Claudette

Album: The Everly Brothers' Best (1958)
Charted: 1 30
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was written by Roy Orbison as a rocking tribute to his wife Claudette. It was the first major songwriting success for the then unknown Big O, who subsequently terminated his contract with Sun Records and affiliated himself with the Everly's publisher, Acuff-Rose Music.
  • The flip side of "All I Have to Do Is Dream," this was listed with the A-side though most of the record's chart action in the UK so it is recognized there as a #1 hit. Phil Everly said: "The idea was always to put the best up-tempo song and the best ballad back to back. When we were in Chicago, we asked Roy if he'd got a song for us. He gave us 'Claudette.'"
  • This was a number of hits for the Everlys about girls. Don and Phil charted with songs about Susie, Claudette, Mary, Jenny, Cathy, Lucille and Ebony.

Comments: 4

  • Johnny Intrieri from L.l., New YorkAlways loved this song! What a "B" side!! The guitar riffs still give me Goosebumps. Have the 45 RPM in one of my Jukeboxes. R.l.P. Don & Phil. A d of course Roy.
  • AnonymousMy mother named me by this song I love the name God rest her soul she loved the song
  • Kasey from Cheshire, EnglandClaudette Orbison was riding her own bike the day she died. She was not a passenger on her husband Roy's; he was on his motorcycle.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyA sad day, June 6th 1966. Claudette Orbison, age 25, was killed when a truck collided with the motorbike on which she was a passenger, her husband Roy was the bike's operator...
    Exactly eight years earlier on June 6th, 1958 the Everly Brothers' "Claudette"* was at #80 on Billboard's Top 100 chart; eventually it would peak at #30 and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks...
    Roy Orbison, who composed the song, recorded it himself for his 1965 MGM Records album, 'There Is Only One Roy Orbison'...
    * "Claudette’s” A-side was "All I Have to Do Is Dream", which peaked at #1 {for 3 weeks} on the Top 100 on May 4th, 1958.
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