Hickory Holler Revisited

The Writer of This Song Was One Bobby Russell (1940-1992), Who Was a Popular Singer in His Own Right, Particularly During the Era in Which “Little Green Apples” Was Released, That Being the Late-1960S/Early-1970S. and Even Though This Song Resulted in the Only Two Grammys He’s Ever Won, It Was Not His Personal Rendition of It That Blew Up. Rather Russell’s Signature Piece as a Vocalist Was a 1971 Track Entitled “Saturday Morning Confusion”.

O. C. Smith and Success of “Little Green Apples”

But Still, It Was O. C. Smith’s Rendition Which Proved to Be the Biggest Hit. Unlike Russell, Who Was a Country Musician, O. C. Smith (1932), Being an African-American and All, Specialized in R&B.

Famous Covers of “Little Green Apples”

And to Note a Bunch of Big Name Artists Have Taken a Crack at This Song, Including Greats Like:

In Fact It Would Appear That Back in the Days, I. E. the Pre-1970S American Music Era, Copyright Laws Were a Lot More Lax Than They Are in the Present, or at Least Songwriters Were a Lot Freer in Terms of Letting Various Musicians Cover Their Works. for It Was Quite Common for Hit Songs to Be Covered a Number of Times Over, Even in the Very Year in Which Said Hit Was Originally Dropped.

“Little Green Apples” by O. C. Smith

By James H. Sterling

• Oct 9, 2026 • 5 min read

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

By Amanda London · Published · Updated

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.

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