Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, it’s time for Classic Americana on Radio Heartland. We pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

Singer-songwriter John Conlee is one of those rare artists whose first single off his first album was a big commercial success. Thankfully, it didn’t begin and end with that first outing; in fact, Conlee continues to write and perform to this day.

John Conlee was born Aug. 11, 1946, near Lexington, Kentucky, and he grew up on a farm. As an adult, his first career was as a funeral director and licensed mortician. After a time, he changed careers, becoming a radio DJ and eventually relocating to Nashville in 1971 to begin his music career. 

Conlee’s first album, Rose Colored Glasses, was released in 1978. The title track, which we’ll feature as our Classic Americana pick this week, peaked at No. 5 in the United States and at No. 6 in Canada. 

Two subsequent tracks off that same album, “Lady Lay Down” and “Backside of Thirty,” each reached No. 1 in the Billboard country charts.

In the years since, Conlee has recorded 11 studio albums that produced 32 charting singles, and he is a longstanding member of the Grand Old Opry in Nashville. Through his music, Conlee has raised a lot of money for charitable causes, including Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs and services for wounded U.S. military veterans. And in a nod to his agricultural roots, Conlee has worked with artists including Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp to organize and entertain at Farm Aid concerts, raising more than $13 million in grants.

Classic Americana Playlist

External Links

John Conlee – official site