Died On This Date (April 28, 2009) Vern Gosdin / Country Music Star

Vern Gosdin
August 5, 1934 – April 28, 2009

vernVern 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

Click to find at amazon.com

Chiseled In Stone - Vern Gosdin

Died On This Date (January 13, 2007) Doyle Holly / Played with Buck Owens

Doyle Holly (Born Doyle Hendricks)
June 30, 1936 – January 13, 2007

doyleholly

Doyle Holly was a country bass player and songwriter who achieved success both as part of Buck Owens & the Buckaroos, and as a solo artist.  Born in Oklahoma, Holly moved to California as a young man, and in 1963, he was hired by Owens to replace Merle Haggard who had recently left the Buckaroos.  Over the next several years, Owens and the band which included Holly scored over 30 top 40 country hits, many of which reaching the #1 slot.  In 1971, Holly left Owens to launch a solo career, during which time he released a couple of moderately successful albums.  His most popular song, “Lila” made it into the Top 20 of the country charts.  Holly retired from performing during the ’80s and opened a record store outside of Nashville.  On January 13, 2007, Doyle Holly died of prostate cancer at his home.  He was 70 years old.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Together Again - Doyle Holly

Died On This Date (January 1, 1997) Townes Van Zandt / Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter

Townes Van Zandt
March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997

Although he’s not a household name, Townes Van Zandt has earned a place alongside Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Guy Clark if they ever build a Mount Rushmore of Texas singer-songwriters.  Call it folk; call it country; call it Americana;  call it what you will, but Van Zandt was one of the greatest.  Van Zandt was born into oil money in Fort Worth.  His family helped found Fort Worth and even had a county named after them in 1848.  By the time Van Zandt was in college, he had developed a drinking problem, and after failing to get into the Air Force due to what a doctor diagnosed as acute manic depression, he decided to give up school and concentrate on his song writing.  And thanks to that, we now have “If I Needed You,” “No Place To Fall,” and of course, “Pancho and Lefty,” the number one hit for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.  Despite all the accolades and money, he continued to live the life of a vagabond, playing dumpy bars and living in cheap motels or on friends’ couches.  He was also notorious for his exsessive consumption of drugs and alcohol.  He tried many times to beat it, but failed each time.  Van Zandt’s  final days are too heart-wrenching to rehash here.  He ultimately passed away at the age of 52 as a result of what the substance abuse did to his body.

Watch Townes bring a man to tears with a song.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com

Died On This Date (November 6, 2007) Hank Thompson / Country Music Legend

Hank Thompson
September 3, 1925 – November 6, 2007

Hank Thompson was a honky tonk and western swing band leader who, over a career that spanned an amazing 60+ years, sold more than 60 million albums.  After his discharge from the Navy during WWII, Thompson decided to pursue a career making music.  In 1952, he released his first #1 hit, “The Wild Side of Life.”  The song sat at the top of the country charts for 15 weeks and has been covered by the likes of Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter, Rod Stewart, Status Quo, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams.  In 2000, he released a song entitled “Seven Decades,” a testament to the fact that he made records from the ’40s through the 2000s.”  In October of 2007, Thompson was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer.  He was 82 when he died of the disease just a couple of weeks later.  His final concert had been just a month prior to that.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Vintage Collections - Hank Thompson & His Brazo Valley Boys