R&B6:04
Hit The Road Jack Music Sheet
Explore the Hit The Road Jack virtual piano sheet and Roblox piano sheet, compare available arrangements, and play online with QWERTY notes. Hit the Road Jack was written by Percy Mayfield and made famous by Ray Charles, who recorded it in June 1961 with Margie Hendrix of the Raelettes. Mayfield had already recorded it himself in 1960, an a cappella demo sent to Art Rupe, the owner of Specialty Records. Charles's single came out on ABC-Paramount in August 1961. The record is a short, sharp argument. Charles plays the man being shown the door and Hendrix delivers the verdict, over a groove that mixes big-band jazz swagger with rock and roll drive. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks beginning 9 October 1961, spent five weeks at number one on the R&B chart, and won the Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. In 2013 the recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song kept travelling. The Chantels answered with Well, I Told You, and the Canadian group the Stampeders took their own version to number 6 in Canada and number 40 on the Hot 100 in 1975. For Mayfield, already known for Please Send Me Someone to Love, it led to a place on Charles's Tangerine label as a songwriter. Two minutes is not long, but it is enough for a story that anyone may have lived from one side or the other.
About Hit The Road Jack
Explore the Hit The Road Jack virtual piano sheet and Roblox piano sheet, compare available arrangements, and play online with QWERTY notes.
Hit the Road Jack was written by Percy Mayfield and made famous by Ray Charles, who recorded it in June 1961 with Margie Hendrix of the Raelettes. Mayfield had already recorded it himself in 1960, an a cappella demo sent to Art Rupe, the owner of Specialty Records. Charles's single came out on ABC-Paramount in August 1961.
The record is a short, sharp argument. Charles plays the man being shown the door and Hendrix delivers the verdict, over a groove that mixes big-band jazz swagger with rock and roll drive. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks beginning 9 October 1961, spent five weeks at number one on the R&B chart, and won the Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. In 2013 the recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song kept travelling. The Chantels answered with Well, I Told You, and the Canadian group the Stampeders took their own version to number 6 in Canada and number 40 on the Hot 100 in 1975. For Mayfield, already known for Please Send Me Someone to Love, it led to a place on Charles's Tangerine label as a songwriter. Two minutes is not long, but it is enough for a story that anyone may have lived from one side or the other.
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Questions and answers FAQ
Who wrote Hit the Road Jack?
Percy Mayfield wrote it. He recorded an a cappella demo in 1960 and sent it to Specialty Records owner Art Rupe; Ray Charles's recording followed in June 1961.
Who sings the woman's part?
Margie Hendrix of the Raelettes sings opposite Ray Charles on the 1961 record.
How did the Ray Charles record do?
It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks from 9 October 1961, and number one for five weeks on the R&B chart. It won the Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, and the recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013.
Has anyone else had a hit with it?
The Stampeders reached number 6 in Canada and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their 1975 version.
How long is the original record?
About two minutes.