Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 12, 2015

DEAR JERRY: I remember "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy, from right here in Clearwater, as well as "Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron" by the Royal Guardsmen, who are from Ocala.

Both of those songs peaked at No. 2 on Billboard, barely missing the prestigious No. 1 spot.

I also remember the Tides (Rockers) from nearby Tampa. They topped the charts locally but did nothing nationally.

What are some of the other Florida artists who had big hits nationwide during the rock era?
—Bob Clark, Clearwater, Fla.

DEAR BOB: Whenever I am not given chart specifics I usually default to "Top 40" — also the name given to the most popular radio format of the rock era (1955-1989).

Within those parameters, I can confirm 41 acts with noteworthy links to Florida, each having at least one pop (not C&W or R&B) Top 40 hit.

That may exceed your expectations, but even more surprising is that this talented assemblage accounts for 27 No. 1 hits!

The list is alphabetical by artists, followed by the area of their Florida connection, song titles, peak chart positions from either Billboard or Cash Box, and year of issue.

All titles reaching the Top 10 are individually listed. For artists with none, their highest ranked Top 40 hit will be shown.

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (Tampa): "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" #11 (1967)
Allman Brothers Band (Daytona Beach): "Ramblin' Man" #1 (1973)
John Anderson (Orlando/Apopka): "Swingin'" #30 (1983)
Blues Image (Tampa): "Ride Captain Ride" #4 (1970)
Gary U.S. Bonds (Jacksonville): "Quarter to Three" #1 (1961); "School Is Out" #2 (1961); "New Orleans" #5 (1960); "Dear Lady Twist" #6 (1962); "This Little Girl" #7 (1981); "Twist Twist Senora" #9 (1962)
Pat Boone (Jacksonville): "Ain't That a Shame" #1 (1955); "I Almost Lost My Mind" #1 (1956); "Don't Forbid Me" #1 (1956); "Love Letters in the Sand" #1 (1957); "April Love" #1 (1957); "Moody River" #1 (1961); "I'll Be Home" #4 (1956); "A Wonderful Time Up There" #4 (1958); "It's Too Soon to Know" #4 (1958); "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" #5 (1956); "Why Baby Why" #5 (1957); "Sugar Moon" #5 (1958); "Remember You're Mine" #6 (1957); "Speedy Gonzalez" #6 (1962); "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" #7 (1955); "If Dreams Came True" #7 (1958); "Long Tall Sally" #8 (1956); "Two Hearts" #9 (1955); "Tutti-Frutti" #10 (1956); "Chains of Love" #10 (1956)
Jo Ann Campbell (Jacksonville): "I'm the Girl From Wolverton Mountain" #37 (1962)
Ray Charles (Greenville): "Georgia on My Mind" #1 (1960); "Hit the Road Jack" #1 (1961); "I Can't Stop Loving You" #1 (1962); "You Don't Know Me" #2 (1962); "Busted" #2 (1963); "What'd I Say" #6 (1959); "Crying Time" #6 (1965); "You Are My Sunshine" #7 (1962); "One Mint Julep" #8 (1961); "Take These Chains From My Heart" #8 (1963); "Unchain My Heart" #9 (1961)
Classics IV (Jacksonville): "Traces" #2 (1969); "Spooky" #3 (1967); "Stormy" #5 (1968)
Rita Coolidge (Tallahassee): "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" #1 (1977); "We're All Alone" #7 (1977)
Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose (Dania): "Too Late to Turn Back Now" #1 (1972); "Treat Her Like a Lady" #2 (1971)
Rick Dees (Jacksonville): "Disco Duck" #1 (1976)
Ral Donner: (Orlando)"You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)" #4 (1961); "She's Everything (I Wanted You to Be)" #10 (1961)
Dream Weavers: (Miami) "It's Almost Tomorrow" #6 (1955)
Gloria Estefan (with and without Miami Sound Machine) (Miami): "Anything for You" #1 (1988); "Don't Wanna Lose You" #1 (1989); "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" #5 (1987); "Can't Stay Away From You" #6 (1987); "Here We Are" #6 (1989); "Get on Your Feet" #9 (1989)
Faith, Hope & Charity (Tampa): "So Much Love" #36 (1970)
Terri Gibbs (Miami): "Somebody's Knockin' " #10 (1981)
Bobby Goldsboro (Marianna): "Honey" #1 (1968); "Watching Scotty Grow" #8 (1970); "See the Funny Little Clown" #9 (1964)
Betty Harris (Orlando): "Cry to Me" #23 (1963)
Debbie Harry (Blondie) (Miami): "Heart of Glass" #1 (1979); "Call Me" #1 (1980); "The Tide Is High" #1 (1980); "Rapture" #1 (1981)
Bertie Higgins (Tarpon Springs): "Key Largo" #8 (1981)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne (West Palm Beach): "Dance Across the Floor" #38 (1978)
Bruce Hornsby (Miami): "The Way It Is" #1 (1986); "Mandolin Rain" #4 (1986)
KC and the Sunshine Band (Hialeah): "Get Down Tonight" #1 (1975); "That's the Way (I Like It)" #1 (1975); "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" #1 (1976); "I'm Your Boogie Man" #1 (1977); "Keep It Comin' Love" #2 (1977); "Please Don't Go" #1 (1979); "Yes, I'm Ready" #2 (1979)
Kris Jensen (Fort Lauderdale): "Torture" #20 (1962)
Kalin Twins (Miami): "When" #5 (1958)
Lobo (Roland Kent LaVoie) (Tallahassee): "I'd Love You to Want Me" #1 (1972); "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend" #4 (1972); "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" #5 (1971)
Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Sweet Home Alabama" #7 (1974)
George McCrae (West Palm Beach): "Rock Your Baby" #1 (1974)
Gwen McCrae (Pensacola): "Rockin' Chair" #9 (1975)
Scott McKenzie (Jacksonville): "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" #4 (1967)
Jackie Moore (Jacksonville): "Precious, Precious" #11 (1970)
Miami Sound Machine (Miami): "Words Get in the Way" #5 (1986); "Bad Boy" #8 (1986); "Conga" #10 (1985)
Jim Morrison (Doors) (Melbourne): "Light My Fire" #1 (1967); "Hello I Love You" #1 (1968); "Touch Me" #3 (1968); "Love Her Madly" #7 (1971) "People Are Strange" #10 (1967)
Tom Petty (Gainesville): "Free Fallin'" #6 (1989); "Don't Do Me Like That" #7 (1979)
James & Bobby Purify (Pensacola/Tallahassee): "I'm Your Puppet" #6 (1966)
Clarence Reid (Miami): "Nobody But You Babe" #36 (1969)
Sam & Dave (Miami): "Soul Man" #1 (1967); "I Thank You" #8 (1968)
Stephen Stills (Gainesville): "Love the One You're With" #14 (1970)
.38 Special (Jacksonville): "Second Chance" #6 (1989); "Caught Up in You" #9 (1982)
Johnny Tillotson (Jacksonville/Palatka): "Poetry in Motion" #2 (1960); "It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'" #3 (1962); "Without You" #7 (1961); "Talk Back Trembling Lips" #7 (1963)
Betty Wright (Miami): "Clean Up Woman" #4 (1971)

IZ ZAT SO? Florida also supplied the rock era with 11 more artists who made the Top 100, but whose peak chart positions fell short of the Top 40.

Deserving honorable mention, they are:

Steve Alaimo (Miami): "Everyday I Have to Cry" #45 (1963)
Clefs of Lavender Hill (Miami): "Stop! Get a Ticket" #72 (1966)
Fantasy (Miami): "Stoned Cowboy" #77 (1970)
Walter Jackson (Pensacola): "It's All Over" #60 (1964)
Last Word (Miami): "Can't Stop Loving You" #76 (1967)
Charlie McCoy (Miami): "Cherry Berry Wine" #99 (1961)
Nightcrawlers (Daytona Beach): "The Little Black Egg" #78 (1967)
NRBQ (Miami): "Get That Gasoline Blues" #55 (1974)
Razor's Edge (West Palm Beach): "Let's Call It a Day Girl" #72 (1966)
Benny Spellman (Pensacola): "Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette)" #80 (1962)
Jimmy Velvet (Jacksonville): "We Belong Together" #75 (1962)
Noble "Thin Man" Watts (DeLand): "Hard Times (The Slop)" #44 (1957)
Slim Whitman (Tampa): "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" #93 (1957)





Return to "Mr. Music" Home Page