John Wesley Ryles
John Wesley Ryles (born December 2, 1950) is an American country music artist. Ryles recorded a string of hit country songs, beginning in 1968 when he was still a teenager, and continuing through the 1980s. He no longer records as a headline artist but remains active in the music industry as a session musician.
John Wesley Ryles | |
|---|---|
 John Wesley Ryles in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | John Wesley Ryles I |
| Born | December 2, 1950[1] |
| Origin | Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter Session musician |
| Instruments | Vocals Guitar |
| Years active | 1968–1971, 1976–present |
| Labels | Columbia, RCA, Plantation, Music Mill, ABC/Dot, MCA, Primero, 16th Avenue, Warner Bros. |
Biography
At age 17, he made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records.[2]
Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label, which produced a No. 39 single in its title track. It was followed by two non-album singles, "Tell It Like It Is" and "When a Man Loves a Woman," both on the Music Mill label in 1976.[2]
He then moved to Dot Records. His first single on ABC/Dot, "Fool", Made it to #18 on the Hot Country chart followed by his highest-peaking single, the #5 "Once in a Lifetime Thing."[1] When that label merged with MCA Records, he issued the album Let the Night Begin there. The first single, "Liberated Woman" climbed to #14 on the Billboard Hot Country chart. It was followed by a rendition of "Always on My Mind, which went to #20 on the Billboard Hot Country chart.."[2] The last song released from this album, "Perfect Strangers", reached #24 on the Billboard chart.
Two more singles followed on the Primero label: "We've Got to Start Meeting Like This" and "Just Once," followed by "She Took It Too Well" on 16th Avenue Records in 1984.[2] The last label for which he recorded was Warner Bros. Records between 1987 and 1988. Although he reached Top 20 with "Louisiana Rain" during his stay on Warner, he did not release an album for the label.[2]
Since the release of his last single in 1988, Ryles has served primarily as a background vocalist, singing on records with Randy Travis, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Toby Keith, George Jones, Martina McBride, Garth Brooks and dozens of others. He has been the featured voice for television and radio commercials for Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Sears, The American Dairy Association, Dollar General Stores and Coors Beer. Additionally, he has added background vocals to commercials for American Airlines, Ford Trucks, GMC Trucks, Dodge Trucks, General Electric and Applebee’s. His voice can also be heard in the movies Beverly Hillbillies, Honeymoon In Vegas, Hope Floats, Prince Of Egypt, Lawless, Babe: Pig In The City, Scooby Doo And The Witch's Ghost and Billy: The Early Years.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 1969 | Kay | 22 | Columbia |
| 1971 | Reconsider Me | — | Plantation |
| 1977 | John Wesley Ryles | 39 | ABC/Dot |
| 1978 | Shine on Me | — | ABC |
| Love's Sweet Pain | — | ||
| 1979 | Let the Night Begin | — | MCA |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [2] |
CAN Country | AU | |||
| 1968 | "Kay"A, B | 9 | 6 | 38 | Kay |
| 1969 | "Heaven Below"B | 55 | — | — | |
| 1970 | "The Weakest Kind of Man"B | 57 | — | — | |
| "I've Just Been Wasting My Time"B | 17 | 6 | — | ||
| 1971 | "Reconsider Me"B | 39 | — | — | Reconsider Me |
| 1976 | "Tell It Like It Is" | 83 | — | — | John Wesley Ryles |
| "When a Man Loves a Woman" | 72 | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Fool" | 18 | — | — | |
| "Once in a Lifetime Thing" | 5 | 9 | — | ||
| 1978 | "Shine on Me (The Sun Still Shines When It Rains)" | 13 | 14 | — | Shine on Me |
| "Easy" | 63 | — | — | single only | |
| "Kay" (re-release) | 50 | 55 | — | Shine on Me | |
| "Someday You Will" | 45 | — | — | Love's Sweet Pain | |
| 1979 | "Love Ain't Made for Fools" | 33 | 40 | — | |
| "Liberated Woman" | 14 | 17 | — | Let the Night Begin | |
| "You Are Always on My Mind" | 20 | 24 | — | ||
| 1980 | "Perfect Strangers" | 24 | — | — | |
| "May I Borrow Some Sugar from You" | 52 | — | — | singles only | |
| "Cheater's Trap" | 54 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Somewhere to Come When It Rains" | 80 | — | — | |
| "Mathilda" | 78 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "We've Got to Start Meeting Like This" | 76 | — | — | |
| "Just Once" | 80 | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "She Took It Too Well" | 78 | — | — | |
| 1987 | "Midnight Blue" | 36 | — | — | |
| "Louisiana Rain" | 20 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Nobody Knows" | 53 | — | — | |
- APeaked at No. 83 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 88 on RPM Top Singles.
- BCredited to John Wesley Ryles I.
References
- Brennan, Sandra. "John Wesley Ryles biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 367. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
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