DoYouRemember?

Despite its romantic title, "Last Kiss" goes much deeper than just a kiss."Last Kiss" is about Jeanette Clark and J.L. Hancock, who were both 16 years old when their car hit a tractor-trailer on a road in rural Barnesville, Georgia. They were on a date a few days before Christmas in 1962. A local gas station attendant helping with the recovery of the bodies did not recognize his own daughter. Hancock and Clark's friend Wayne Cooper, who was riding with them, was killed instantly. Their two other friends, Jewel Emerson and Ed Shockley, survived with serious injuries. Wayne Cochran's drummer had been dating Jeannette Clark's sister at the time of the wreck. Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders via WCBSFM The song was written by Wayne Cochran, who lived on Route 1941 in Georgia, which was about 15 miles away from the crash. It was a busy road, and Cochran saw lots of accidents on it. He was working on a song based on all the crashes he saw and was about halfway done with it when he heard about the wreck in Barnesville. There was an intense emotional response from the community after the tragedy, and Cochran used those feelings to finish the song, which he dedicated it to Jeanette Clark. Cochran's version was a local hit in Georgia, which prompted a Texas record company to record it with J. Frank Wilson and release it nationally. J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers via Youtube The band's producer, Son Roush, subsequently split the group to place lead singer J. Frank Wilson with better musicians. Four months after the release of this song, the new band was touring in Ohio. At about 5:15 a.m., Roush apparently fell asleep at the wheel. The car drifted left of center and rammed head-on into a trailer truck. Roush was killed instantly. Wilson survived with a few broken ribs and a broken ankle, but went right on with the tour, taking only a week off. People still remember him coming out on the stage on crutches to sing "Last Kiss" and "Hey, Little One." The second accident is what pushed this song to #2 on the national charts. The Cavaliers via Pinterest Click "Next" to see what famous rock band covered this song... Pearl Jam introduced this to a new audience when they released it as a single in 1999. Their version also went to #2. LYRICS TO "LAST KISS": Well, where oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good, So I can see my baby when I leave this world. We were out on a date in my daddy's car. We hadn't driven very far. There in the road, straight ahead ... The car was stalled, the engine was dead. I couldn't stop, so I swerved to the right. Never forget the sound that night ... The cryin' tires, the bustin' glass. The painful scream that I heard last. Well, where oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good, So I can see my baby when I leave this world. Well, when I woke up, the rain was pourin' down. There were people standing all around. Something warm running in my eyes, But I found my baby somehow that night. I raised her head, and when she smiled, and said, "Hold me darling for a little while." I held her close. I kissed her our last kiss. I found the love that I knew I would miss. But now she's gone, even though I hold her tight. I lost my love ... my life, that night. Well, where oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good, So I can see my baby when I leave this world. Do you like this song? Tell us in the comments section below. SOURCES: (SongFacts, MetroLyrics, Youtube) RELATED: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison Pay Tribute To Elvis On 1977’s Johnny Cash Christmas Show This John Denver Hit Was Banned From The Radio