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Earlier this year, Jackie DeShannon’s seminal 1965 recording of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love” was inducted into the National Recording Registry.  The era-defining single is just one of the many high points of DeShannon’s extraordinary legacy; Jackie toured with The Beatles, penned a rock and roll classic with the oft-covered “When You Walk in the Room,” co-wrote and introduced the anthemic “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” anticipated the ’70s singer-songwriter boom with her 1969 album Laurel Canyon, and gifted Kim Carnes with the chart-topping “Bette Davis Eyes.”  On September 8, the Sundazed label will turn the clock back to the very beginning of DeShannon’s career with the release on 2 CDs or 2 LPs of The Sherry Lee Show.

Sherry Lee was the name young Jackie, born Sharon Lee Myers in Hazel, Kentucky, took when she was a teenaged radio performer singing George Jones, Patsy Cline, Fats Domino, Webb Pierce, and Elvis Presley with beyond-her-years soul and grit.  The Sherry Lee Show presents a generous 37 tracks (34 on LP) recorded by Jackie’s mom directly from the radio in 1956-1957 when the program was airing on WMRO Radio out of Aurora, Illinois.  The collection presents live versions of both sides of Jackie/Sherry’s debut single, “I’m Crazy Darling” b/w “Baby Honey,” which was issued in 1956 on the Mar-Vel’ label.  She would go on to record under various names (Jackie Dee, Jackie Shannon) on a variety of labels large and small before beginning a longer affiliation with Liberty Records in 1960.  Even as she went on to record in the rock-and-roll, pop, and R&B genres, her country and southern soul roots shone through; Bacharach and David even initially envisioned the elegant “What the World Needs Now” as a country song.

The Sherry Lee Show‘s live-on-the-radio, down-home, honky-tonk recordings from the future legend are all previously unissued, and are among the earliest recordings of DeShannon to have surfaced.  The Sherry Lee Show has been compiled with Jackie’s cooperation and features liner notes by Michael Gray of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  The LP has been cut by Kevin Gray.  Look for it at the links below on September 8 from Sundazed Records.

Jackie DeShannon, The Sherry Lee Show (Sundazed SUND-5639, 2023)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

1. Y’all Come
2. I’m Crazy Darling
3. Un Oh No
4. Why Baby Why
5. It May Have Been Teardrops
6. Taking My Chances
7. Walkin’ After Midnight
8. The Sherry Lee Show Promo
9. Waiting
10. You’re The Reason I’m In Love
11. My Heart Is Blind
12. I Can’t Make My Dreams Understand
13. I’m Counting On You
14. Since I Left You Baby
15. When You Hurt Me I Don’t
16. Always Cry
17. Radio Show Announcement
18. I’m Walkin’
19. Anyway You Want Me
20. You Don’t Owe Me A Thing
21. Big Hello
22. Money Honey
23. I’m In Love Again
24. Baby Let’s Play House
25. Commercial
26. Love, Love, Love
27. Baby Honey
28. We Could
29. Sweet Dreams About You
30. Don’t Stop The Music
31. Blue Monday
32. A Satisfied Mind
33. Radio Show Closing
34. Best Years Of Our Lives*
35. Hello Broken Heart*
36. I Never Thought It Could Happen To Me*

(*) CD bonus tracks