James Wesley "Jay" Huguely (September 21, 1940 – December 13, 2008)[1] was an American stage actor, singer, advertising executive, and television writer and executive. He enjoyed a brief run of popularity as a novelty recording artist in the 1970s,[2] billed as Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band. He worked for Leslie Advertising in Greenville, South Carolina[2] and enjoyed his only hit in 1976 with "The White Knight", released during the wave of popularity of the citizens' band radio. The song is about a truck driver victimized by a Georgia highway patrolman's speed trap. He chose the name "Cledus" after his mother's name Cleta.
Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band | |
---|---|
Birth name | James Wesley Huguely |
Born | September 21, 1940 |
Origin | Richmond, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died | December 13, 2008 Valencia, California, U.S. | (aged 68)
Genres | Country, novelty |
Occupations |
|
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 1976 |
Labels | Mercury Records |
"The White Knight" reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in February 1976, and was his only hit to reach that chart's Top 40.[3] Following the success of this record, Huguely was a producer on the 1980s television series Magnum, P.I.. In the 1990s, he was a writer and producer, known for Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), Street Justice (1991), and Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994).
Huguely died in Valencia, California, on December 13, 2008, at the age of 68.[1]
Discography
editAlbums
editYear | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US | |||
1976 | The White Knight | 4 | 135 | Mercury |
Two More Sides | — | — |
Singles
editYear | Single | Chart Positions[4] | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US | CAN Country | CAN | |||
1975 | "The White Knight" | 1 | 19 | 8 | 50 | The White Knight |
1976 | "Kentucky Moonrunner" | 42 | 85 | — | — | |
"Virgil and the $300 Vacation" (as Cledus Maggard) | 73 | — | — | — | Two More Sides | |
1977 | "Yovnoc" (as Cledus Maggard) | — | — | — | — | |
1978 | "The Farmer" (as Cledus Maggard) | 82 | — | — | — |
References
edit- ^ a b "James Wesley Huguely Obituary". Los Angeles Times. April 26, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^ a b Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2)), p. 161
- ^ Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
External links
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