On This Day in 1983, George Jones Lands His Final No. 1 Hit with the Merle Haggard-Penned “I Always Get Lucky with You”

On this day (July 30) in 1983, George Jones scored a No. 1 country single with “I Always Get Lucky with You.” Co-written by Merle Haggard, the song was Jones’ ninth and final chart-topper as a solo artist.

Jones is widely hailed as the greatest country singer to ever live. So, it seems strange that he only sent nine singles to the top of the country chart. He released his first single, “No Money in This Deal” in 1954 and remained active until he died in 2013. Unfortunately, it took the Texas native time to find his footing and achieve consistent chart success early in his career. Then, in the latter days of his career, Jones suffered from substance abuse disorder and the fallout that comes with it. Some argue that he would have had more hits in his later years, but country radio turned its back on Jones. That, though, is a story for another time.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: 3 Hit Country Songs That George Jones Did First (And Better)]

George Jones Gets “Lucky” One Last Time

George Jones released “I Always Get Lucky with You” as the second single from his 1983 album Shine On. It went to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and stayed there for one week. Interestingly, it dethroned Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson’s “Pancho and Lefty.”

Merle Haggard co-wrote “I Always Get Lucky with You” with Freddy Powers, Gary Church, and Tex Whitson. He recorded it for his 1981 album Big City but didn’t release it as a single.

Whitson was Haggard’s manager at the time. According to a Rolling Stone article, he pitched the song to Billy Sherill, Jones’ longtime producer and collaborator. At the time, longtime friends Haggard and Jones weren’t speaking to one another. However, they were able to mend fences.

Haggard wrote an op-ed for Rolling Stone about his friendship with Jones after his passing. “I was always trying to help George get out of some damn thing. I felt like his big brother, even though I was younger,” Haggard wrote. He added, “I know he depended on me and he respected me to tell him the truth when a lot of times other people would lie to him.”

Sometimes, the truth Haggard told his friend was harsh. “I’d get mad at him over the years because of his self-damage, but everything I said to him was out of love,” Haggard wrote. “He was the Babe Ruth of country music and people expected a home run every time.”

Featured Image by S. Bukley