Boll Weevil (song) the time was "Tossin' and Turnin'" by rock and roll singer Bobby Lewis, and Benton's song was not considered rock and roll by the magazine, "The Boll Weevil Song" holds the distinction of being the first number-one song on the "Billboard" Easy Listening chart. In the UK, the song reached a peak position of number 30 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 40 for eight weeks during the summer of 1961. The majority of the song's lyrics are spoken by Benton, as in when the farmer inquires, "Say, why'd you pick my farm?", to which the
Ritchie Adams Ritchie Adams Richard Adam Ziegler (December 15, 1938 – March 6, 2017), known professionally as Ritchie Adams, was an American singer and songwriter. Born in New York City, by 1959 he joined The Fireflies, and sang lead vocals on their hit record "You Were Mine", as well as on their follow-ups including "I Can't Say Goodbye". He released a string of solo singles during the early 1960s on the Ribbon, Imperial, Beltone and Congress record labels, but with little success. He developed a more successful career as a songwriter, co-writing "Tossin' and Turnin'", a hit in the US in 1961