Billy Bayou

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{{Infobox song

| name = Billy Bayou

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| written = 1958

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| writer = Roger Miller

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"Billy Bayou" is a song written by Roger Miller.

Song background

It's a slightly comic song about a larger-than-life character, having adventures in America in the 1800s.{{Citation|last=Stambler|first=Irwin|author2=Grelun Landon|title=Country Music: The Encyclopedia|isbn=978-0-312-26487-1|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|date=July 14, 2000}}

Chart performance

"Billy Bayou" was released as a 1958 single by Jim Reeves, where the recording spent a total of 25 weeks on the country chart and was his fourth release to reach No. 1, where it stayed for five weeks.{{cite book|title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2004|publisher=Record Research|page=285}} It also reached number 9 peak position on Italy's FIMI National Charts in 1958. In Canada, the song reached number 4 on the CHUM Charts.{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/59-01-05-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade – January 5, 1959}} The B-side of "Billy Bayou" titled "I'd Like to Be", peaked at number eighteen on the country chart.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by other artists, including:

References