From 1965 to 1967 Vicki sang with the Young Americans musical group and, also, appeared in the feature film "The Young Americans" which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
During her senior year of high school Vicki sent Carol Burnett a letter which included a local newspaper article mentioning their resemblance. Vicki invited Ms. Burnett to the local fire department’s "Miss Fireball Contest" in which she was performing. Ms. Burnett, looking for an actress to play her kid sister on her new variety series, contacted Vicki and made arrangements to come to the event. The rest is television history. "The Carol Burnett Show" premiered in the fall of 1967; the same year Vicki entered UCLA to study Theater Arts. She spent eleven years with Carol, earning one Emmy Award and five Emmy nominations. In 1995 Simon and Schuster published her story. Her autobiography is entitled "Vicki!: The True Life Adventures of Miss Fireball".
In 1968, Vicki went to Viet Nam to visit the U.S. troops with Johnny Grant. Several years later, in 1973, Vicki received a gold record as a recording artist for he international hit single "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia".
After the Burnett show ended, Vicki went on to star in her own TV series, "Mama’s Family" with Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Beverly Archer, and Allan Kayser. The last original episode was made in January of 1990, completing five years of first-run syndication. The show still can be seen daily throughout most of the country.
Vicki was the honorary head of the D.A.R.E. program in Long Beach, California for two years while her kids were still young and in school. Around that time she and her husband also became members of the Long Beach Police Officer’s Association that raises money to protect the widows and families of slain police officers. Her efforts to protect women’s rights were recognized in 1988 when Vicki was the first woman to be honored as "Person of the Year" by the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Shortly thereafter, Vicki became one of the few successful, female game show hosts when she took on the daytime network-version of "Win, Lose or Draw".
Vicki further perfected her hosting skills on her own daytime talk show, appropriately called "Vicki!", from 1992 to 1994. She received critical acclaim when she was the only talk show host since Oprah to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy in her freshman year. In the fall of 1997, she briefly returned to daytime talk as the host of "Fox After Breakfast" from New York City.
On stage Vicki has appeared in numerous productions, including "Carousel", "Send Me No Flowers", "No, No, Nanette", "My Fat Friend", "Chapter Two", "Twigs", "Hello Dolly", "Special Occasions", "I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It ON The Road", "Annie Get Your Gun", and live from the Grand Ole Opry, "Nunsense 3: The Jamboree" which aired on TNN. Most recently she appeared in the Vagina Monologues.
Vicki also travels all over the country speaking to women’s organizations about her life and career, women’s health, and being a woman in a man’s world. All the while she approaches everything with her characteristic sense of humor, reminding us all that "Life is much too serious to be taken seriously!" She also can be seen across the country in her stage production: "Vicki Lawrence and Mama, A Two Woman Show."
Recently Vicki was invited to join The Board of Trustees for Miller Children’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. One of only eight children’s hospitals in the state, Miller Children’s Hospital was dedicated in 1970 as a community, non-profit hospital and now services patients within a 100-mile radius in LA and Orange counties. Vicki also hosts the annual WALK FOR THE CURE in her hometown where all the proceeds go to breast and ovarian cancer research at Long Beach Memorial Center.
In 1974 Vicki married the head of CBS make-up, Al Schultz, who is both her best friend and professional partner. Al and Vicki have two children, Courtney, 30, and Garrett, 28. They live at the beach with their two dogs, Hannah, a black Labrador Retriever and Watson, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. They adopted a Yorkie Mix named Rosie when Vicki was hosting the Humane Society Telethon in Michigan. In their spare time Al and Vicki enjoy yacht racing. They own a 70-foot sloop named, fittingly, "Vicki".
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
Vicki Lawrence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(He'd)Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop
At Webb's and have him a drink 'fore he went home to her.
Andy Wardlow said, "Hello."
And he said "Hi, what's doin', Wo?"
He said, "Sit down, I got some bad news that's gonna hurt."
He said, "I'm your best friend and you know that's right,
But your young bride ain't home tonight.
Well, he got mad 'n' he saw red.
And Andy said, "Boy, don'tcha lose your head,
'Cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself."
[Chorus]
That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia.
That's the night that they hung an innocent man.
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
'Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands.
Well, Andy got scared and left the bar
(And went) Walkin' on home 'cause he didn't live far.
(You) See, Andy didn't have many friends and he'd just lost him one.
(And) Brother thought his wife must'a left town,
So he went home and finally found
The only thing Papa had left him, and that was a gun.
And he went off to Andy's house,
Slippin' through the backwoods quiet as a mouse--
Came upon some tracks too small for Andy to make.
He looked through the screen at the back-porch door,
And he saw Andy lyin' on the floor
In a puddle of blood. And he started to shake.
Well, the Georgia Patrol was a'makin' their rounds,
So he fired a shot just to flag 'em down,
And a big-bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said, "Why'd ya do it?"
And the judge said, "Guilty," in a make-believe trial,
Slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile,
And said, "Supper's waitin' at home and I gotta get to it."
[Chorus]
Well, they hung my brother before I could say
That the tracks he saw while on his way
To Andy's house, out back, that night were mine.
And his cheatin' wife had never left town;
And that's one body that'll never be found!
See, little sister don't miss when she aims her gun.
That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia.
Oh-oh-aah
That's the night that they hung an innocent man.
Ah-huh-unh
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
'Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands.
The song "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence tells a tragic story of betrayal, anger, and wrongful conviction. The lyrics depict a man who returns home from a two-week trip to find out that his wife has been cheating on him with a young man named Seth. After his best friend Andy tells him the truth, the man gets angry and goes to confront his wife's lover. He ends up killing Andy, after which he is falsely accused of murder by the corrupt judge and sheriff of the town. He is subsequently hanged, and his sister realizes that her brother was innocent all along. She takes justice into her own hands and kills the real culprit, her brother's wife.
The song is a commentary on the flawed justice system in small Southern towns, where corruption and prejudice can lead to wrongful convictions and executions. It portrays the singer as a victim of circumstances beyond his control, and the only way he could have avoided his fate was by not trusting his wife or his friend. The lyrics also suggest that the sister's actions are justified, as she was avenging her brother's death and the injustice done to him.
Line by Line Meaning
He was on his way home from Candletop.
A man was returning home from Candletop.
Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop At Webb's and have him a drink 'fore he went home to her.
The man had been away for two weeks and decided to stop at Webb's for a drink before going back home to his wife.
Andy Wardlow said, "Hello."
Andy Wardlow greeted the man with a hello.
And he said "Hi, what's doin', Wo?"
The man responded by asking Andy what was happening.
He said, "Sit down, I got some bad news that's gonna hurt."
Andy asked the man to sit down and told him that he had some bad news that would hurt him.
He said, "I'm your best friend and you know that's right, But your young bride ain't home tonight.
Andy told the man that he was his best friend and that his wife wasn't at home that night.
Since you been gone she's been seein' that aimless boy, Seth."
Andy disclosed to the man that his wife had been seeing another guy named Seth ever since he had been away.
Well, he got mad 'n' he saw red.
The man got angry and enraged.
And Andy said, "Boy, don'tcha lose your head,
Andy cautioned the man not to lose his temper.
'Cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself."
Andy admitted that he had been with the man's wife himself.
[Chorus] That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia.
The chorus refers to the night the lights went out in Georgia.
That's the night that they hung an innocent man.
It was the same night that they hung an innocent man.
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
The singer warns not to trust a Southern lawyer from the backwoods.
'Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands.
The judge in the town has bloodstains on his hands.
Well, Andy got scared and left the bar
Andy got scared and left the bar.
(And went) Walkin' on home 'cause he didn't live far.
Andy decided to walk home since he didn't live too far.
(You) See, Andy didn't have many friends and he'd just lost him one.
Andy didn't have many friends, and he just lost one.
(And) Brother thought his wife must'a left town,
The man thought his wife had left town.
So he went home and finally found The only thing Papa had left him, and that was a gun.
The man went home and found the only thing his father had left for him - a gun.
And he went off to Andy's house, Slippin' through the backwoods quiet as a mouse--
He went to Andy's house, sneaking quietly through the backwoods.
Came upon some tracks too small for Andy to make.
He found tracks that were too small to be made by Andy.
He looked through the screen at the back-porch door,
He looked through the screen door on the back porch.
And he saw Andy lyin' on the floor In a puddle of blood. And he started to shake.
He saw Andy lying on the floor in a puddle of blood and started to shake.
Well, the Georgia Patrol was a'makin' their rounds, So he fired a shot just to flag 'em down,
He saw the Georgia patrol and fired a shot to get their attention.
And a big-bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said, "Why'd ya do it?"
The sheriff asked him why he fired the shot.
And the judge said, "Guilty," in a make-believe trial,
In a fake trial, the judge declared him guilty.
Slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile,
The judge slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile.
And said, "Supper's waitin' at home and I gotta get to it."
He told the people to hurry up with the trial as he had to go home for supper.
[Chorus]
The chorus comes up again.
Well, they hung my brother before I could say That the tracks he saw while on his way To Andy's house, out back, that night were mine.
The man's brother was hung before he could explain that the tracks his brother saw were his own, and he was not the murderer.
And his cheatin' wife had never left town;
The man's wife had not left town and was cheating on him with Seth.
And that's one body that'll never be found!
The body of the innocent man they hung will never be found.
See, little sister don't miss when she aims her gun.
The little sister doesn't miss when she aims her gun.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bobby Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mrstanbmw
just heard this song on the radio, I'm an Afican American brotha from DC and it just took me back to a time and place in my youth when life was so innocent and carefree, Thanx my Mom and Dad for giving me the greatest gift a child can have and that is a Childhood.
@lsutton4193
We grew up at just the right time. Trick or treating by yourself without worries.going out and doing what you wantrd without fear. Riding on the back of a truck without seatbelts or helmets. To quote black sabbath wheels of confusion..."lost in happiness I knew no fears".
@meforever4330
Ooh yes! DC had the best vibes in the late 70’s/early 80’s. It really did feel like that! You could walk up past the Humane Society and keep going to Juvenile Sales and all the songs were in the air and the vibes were amazing. 😲 I just realized/remembered (when I was naming the shops) that they were all on Georgia Ave where I used to live lol. Nice.
@melancholycat3978
I'm a white chick from DC. And I remember this song from when I was a kid. It always touched my soul...
@MrJamieMurph4141969
Happy 50th anniversary to this song! It was released this time in 1973!(It’s March 2023 as I post this comment.) May this song by Miss Vicky live on for another 50 years!!!
@cynthiapaul1848
We're seeing her in concert this weekend, and hope she sings it!!
@MrJamieMurph4141969
Cool!
@XC3758
You were close, it was released November 7 1972 as a single (B side was Dime A Dance). She filmed this in 1973, during the promotion for her self titled album release (of which this was one of the songs).
It's great to hear "The Wrecking Crew" back her up on the original album, as to which of the thirty or so musicians in the band were in the studio at the time (they rotated out as to who's available for the recording dates), I can't say. You can look up The Wrecking Crew and see the member list (including Glen Campbell, Sonny Bono, Carol Kaye)
@alexandraasbury9974
She's not only a good actress, but she also has a good voice.
@tammyhollandsworth6783
This will always be Vicki’s #1 hit in my opinion! 😮😊