Gonna Get Along Without You Now

Album: Stitched Up (1979)
Charted: 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This popular song was written by Milton Kellern and published in 1951. It has been recorded in several styles and tempos and the original version, by pop singer Teresa Brewer was done in a swing style. For many, the benchmark version was the more poppy 1956 rendition by the sister act Patience and Prudence, which reached #11 in the US and #22 in the UK. In 1964, the song reached the US charts twice more, Tracey Dey's Wall of Sound version peaked at #51 and Skeeter Davis' country recording reached #48. In Europe Viola Wills' disco version is probably the best known.
  • Los Angeles born Viola Wilkerson was already the mother of six children before the age of 21 when, in 1965, she was discovered by a pre stardom Barry White who signed her to Bronco Records and changed her surname to Wills. After working with White and as part of Joe Cocker's backing quartet, The Sanctified Sisters, Wills had an Europe-wide solo hit with her disco version of this song. She later spent time in England and had another UK Top 40 hit with the double a-side "Dare to Dream and her version of "Both Sides Now." Though that was her last chart entry, Wills had some success on the HI-NRG nostalgia circuit in the UK before she returned home to the US. In May 2009 she died of cancer aged 69.

Comments: 2

  • Max from PerthI understand the composer's name was misspelled on the record label and should read "Milton Kellem"
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 26th 1964, Skeeter Davis' covered version of "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90; though it only reached #48 on the Top 100, it did peak at #8 {for 1 week} on July 5th, 1964 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart...
    Between 1957 and 1969 she had twenty-seven hits on Billboard's Hot Country singles chart; nine made the Top 10 with two reaching #2, "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" in 1960 and "The End of the World" in 1962...
    Ms. Davis, born Mary Frances Penick, passed away on September 9th, 2004 at the age of 72...
    May she R.I.P.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Church Lyrics

Church LyricsMusic Quiz

Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

Wolfgang Van Halen

Wolfgang Van HalenSongwriter Interviews

Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the songs on his debut album, Mammoth WVH, and names the definitive Van Halen songs from the Sammy and Dave eras.

Which Songs are About Drugs?

Which Songs are About Drugs?Fact or Fiction

"25 or 6 to 4" to "Semi-Charmed Life" - see if you can spot the songs that are really about drugs.

Fire On The Stage

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.