Norma Jean Riley

{{Infobox song

| name = Norma Jean Riley

| cover = Norma Jean Riley.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Diamond Rio

| album = Diamond Rio

| B-side = Pick Me Up

| released = March 23, 1992

| recorded = 1991

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length = 3:06

| label = Arista Nashville 12407

| writer = Rob Honey
Monty Powell
Dan Truman

| producer = Tim DuBois
Monty Powell

| prev_title = Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me

| prev_year = 1991

| next_title = Nowhere Bound

| next_year = 1992

}}

"Norma Jean Riley" is a song written by Rob Honey, Monty Powell and Dan Truman, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released on March 23, 1992 as the fourth single from their self-titled album. Unlike the four other singles released from the album, a music video was not made for this song.

Content

"Norma Jean Riley" is a very upbeat, bluegrass influenced song where the narrator is pining for Norma Jean Riley's affections. In each verse, he comes up with different ways to get her attention. By the time the song is over, he is planning to propose to her.

The song was originally titled "Pretty Little Lady" until co-writer and producer Monty Powell suggested that song would be improved if the female focus had a name.{{cite book

|author = Diamond Rio

|last2 = Roland

|first2 = Tom

|title = Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio

|year = 2009

|publisher = Thomas Nelson Publishers

|isbn = 978-1-59555-268-6

|page = 160}}{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/470042646/ | title=Provo songwriter's work tops chart | work=The Daily Herald | date=July 17, 1992 | access-date=July 10, 2020 | author=Christi Conover | pages=D4}}

Chart performance

The song peaked at number 2 on The Billboard Hot Country Songs chart{{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=105}} and number 3 on Canada's RPM country chart.

class="wikitable sortable"

!align="left"|Chart (1992)

!align="center"|Peak
position

{{singlechart|Canadacountry|3|chartid=2013|publishdate=July 4, 1992|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col"\|Chart (1992) !scope="col"\|Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM){{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.1861&type=1&interval=24\|title=RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992\|work=RPM\|date=December 19, 1992\|access-date=August 15, 2013}} \| align="center" \| 40
US Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite web \| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1992/hot-country-songs\| title=Best of 1992: Country Songs \| work=Billboard \| publisher=Prometheus Global Media \| date=1992\| access-date=August 15, 2013}} \| align="center" \| 34

class="wikitable sortable"

scope="col"|Chart (1992)

!scope="col"|Position

Canada Country Tracks (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.1861&type=1&interval=24|title=RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992|work=RPM|date=December 19, 1992|access-date=August 15, 2013}}

| align="center" | 40

US Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite web | url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1992/hot-country-songs| title=Best of 1992: Country Songs | work=Billboard | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | date=1992| access-date=August 15, 2013}}

| align="center" | 34

References

Category:1992 singles

Category:Diamond Rio songs

Category:Arista Nashville singles

Category:Songs written by Monty Powell

Category:1991 songs