I Ain't Never

About I Ain't Never

"I Ain't Never" is a song co-written by American country music artists Webb Pierce and Mel Tillis. Each co-writer recorded the song separately, with Pierce's 1959 recording and Tillis's 1972 version both becoming major country hits. According to Tillis, he wrote the song himself, and agreed to credit Pierce as a co-writer in exchange for a pair of boots Pierce was wearing when Tillis pitched him the song. In Tillis's words, "Them old boots cost me over eight hundred thousand dollars" in royalties. Pierce's version was released in 1959, eventually spending nine weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides chart that year (held out by "The Three Bells (Les Trois Cloches)" by The Browns). The pop market accepted the Webb Pierce version, crossing it into the Billboard Top 40 and peaking at #24. Tillis's 1972 recording of the song was his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts. The success of the 1972 version was limited to country music stations. more »