Hero of the Working Man
Johnny Paycheck
American Legends, 2006
1 CD
Catalogue #: 192028
EAN: 0723721199555
UPC: 723721199555
You save: 20%
A notably tumultuous personality in a genre known for unruly characters, Johnny Paycheck spent his career alternating between jail (on charges ranging from bouncing checks to aggravated assault), and the rarified heights of the hit parade, where his successes included David Allen Coe's "Take This Job and Shove It" and his own "Apartment Number Nine," written for Tammy Wynette. HERO collects "Take This Job..." and nine other hits, including his Merle Haggard-like version of "I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised" and his heartfelt "Me and the I.R.S.," both of which he makes sound at least semi-autobiographical.
Tracklist
Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck first came to public attention in the early 1960s as a honky-tonk singer in the George Jones mold, scoring hits with "A-11" and "That Lovin' Machine." During this era he penned the classics "Apartment #9," an early success for Tammy Wynette, and the eerie "(Pardon Me) I've Got Someone to Kill." A decade later Paycheck reemerged as an avatar of outlaw country, hitting the charts hard with such autobiographical fare as "I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised," "Drinkin' and Drivin'," and "Take This Job and Shove It." He passed away in February 2003, and was subsequently saluted on TOUCH MY HEART, an all-star tribute album.
