"Don't Let Me Cross Over" is a song made famous as a duet by Carl Butler and Pearl, a husband-and-wife

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

duo. Originally released in November

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

, the song needed just four weeks to reach the #1 spot on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Country Singles chart, and spent 11 (non-consecutive) weeks at #1. "Don't Let Me Cross Over" has become a country-music standard. Honky-tonk singer Carl Butler is best remembered for "Don't Let Me Cross Over," which

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

writer Jim Worbois described as a "country heartbreak song." The song was one of several in which Butler's wife, Pearl, joins him on harmony. With its 11-week reign, "Don't Let Me Cross Over" was the longest-running No. 1 song for a performer's debut single on the Hot Country Singles (and its successor-names) chart until being matched in May 2013 by

Florida Georgia Line Florida Georgia Line was an American country music duo founded in 2010 by vocalists and songwriters Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida. Their 2012 debut single " Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was downloaded over ...

's " Cruise."

Cover versions

Two cover versions became successful country singles. The first remake was recorded by

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

and his sister, Linda Gail, whose version reached No. 9 on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1969. In 1963, for the Album '' Good 'n' Country'',

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. One of the earliest pioneers and practitioners of the Nashville sound, he played a central role in the sonic development of country music in th ...

recorded a solo version of "Don't Let Me Cross Over." In 1979, up-and-coming country vocalist

Deborah Allen Deborah Allen (born Deborah Lynn Thurmond on September 30, 1953) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Since 1976, Allen has issued 12 albums and charted 14 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. She recorded the 19 ...

recorded a vocal track, and producer Bud Logan oversaw the remixing of a new musical track. Allen's vocals were added to the existing Reeves' track, and a single was produced and released in late 1979. The Reeves-Allen duet – one of several released as singles – went on to peak at No. 10 on the Hot Country Singles chart,Deborah Allen and Jim Reeves' "Don't Let Me Cross Over" Chart Position
Retrieved June 17, 2012. and in addition to becoming one of Reeves' many posthumous hits, would pave the way for the even bigger success of another electronically created duet, "

Have You Ever Been Lonely? "Have You Ever Been Lonely? (Have You Ever Been Blue?)" is a popular song with music by Peter De Rose and lyrics by Billy Hill (writing under the name of George Brown), published in 1932. It has been recorded by many singers, becoming a standard ...

," with Reeves and

Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...

The Kendalls The Kendalls were an American country music duo, consisting of Royce Kendall (born Royce Kuykendall in Saint Louis, Missouri, September 25, 1934 – May 22, 1998) and his daughter Jeannie Kendall (born October 30, 1954). Between the 1960s and 1 ...

also covered the song in the late 1970s. In 1996,

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

, who'd worked with the Butlers early in her career, included a recording of "Don't Let Me Cross Over" (with harmony vocals by

Raul Malo Raul Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. (born August 7, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He is the lead singer of country music band the Mavericks and the co-writer of many of their singles, as well as Rick Tr ...

) on '' Treasures,'' an album of covers of some of her favorite songs. The song was later covered in December 1969 by Irish country singer

Larry Cunningham Larry Cunningham (13 February 1938 – 28 September 2012) was an Irish country music singer, who was one of the leading figures of the showband scene in the 1960s and 1970s. Cunningham accomplished a series of "firsts" during his career. In 1964 ...

and peaked at #7 on the Irish charts.

Chart performance

Carl Butler and Pearl

Jerry Lee Lewis and Linda Gail Lewis

Deborah Allen and Jim Reeves

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Let Me Cross Over 1962 singles 1969 singles 1979 singles Carl Butler and Pearl songs Deborah Allen songs Jim Reeves songs Jerry Lee Lewis songs Linda Gail Lewis songs Male–female vocal duets 1962 songs Columbia Records singles