I've recently been reading about country legend Johnny Paycheck. In his time on this earth he'd probably been around the block more times than the rest of us put together. Born Donald Eugene Lytle in 1938 he was known in the 70s for being a big player in country's Outlaw Movement along with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard et al. As with many of his contemporaries he was plagued with drug, alcohol and legal problems resulting in the ubiquitous spell in clink (he shot a man in Hillsboro, Ohio*) followed by a rapid decline in his health and musical abilities.
Paycheck recorded numerous singles and albums including Don't Monkey With Another Monkey's Monkey, Slide Off Your Satin Sheets, Motel Time Again and even made a cameo appearance on the long running TV show Dukes Of Hazzard. But he'll forever be remembered for his 1977 single, Take This Job And Shove It.
He died after a lengthy illness in 2003 and is a member of The Grand Ole Opry. Here's his self penned epitaph.
“I'm a man who believes that right is right and wrong is wrong. Treat me right, and I will give you my all. Treat me wrong, and I will give you nothing. They don't like me for that, but that's the way I am."
* Not Reno
I know 'Take this job and shove it' thanks to my mother's Readers Digest set of 'Country Gold', but in all the 30 years I've been listening to it I've never known anything whatsoever about the man. And somehow I'm not surprised by your brief bio. I guess the album cover in youtube clip was taken long before he lost his innocence...
ReplyDeleteI know the tune but not the name - sounds like the archetypal country singer's story though. Do you think his hat and beard come off in one piece?
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