Downtown
Essie Country Reflections February 3, 2026 Downtown by Connie Smith Released 01/01/1967 Intro by Gene Johns In 1964, British singer Petula Clark released “Downtown,” which became an international hit and landed at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1965. She became the first UK female artist to have a number one hit on the US Billboard charts. “Downtown” earned a Grammy Award for Best Rock & Roll Recording of 1965. I personally don’t classify “Downtown” as Rock & Roll; it was Pop for that time, not Rock & Roll. That isn’t the only time the Grammy Awards has gotten something wrong. Should I mention that the Grammys awarded Beyoncé Best Country Album of 2025? That was outrageous! Well, that story is for another time. Wikipedia reported, “Clark’s original version has been covered by numerous artists, including Dolly Parton, Frank Sinatra, The B-52s, and Emma Bunton.” It failed to mention one other artist, country music Ha...