Skip to main content

One of Dolly Parton’s most significant early hits was 1977’s “Here You Come Again.” The song marked her crossover onto the pop charts and helped launch her to super stardom. She initially had doubts about it, though. Parton told her manager that she thought the song would backfire, particularly with her oldest fans.

Dolly Parton didn’t think one of her biggest hits would go over well for her

While Parton writes nearly all of her songs, she did not write “Here You Come Again.” Her manager, Sandy Gallin, brought her the song, which Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote. Parton knew the song could be a hit, but she wasn’t sure it was a good idea for her to record it. 

“She said a monkey could sing this song and have a hit with it,” Parton’s manager, Sandy Gallin, said, per American Songwriter. “She was very nervous that it would turn off the country market, which she was very loyal to. There was no way she wanted to ever let anything insinuate that she may be turning her back on the country audience.”

Related

Dolly Parton’s Three Mega-Projects Signal Her Triumphant Return After Health Break 

Gallin felt so confident that the song would benefit Parton’s career that he pushed her to record it.

“If the song is not No. 1 country and No. 1 pop, I never get into your music again,” Gallin said. “I said, ‘I’ll bet it’s No. 1.’ She said, ‘You’re sure of this?’ I said, ‘I’m positive.’”

While the song only hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, it reached the top spot for country singles. It stayed there for five weeks.

Best in News