Died On This Date (April 28, 2009) Vern Gosdin / Country Music Star
themusicsover Vern Gosdin
August 5, 1934 – April 28, 2009
Vern Gosdin was nicknamed “The Voice” for a reason. He had one of the most beautifully soulful singing voices in all of country music, and if honky-tonk had a Mount Rushmore, Vern Gosdin would likely sit alongside George Jones, Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzell and Buck Owens. Gosdin scored several hits throughout the ’70s and ’80s, including “Set ’em Up Joe,” “Chisled In Stone,” and “If You’re Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right).” Gosdin began singing as a child in his Alabama church. In the early ’60s he moved to Los Angeles where he became an integral part of the blossoming west coast country scene. He soon signed to Capitol Records where he released a few marginal hits. But it wasn’t until he moved to Atlanta, retired and then came out of retirement that he hit his stride with a series of chart toppers throughout the ’80s. Vern Gosdin passed away in a Nashville hospital after suffering a stroke in recent weeks.
Thanks to Stephen of Stephen Brower for the assist.
What You Should Own
Tommy Caldwell was best known as the bassist the Marshall Tucker Band from 1973 until his death in 1980. The charismatic performer was the crowd-pleaser of the band. He also sang backup and wrote some of their songs, including “Melody Ann,” their only song on which he sang lead. His final performance with the band came on the night of April 19, 1980 which was later released as Live On Long Island. Caldwell died just ten days later from injuries he suffered in a jeep accident.
Born in Dallas, Texas, B.W. Stevenson was singer-songwriter of country pop songs. He had one big hit, 1973’s “My Maria,” which reached #9 on the Billboard pop singles chart. The song became a #1 country hit for Brook & Dunn in 1996. Stevenson died while undergoing heart valve surgery on April 28, 1988. He was 38.
Tom Donahue was a ground breaking disc jockey who took a San Francisco foreign language station and transformed it into America’s first “free form” station which would become the model for FM album oriented stations across the country. Donahue started his radio career in South Carolina in 1949, but moved to the Bay Area after the payola scandal where he started a record label for the Beau Brummels who he discovered and managed. e also produced concerts and opened a psychedelic club. In 1972, he became the GM of KSAN and encouraged the on-air talent to dig deep into the albums, play songs from different genres and eras, and inject political commentary. The station became an instant hit with the counter-culture, so Donuhue and his wife, Raechel Donahue successfully brought his idea to Los Angeles stations, KPPC and future legend, KMET. Similar stations spread across the country through the rest of the ‘70s. Donahue suffered a fatal heart attack on April 28, 1975.