Con Hunley

Soulful balladeer Con Hunley was born and raised near the Smoky Mountain foothills in east Tennessee and learned about music singing gospel songs in church. Hunley idolized Chet Atkins but wasn't much of a guitarist, so he taught himself piano by listening to Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." He began playing publicly in high school, and by 1963 Hunley lived in Knoxville, working at a mill by day and performing at the local Eagles club for $12 a gig at night. He joined the Air Force in 1965, teaching taught aircraft maintenance and playing with local musicians as much as possible. Following his discharge in 1969, Hunley worked as a lounge singer in L.A., eventually returning to Knoxville to work at a textile mill and sing at a local lounge. He released five singles in 1977 and made his chart debut with "Pick Up the Pieces." Another, "I'll Always Remember That Song," also became a minor hit. His career began to look brighter after he released the 1978 Top 40 hit "Cry Darling Cry." Later that year, he made the Top 15 with "Week-End Friend." Over the next two years, Hunley had a small string of hits, including "I've Been Waiting for You All of My Life." In 1983 he released Once You Get the Feel for It, which produced two minor hits. After many years of not recording, Hunley signed with independent label IMMI Records in 2004 and released an impressive comeback album, Sweet Memories, on the imprint that same year, following with Shoot from the Heart two years later in 2006.