He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for The Hollies later that year and again for Neil Diamond in 1970. It has been recorded by many artists in subsequent years. The Hollies' and Rufus Wainwright's versions of the song were featured in the film "Zoolander". Scott and Russell had been introduced to each other by Johnny Mercer, at a California nightclub. Although Russell was dying of lymphoma and the pair met in
Booker T. & the M.G.'s (later used by the BBC as their theme for cricket coverage on both TV and, latterly, radio's "Test Match Special"), as was their version of "Hang 'Em High". In 1969, the band scored their second biggest hit with "Time Is Tight", from the soundtrack to the movie "Up Tight!", scored by Jones, which reached #6 on the Billboard pop charts. In 1969, Dunn and Jones, in particular, had become admirers of the Beatles, especially their work on "Abbey Road". The appreciation was mutual, as the Beatles had been musically influenced by the M.G.'s. John Lennon was a Stax fan, who