Don't You Go

Album: Georgia Clay (2011)
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Songfacts®:

  • In 2007, Josh Kelley married the actress Katherine Heigl, who for some reason didn't take his name and become the much more alliterative Katherine Kelley. This song, which he wrote with Rachel Thibodeau and Kyle Jacobs, was inspired by her. Says Kelley: "Because of Katie's and my different schedules, each time we have to leave each other, when we hug, neither one of us wants to let go. I keep thinking, wouldn't it be great if I could just say, 'Forget it, I'm staying.' It's interesting that when we were recording 'Don't You Go,' I initially sang in a higher octave, but it didn't covey the intensity the song deserved."
  • Georgia Clay was Kelley's first Country album, and it was produced by Clint Lagerberg. Said Kelley: "My producer, Clint, really pushed me vocally on this album and this song in particular. I really wanted the intensity to come through, and after about 45 takes we had a final version we were happy with. In that final version, it is evident that Clint's pushing me to perform the song in a higher pitch than I'm used to really helped. While he played acoustic guitar on 'Don't You Go,' he also provided backing electric guitar on this song and the rest of the album. He's one of the best guitarists I've ever known."

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