Sonny James – Running Bear, is a teenage tragedy song written by Jiles Perry Richardson (a.k.a. The Big Bopper) and sung most famously by Johnny Preston in 1959.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sonny James enjoyed an unprecedented streak of success with his commercially released singles, many of them covers of previous pop hits. One of his 16 consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart was a cover version of «Running Bear.» Released in April 1969, James topped the Hot Country Singles chart in mid-June and spent three weeks at No. 1. The song soon was one of James’ most popular recordings of his career.
Sonny James – Running Bear
B-side “ A Midnight Mood”
Released 1969
Genre Country
Capitol Records
Songwriter(s)J.P. Richardson
Producer(s) Kelso Herston