3 Musicians Who Made It Big in 1968 (And Then Disappeared Without a Trace)

The following three musicians disappeared (at least, to mainstream listeners) after finding some success in the year 1968. It’s a shame, as each of these artists is quite talented. Let’s find out what really happened to them, shall we?

Don Fardon

English pop star Don Fardon is by far best known for his cover of the tune “Indian Reservation” by John D. Loudermilk. Fardon’s version was released in 1968 and quickly hit No. 3 on the UK charts and No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He’s closely associated with the freakbeat boom in England in the mid-1960s. But after he made it big with that cover and selling over a million copies, Fardon more or less disappeared.

In reality, Fardon released music well into the 2000s. His follow-up single, “Belfast Boy”, from 1970, did decently. The 1973 track “Delta Queen” also did well. However, none of his subsequent hits made it to the Top 40 of the Hot 100, and he disappeared from the collective consciousness of American listeners. It’s a shame, because he’s quite influential across the pond, if not a little underrated.

Jeannie C. Riley

We all know this song. It’s one of the best one-hit wonders of the 1960s. Jeannie C. Riley blended country and pop beautifully on the 1968 hit “Harper Valley PTA”. The song hit No. 1 on the country and pop charts, and remains Riley’s only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She continued to make it to the country charts well into the 70s, but Riley never scored another Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 again. So, many people think she disappeared.

In a way, she did disappear, but not for a while. After that hit, she capitalized on her success and scored Grammy noms and duets with the likes of Loretta Lynn. A few years after making it big in 1968, Riley became a born-again Christian and decided to switch to gospel music over pop. The genre switch in the mid-70s didn’t yield many hits, and her last charting album would be the 1973 release When Love Has Gone Away.

Mason Williams

How about some instrumental magic?  Mason Williams, an American classical guitarist who more fans of bluegrass and folk should know, made it big in 1968 with his song “Classical Gas”. That song earned Williams multiple Grammy Awards and the No. 2 spot on the Hot 100. Williams was destined for enduring success as a musician.

Unfortunately, he’s on our list of musicians who disappeared after 1968 for a reason. Despite dishing out quite a few albums up until the 2000s, Williams never had as much charting success again, and far too many listeners forgot about him. It doesn’t make sense, honestly. He is a multi-threat, an incredibly talented guitarist, a fantastic songwriter who wrote tunes for the likes of The Smothers Brothers and others, and a solid comedian and comedy writer. Sometimes, the music industry just doesn’t make sense.

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