Remembering Charlie Rich on his 24th Death Anniversary

Charlie Rich became an iconic country artist with his hits “Behind Closed Doors” and “A Very Special Love Song.”  “The Most Beautiful Girl” was one of Rich’s Billboard hit that earned him two Grammy Awards.

The singer had a rocky career but his contributions to country music will always be remembered.

Charlie Rich’s No. 1 Hit

Charlie Rich won a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Kenny O’Dell was also awarded both by the CMA and ACM Awards for Song of the Year. The inspiration behind the song was actually a huge political scandal in the ’70s. It was written because of the Watergate Scandal that the late President Richard Nixon was involved in.

The song may have been inspired by politics but Rich’s delivery was different. The song became an anthem of lovemaking between two committed people. Because of the racy content of the track, it was actually banned by some radio stations; but that did not stop the massive success of the song as it went straight to the top of the country charts.

Charlie Rich’s Legacy

The singer had his breakout career in the midst of ’70s. His hits were played in most radio stations and topped the country charts. He won several awards from the CMA, ACM, and the Grammy’s. This success came at a high price. The singer was pressured to continually make chart-hitting songs and produce albums.

With the rise of upcoming country artist such as John Denver, the singer felt like his music is being less heard. This planted doubt in Charlie’s mind creating one of ACM’s biggest controversy. He presented the award to John Denver drunk with a slight tone of bitterness. It was then cleared by his son that the singer was just undergoing a lot of stress and was trying to make a comedic scene during the award.