Introduction to Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan
Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan are a husband-and-wife country music duo known for their #1 country hit “Tennessee Bird Walk” in during the early 70s music era. There are some very interesting events in each of the couple’s own formative years as they were both born in the same hospital in New York and lived in Ohio as they grew up. The couple then met in 1963 in Florida, where they eventually married and began their music career together. After their first single “Big Black Bird (Spirit Of Our Love)” broke into the country charts at #59 in 1969, Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (also their professional/stage name, as is) achieved crossover success as their 1970 single “Tennessee Bird Walk” topped the country charts and even did well on the Top 40 singles rankings. The couple would then score a few more country hits such as “Humphrey the Camel” and “Somewhere in Virginia in the Rain”. After a long hiatus, Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan came back with an LP, Back in Harmony in 1995. Since then, they have been recording and releasing material, now from their self-established label Velvet Saw Records.
Early life of Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
American country music duo Jack Blanchard (born on May 8, 1942) and Misty Morgan (born on May 23, 1945) were destined to be together to make music. Blanchard and Morgan were born in the same hospital in Buffalo, New York albeit three years apart. Both spent their childhood days in Ohio. In 1963, the two coincidentally met in Florida where they were working separately, with Blanchard as a musician and comedian while Morgan as a pianist.
Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan’s biggest hit with “Tennessee Bird Walk”
Since Blanchard and Morgan were both working in the club circuit, they got the chance to know each other and fell in love. In 1967, they got married and started to play music together and became recording artists on Wayside Records two years after. From there, Blanchard and Morgan issued their first single “Big Black Bird (Spirit of Our Love).” The song peaked at #59 on the country charts. After a year, they released a novelty song that would give them a big break — “Tennessee Bird Walk.” “Tennessee Bird Walk” became a chart-topper on the country charts while it made at #23 on the pop charts. Because of the song’s success, they embarked on concert tours and it earned them a Grammy nomination for Duo of the Year. Also in 1970, they released another novelty song called “Humphrey the Camel” which also became a hit. It peaked at #5 on the country charts.
After the success of “Tennessee Bird Walk”
This time with Mega Records, Blanchard and Morgan released their sophomore effort Two Sides of Jack and Misty. From that album alone, they issued four singles which all of them charted modestly on the country charts: “Fire Hydrant” (#46), “There Must Be More to Life” (#25), “Somewhere in Virginia in the Rain” (#15), and “The Legendary Chicken Fairy” (#38). By the 1970’s, they moved to Epic Records where they had six singles but only one made on the top 40; “Just One More Song,” peaking at #23.
Later years of the country music couple
In 1987, Blanchard and Morgan released a compilation album called Sweet Memories. In 1995, they had a quick comeback to release the album Back in Harmony and later established their own record label Velvet Saw Records. In the mid-2000’s, they recorded three archival albums in Australia-based label, Omni Records.