Claude King - I Remember Johnny Horton (1969/2019)

Claude King and Johnny Horton were close friends in real life, and when Horton died King was groomed by Columbia Records to be his replacement. King had his own sound, but the two artists covered enough similar ground that King was right at home with Horton's songs. The title track is a heartfelt recitation on which King recalls Horton and their friendship, and the remainder of the album is drawn from Horton's hits (excepting a few personal favorites, like the early Horton composition "First Train Headin' South" and "She Knows Why," which Horton and King co-wrote). The historical folk song craze was itself history in 1968 when I Remember Johnny Horton was recorded, but the album's sincerity and celebration of a sadly missed friend is affecting in any era.