James, Sonny, 1928-2016

“Sonny” James Hugh Loden was born May 1, 1928 in Hackleburg, Alabama, to a musical farming family. His parents, Archie Lee "Pop" Loden and Della Burleson Loden, and sister Thelma Lee Loden (Holcombe), known as The Loden Family, had their own radio show on WMSD-AM in Muscle-Shoals, AL in the early 1930s.The Loden Family unofficially adopted a young Ruby Palmer, who also sang in the family band. While the Loden Family started with a radio show in Muscle Shoals, they moved over the next 15 years to do radio shows in Jackson, MS, Blytheville, AR, Knoxville, TN, Raleigh, NC, Memphis, TN and Birmingham, AL. They did a live show very weekday morning and performed in the listening area on the weekends at auditoriums and tent shows. James also won many fiddle contests throughout the southeast. James served in the Korean War in the Alabama Army National Guard. After his service in the military, he moved to Nashville, TN. In 1954, James was signed by Ken Nelson to Capitol Records, when it was suggested he change his stage name for simplicity to Sonny James. James became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in October 1962. In the 1970s he signed with Columbia Records. Sonny James produced Marie Osmond’s “Paper Roses”, on MGM Records in 1973; the song sold over one million records. From 1953 to 1983, Sonny James charted 72 times, including 23 that reached #1. According to Billboard statistics, between 1960 and 1979 he spent fifty-seven weeks in the #1 chart position—more than any other country artist of the era. Sonny James was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.