Lorrie Morgan’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night” was part of the 30 award-winning music acts for the Forever Country Series in celebration of the 50th annual CMA Awards. The series paid tribute to some of the most nominated and awarded songs from the past five decades, including “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” which was awarded Single of the Year in 1971.
The Provocative Song of the ‘70s
“Help Me Make It Through The Night” is a country music ballad originally written by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album. It was considered quite a provocative song, and it really was as Kristofferson got the idea from Frank Sinatra’s Esquire interview when he was asked what he believed in. He said, “Booze, broads, or a bible… whatever helps me make it through the night.”
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Though, it was Sammi Smith’s classic version of the song that propelled it up the charts – from country to pop – and put Kristofferson into the coveted spotlight that only a few songwriters ever reached. The song earned a Grammy for the Best Country Song in 1971 and also won Smith the Best Country Female Vocal Performance. Additionally, the song also became Smith’s signature song and even appeared in Paul Anka’s 1975 song “I Don’t Like to Sleep Alone.”
After Smith’s unprecedented success with the song, several artists were inspired to cover it. A few of them include Willie Nelson, who even earned a #4 Country hit in 1980. And one of the modern versions of the song was by Michael Bublé, featuring American singer Loren Allred.
And in 2016, the CMA tapped award-winning music acts to make a tribute music video for the songs that defined the past five decades in country music history. One of whom was Lorrie Morgan, who achieved great success from 1988 until 1999, and she was asked to sing a tribute cover of Smith’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night.” Lorrie Morgan songs charted 40 times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, including three number-one singles with a best-selling double platinum-certified album, Reflections: Greatest Hits.
Watch Lorrie Morgan’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night” in the video below.
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