked at number two in her home country.

[RELATED: The No. 1 Hit George Jones Originally Hated: “Nobody Really Wants to Hear That”]

Meanwhile, George Jones found himself back at number one the following year with “She Thinks I Still Care”.

Featured image by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images

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