I Over Looked An Orchid

"I OVER LOOKED AN ORCHID" WAS WRITTEN BY

CARL STORY IN 1950.

CARL SMITH RECORDED THE SONG THAT SAME YEAR. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, MICKEY GILLEY REVIVED THE CLASSIC.

BUT THERE WAS A NEW SINGER IN 1952 THAT RECORDED THE SONG THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SEVERAL MUSCIAN'S LIVES. THIS IS HIS STORY.

WEBB MICHAEL PIERCE WAS BORN 8-8-1921 IN LOUISIANA. HE GREW UP LISTENING TO JIMMY RODGERS AND RAW CAJUN MUSIC.

AFTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, PIERCE JOINED THE ARMY AND WAS GONE FOR THREE YEARS. WHEN HE GOT BACK TO THE STATES IN 1944, HE LANDED A JOB AS A SHOE SALESMAN AT SEARS & ROEBUCK.

PIERCE SANG ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE HE COULD DURING THE NEXT SIX YEARS. HE REALLY WANTED TO BE A COUNTRY MUSIC PERFORMER.

IN 1950, HE MET HORACE LOGAN. LOGAN WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE SHOW. WHEN LOGAN HEARD PIERCE SING ONE EVENING, HE DECIDED TO FEATURE PIERCE ON HIS SHOW. ONE YEAR LATER, PIERCE SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH DECCA RECORDS. HIS DREAM HAD COME TRUE.

WEBB PIERCE FORMED HIS MUSIC STAFF AND BAND WITH NOVICE SONGWRITERS AND MUSICIANS. SONGWRITERS WERE MARIJOHN WILKINS AND

MEL TELLIS. (BET YOU'VE HEARD OF THEM!)

RECOGNIZE THE SPECIAL PIANO SOUND? PIERCE'S PIANIST WAS FLOYD CRAMER! PIERCE RECORDED

"I OVER LOOKED AN ORCHID" IN 1952.

DURING WEBB PIERCE'S CAREER, HE RECORDED 96 SINGLES, SELLING 65 MILLION COPIES. HE DIED OF CANCER ON 2-24-1991. TEN YEARS LATER, HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME.

WEBB PIERCE GAVE MANY YOUNG MUSICIANS A CHANCE IN THE 1950s. HE MADE A DIFFERENCE.

THE ORCHID IS A FLOWER THAT BLOOMS SO TENDERLY,

TO THRILL THE FAIREST LADY IN THE LAND.

IF PLACED BESIDE A BLUSHIN' ROSE,

THE ROSE COULD NOT COMPARE,

BUT HOW WAS SUCH AS I TO UNDERSTAND.

I OVER LOOKED AN ORCHID

WHILE SEARCHING FOR A ROSE,

THE ORCHID THAT I OVER LOOKED WAS YOU.

THE ROSE THAT I WAS SEARCHING FOR,

HAS PROVED TO BE UNTRUE.

THE ORCHID NOW I FIND, MY DEAR, WAS YOU.

THE ROSE HAS LOST ITS COLOR,

BUT THE ORCHID IS THE SAME.

AND I'M ALL ALONE TO FACE THESE LONELY YEARS.

I DIDN'T SEE THE ORCHID,

I WAS LOOKING FOR A ROSE.