Lightnin' Strikes Lightnin' Strikes "Lightnin' Strikes" is a song written by Lou Christie and Twyla Herbert, and recorded by Christie on the MGM label. It was a hit in 1966, making it first to No. 1 in Canada in January 1966 on the "RPM" Top Singles chart, then to No. 1 in the U.S. on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in February, No. 3 on the New Zealand "Listener" chart in May, and No. 11 on the UK "Record Retailer" chart. RIAA certification on March 3, 1966, garnering gold status for selling over one million copies. The song was arranged, conducted, and produced
Lightnin' Slim was born in Good Pine, Louisiana. He moved to Baton Rouge at the age of thirteen. Taught guitar by his older brother Layfield, Slim was playing in bars in Baton Rouge by the late 1940s. His first recording was "Bad Luck Blues" ("If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"), released by J. D. "Jay" Miller's Feature Records in 1954. It was Miller, who had a penchant for picking colourful artists' names, who christened him "Lightnin' Slim". Slim then recorded for Excello Records for twelve years, starting in the mid-1950s, often collaborating with his brother-in-law