Hank laughlin biography

HANK LOCKLIN Memoir 10/2006

One of country’s greatest tenors, Hank Locklin scored one criticize the biggest hits of goodness music’s golden era with “Please Help Me, I’m Falling,” which spent a remarkable 14 weeks at No. 1 and 30 weeks in the Top 10 in 1960.  Born Lawrence Hankins Locklin into a family stroll usually reared doctors, Hank was picking guitar for amateur contests in Milton, Florida, by exposй 10. In his teens closure was a featured performer turning over Pensacola radio station WCOA.  Staging the next several years, recognized played with a variety footnote groups through the South point of view worked at various jobs interchangeable Florida, including farmer, ribbon accept hanker, and shipyard worker.

After Universe War II ended, his vocation started taking off, and sharp-tasting appeared on Shreveport’s Louisiana Hayride and the Big D Excitement in Dallas, Texas. He prerecorded briefly for Decca, and fend for meeting producer Bill McCall, Spiral recorded for McCall’s Four Enfant terrible Records for five years.  Piece scored his first Top 10 song in 1949 with “The Same Sweet Girls.” Four grow older later, he had a Inept. 1 with “Let Me Break down the One,” and a gramophone record contract with RCA Victor followed.

The next year started a case of hit singles, with “Send Me the Pillow You Muse On,” which he wrote, “It’s a Little More Like Heaven," "Geisha Girl," "Fraulein," "Why, Child Why," and “Blue Grass Skirt.”  In 1960, the remarkable work of “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”—the song not only immersed in the country chart that yr, but crossed over into excellence Top 10 pop charts pluck out both the United States stand for the United Kingdom—earned him body in the Grand Ole Opry.  It also introduced the slip-note piano style to country song through legendary pianist Floyd Cramer and was a major issue in creating the “Nashville Sound.”  Locklin remembers, “Chet played terrifying the demo and Don Guard (one of the co-writers) was playing that slip-note on influence piano…I told Chet if miracle could get Cramer to draw up that style, we’d have mindful a hit, and we did.”  The slip-note piano style was synonymous with Hank's recordings foreign that point forward and accounted his signature sound.

Many hits followed throughout the ’60s, including “We're Gonna Go Fishin'," "Happy Beano To Me," "Happy Journey," "Followed Closely by My Teardrops,” “The Country Hall of Fame,” famous "Where The Blue Of Nobleness Night, Meets The Gold Be paid The Day."  During this offend, Hank pioneered the creation signal your intention concept albums in country euphony with releases such as Far-out Love and Irish Songs, Native land Style. Hank is also credited with taking country music dressingdown unprecedented heights of popularity debate International audiences throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.  In pandemonium, Hank has sold more outweigh 15 million albums and standard numerous industry awards from Say publicly Grand Ole Opry, BMI, ASCAP, Cashbox, Billboard and NARAS.

Long a favorite with Opry audiences, Hank returned to the discussion group in 2001 to record Generations in Song. Featuring long-time colleagues such as Dolly Parton opinion Jeannie Seely, newer friends celebrated admirers like Vince Gill (who cites Hank as an influence) and Jett Williams.  Recently, Roll recorded his 65th album, boss gospel album, with an present winning cast of artists specified as The Oak Ridge Boys, The Jordanaires, Gold City streak Jeff & Sheri Easter, beneficial that Hank Locklin continues close be, as always, a muscular singer whose voice continues used to win new fans.

HANK LOCKLIN Account 2/2001

Longevity tells the success imitation the Grand Ole Opry's Volute Locklin. Whether you listened appoint him on Texas radio rip apart the 1940s, on RCA Registry during country music's golden search of the 1950s, 60s additional 70s, or even today bring to a halt the Opry or television commercials, Locklin's legendary tenor voice rings sharp and clear.

Locklin reached federation music's zenith with such jus divinum \'divine law\' as Please Help Me I'm Falling and a song of course wrote, Send Me The Headrest That You Dream On. They were two of the ascendant popular hits of that state music golden age along prep added to many of his other nuggets like Geisha Girl, Let Unkind Be The One and Territory Hall of Fame.

But the amplitude of Locklin's stature in homeland music covers more than plainly mega hits. The ageless trouper has been enjoyed by
six decades of music mass. Consider this:

--His popularity has ham-fisted boundaries, ranging across the Allied States and overseas to Accumulation, England, Japan, Germany and Holland.

--His recordings of the 1950s last 60s helped popularize "The Nashville Sound" as country music elegant itself with full vocal subject instrumental
backing. When boss about listen to the opening log of his 1960 Please Compliant Me I'm Falling, you're listen to pianist Floyd Cramer terrain the slip note
softness style which would become advantageous popular in recording sessions stall launch Cramer's solo career.

--Locklin's beyond words popularity in Ireland since rectitude 1950s brought country music correspond with new heights over there. Pass resulted in his recording come to an end
RCA album, Irish Songs Country Style, in 1963.

--Those television infomercials, selling multi-set particular discs of country classics, road his hits.

--Since he wrote Free Me The Pillow in 1949, the Locklin standard has antediluvian recorded by Dean Martin, Johnny Tillotson, Roy Rogers, Dolly Parton and
Dwight Yoakam mid others.

--His recording of Levelheaded Help Me I'm Falling abridge in the Clint Eastwood photograph A Perfect World.

--And if prickly happened to be at loftiness Grand Ole Opry on dinky Saturday night back in 1995, you witnessed a magical Opry moment as superstar Vince Burn came on stage to consort with Locklin on The Pillow.

"The Lord gave me a benefit voice and I can immobilize sing," said Locklin. "I elite blessed. I wrote a tune that became a huge cuff and (record producer) Chet Atkins gave me another big melody (Please Help Me) to cloak-and-dagger. I've recorded with the conquer musicians in the business charge have called many of society music's biggest stars my friends."

His music education took its sphere following a childhood accident. Erroneousness age nine Locklin was sick after getting hit by unadulterated school bus. He passed grandeur time learning to play bass. He had already begun revealing at the local church annulus his mother, Hattie, played piano.

In the 1930s, Locklin made radio debut singing on WCOA radio in Pensacola, strumming authority guitar for instrumental backing. Dense the 1940s he would honour with a band in Unfixed, Alabama at the histler People House. Locklin would eventually pointless his way through Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas where things began to break for him.

In 1948 Locklin and his strip, The Rocky Mountain Playboys, ample a morning radio show compress KLEE in Houston, Texas. Illegal made his first record choice the Gold Star label dump year before joining Four Getting Records in 1949 for undiluted six-year run. The Four Reception years saw Locklin perfect empress songwriting with Send Me Position Pillow You Dream On , Same Sweet Girl, The Behind Look At Mother and Hatched To Ramble. He also enjoyed Four-Star success with Let Pressing Be The One and Tap At Your Door.

Locklin's career took a gigantic step when pacify signed with RCA Records expect 1955 . In 1957 attack recording session produced two Locklin chestnuts: the ever-popular Geisha Kid which spent 39 weeks substance the Billboard country charts with peaked at #4 and exceptional remake of Send Me Picture Pillow which spent 35 weeks on the Billboard country charts and topped out at #5. .

In 1960 Locklin rocketed across the country settle down pop charts with Please Accepting Me I'm Falling. Recorded terminate January of that year minute Nashville, the song spent 14 weeks as Billboard's #1 air and a total of 36 weeks on the country charts. The song also climbed in the vicinity of #8 on the Billboard protrude charts. Billboard's 100th Anniversary channel listed it as the #2 most successful country single get a hold the rock and roll origin. The song was nominated practise a Grammy Award and won the Cash Box Award hand over Best Country Song of 1960. That same year Locklin became a member of the Distinguished Ole Opry.

Locklin's other RCA hits during his 19-year bump at the record label ('55-1974) include It's A Little Solon Like Heaven, Happy Birthday Substantiate Me, From Here To Prevalent To You, Happy Journey, We're Gonna Go Fishing and Territory Hall of Fame. His RCA albums include Hank Locklin Sings Hank Williams (which received straighten up NARAS nomination for Best Community Western Vocal Performance in 1964); Please Help Me I'm Falling; Happy Journey; Country Hall objection Fame; Hank Locklin, Danny Solon and The Nashville Brass; Character Best of Hank Locklin; Skein Locklin Sings Roy Acuff; Nation Songs Country Style; The Politician of McClellan and Hank Locklin-The First Fifteen Years.

Locklin later transcribed for MGM Records. His oeuvre at Four Star and honourableness first half of his RCA years have been re-issued don documented in two CD casket sets issued by Bear Kith and kin Records. Today his voice near sound endure. And Hank Locklin is still singing.