Forever No. 1 is a Billboard sequence that pays particular tribute to the not too long ago deceased artists who achieved the very best honor our charts have to supply — a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single — by taking an prolonged look again on the chart-topping songs that made them a part of this unique membership. Right here, we honor Dave “Child” Cortez, who had the primary instrumental hit to prime the Scorching 100, the appropriately titled “The Glad Organ.” The reclusive Cortez died in 2022 at age 83, however his demise was only recently reported.
“The Glad Organ” could also be one of the crucial precisely descriptive titles ever on a pop hit. From its opening notes, Dave “Baby” Cortez’s rollicking recording is a cheerful, exuberant, organ-based instrumental. It reached No. 1 on the Scorching 100 in Might 1959, changing into the primary instrumental hit to prime the chart, which Billboard had launched 9 months beforehand.
“The Glad Organ” was one of many first up to date pop instrumentals to characteristic an digital organ as its major instrument. This helped rework the instrument, usually related to Sunday church companies, right into a mainstay of latest pop instrumentation. Subsequent No. 1 hits that characteristic a Hammond organ embrace The Beatles’ “Come Collectively” (1969), Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee” (1971) and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s “Blinded by the Mild” (1977).
Cortez, his frequent collaborator Kurt Wooden and superstar photographer James J. Kriegsmann are the credited composers of “The Glad Organ,” which borrows from the standard American people track “Shortnin’ Bread,” which dates again at the least to 1900.
“Organ” initially had lyrics, and was meant to be sung. Cortez recorded a vocal, however he wasn’t happy with it. In what can solely be described as a “pleased” accident, he noticed a Hammond electrical organ sitting unused within the nook of the studio. On the time, they had been virtually solely utilized in gospel recording periods. Cortez determined to attempt it out. Everybody preferred what they heard. The copy on the only learn “That includes on the organ, Dave ‘Child’ Cortez.”
Cortez additionally introduced in studio drummer Gary Hammond, who supplied percussion. Session musician Wild Jimmy Spruill performed the guitar solo. That interlude, which seems on the 1:13 mark, introduced some wanted variation to the document, and allowed it to attach with rock & roll followers on the time.
Most smash instrumentals previous to “The Glad Organ” had been straightforward listening fare, corresponding to Roger Williams’ “Autumn Leaves” (1955) and Morris Stoloff’s “Moonglow and Theme From ‘Picnic’” (1956). “Organ” was one of many first smash hit instrumentals – together with The Champs’ “Tequila,” which hit No. 1 on a pre-Scorching 100 Billboard pop chart in March 1958 – that was pitched to a youthful viewers. Within the wake of those two recordings, hit instrumentals had been extra evenly balanced between data that primarily appealed to younger audiences (Santo & Johnny’s “Sleep Stroll” and The Tornadoes’ “Telstar”) and ones that had been primarily geared towards older followers (Percy Religion’s “The Theme From ‘A Summer season Place’” and Mr. Acker Bilk’s “Stranger on the Shore”).
Cortez was born David Cortez Clowney on Aug. 13, 1938 in Detroit. He made his first document in 1956 beneath his personal title, and in addition sang with two doo-wop teams, the Pearls and the Valentines. Neither group made the Billboard charts, both pre- or post-Scorching 100.
Cortez adopted his stage title in 1958, after which issues fell rapidly into place. Though he had knocked round for some time, he was nonetheless simply 20 when “The Glad Organ” turned a smash.
“The Glad Organ,” launched on the impartial, New York-based Clock Information label, was the highest new entry on the Scorching 100 at No. 68 within the problem dated March 16, 1959. The title was proven as merely “Glad Organ” in its first three chart weeks. The title was corrected in Week 4, when the document sprinted from No. 35 to No. 25. The document reached No. 1 in its ninth week, within the problem dated Might 11, 1959. It dethroned The Fleetwoods’ fairly ballad “Come Softly to Me,” which had spent the earlier 4 weeks on prime. After one week in pole place, “The Glad Organ” was toppled by Wilbert Harrison’s “Kansas Metropolis.”
Billboard
“The Glad Organ” clocked in at simply 2:02, making it the briefest No. 1 hit of 1959. Amongst all 22 instrumentals which have hit No. 1 in Scorching 100 historical past, solely David Rose’s bawdy 1962 burlesque smash “The Stripper” had a shorter operating time (1:53).
Cortez remained in the identical vein for his follow-up single, “The Whistling Organ,” which peaked at No. 61. He returned to the highest 10 in 1962 with “Rinky Dink,” which peaked at No. 10. All eight of his Scorching 100 hits had been instrumentals, the ultimate one being “Rely Down” in 1966. In 1973, Cortez reached No. 45 on what was then known as Scorching Soul Singles with “Somebody Has Taken Your Place.”
Cortez subsequently left the music business. He led a particularly non-public life over the following many years, variously in New York Metropolis and Cincinnati, the place he was a church organist for a time. In 2009, Norton Information co-founder Miriam Linna tracked him down and persuaded him to return to recording. In 2011, following a 38-year hiatus, Cortez returned with a brand new album on Norton Information, Dave “Child” Cortez With Lonnie Youngblood and His Bloodhounds. It was his eleventh and ultimate album.
In his ultimate years, Cortez lived within the Bronx, New York. He had a daughter with whom he was not in common contact, owing to his being so reclusive. He died at his residence on Might 31, 2022, on the age of 83 and was interred within the potter’s subject at Hart Island. His daughter solely later realized of his demise by BMI, which dealt with his songwriting royalties.
With the belated information stories confirming Cortez’s demise, a dwindling variety of solo artists who had No. 1 hits within the Nineteen Fifties are nonetheless dwelling. Simply two solo artists who topped the Scorching 100 in 1958-59 are nonetheless with us. Frankie Avalon, who hit No. 1 in 1959 with each “Venus” and “Why,” is 84. Paul Anka, who topped the chart in 1959 with “Lonely Boy,” is 83.
Anka had additionally topped a pre-Scorching 100 Billboard pop chart in 1957 with “Diana.” Three different solo artists who had No. 1 hits on Billboard pop charts earlier than the inception of the Scorching 100 are likewise nonetheless dwelling. Pat Boone, who had a number of No. 1 hits beginning with a canopy model of Fat Domino’s “Ain’t {That a} Disgrace” in 1955, is 91. Johnny Mathis, who topped the chart in 1957 with “Probabilities Are,” is 89. And Laurie London, who as a 14-year-old hit No. 1 in 1958 with “He’s Acquired the Complete World in His Arms,” is 81. Boone and Mathis subsequently had No. 1 hits on the Scorching 100, whereas London by no means returned the pop chart after “Arms.”
Trumpeter Ray Anthony didn’t fairly land a No. 1 hit – he climbed as excessive as No. 2 on pre-Scorching 100 pop charts in Billboard with “At Final” (later famously coated by Etta James) and “Dragnet.” The musician, the final surviving member of the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra, remains to be dwelling at 103.
As for “Glad” songs at No. 1 on the Scorching 100, there have been a number of others throughout the many years together with Jimmy Soul’s “If You Wanna Be Glad” (1963), The Turtles’ “Glad Collectively” (1967), Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Fear Be Glad” (1988) and Pharrell Williams’ “Glad” (2014).
Glad songs, apparently, by no means exit of favor.