John Wesley Ryles

Although he never became a household name, John Wesley Ryles had over 30 chart singles between 1968 and 1988. He performed with the Ryles Family Singers as a child but decided to go solo after the family moved to Nashville in 1965. In 1968, the song "Kay" gave the 18-year-old, billing himself as John Wesley I, a Top Ten country and crossover pop hit. Two follow-ups in 1969 only reached the middle of the charts, but he landed in the Top 20 with 1970's "I've Just Been Wasting My Time." Another Top 40 hit came with 1971's "Reconsider Me." Two minor hit singles followed in 1976, then 1977's "Fool" became a Top 20 hit. He followed it with his biggest success, "Lifetime Thing," which reached the Top Five. Ryles had several minor hits through the end of the '80s before finishing his career as a session musician and demo singer.