Thompson died late Tuesday at his home in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller, said spokesman, Tracy Pitcox, who is also president of Heart of Texas Records. "He was battling aggressive lung cancer," Pitcox said Wednesday in a statement. "He remained conscious until the last couple of hours and passed away peacefully at about 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday night surrounded by his friends and family." The last show Thompson played was Oct. 8 in his native Waco. That day was declared "Hank Thompson Day" by Gov. Rick Perry and Waco Mayor Virginia DuPuy. Fans loved Thompson's distinctive gravelly voice and his musical style, a mix of honky-tonk and Western swing. He was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989. His first recording was "Whoa, Sailor" in 1946. That year, he started a band called the Brazos Valley Boys, which won Billboard magazine's touring band of the year award 14 consecutive times. Thompson had 29 hits reach the top 10 between 1948 and 1975. Some of his most famous songs include "Humpty Dumpty Heart" and "A Six Pack to Go." His album "The Wild Side of Life" reached No. 1 in 1952. It inspired a famous "answer song" written by J.D. Miller, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." Recorded by Kitty Wells, the song was the first No. 1 hit by a woman soloist on the country music charts and made Wells a star. Thompson grew up a fan of Gene Autry, which fueled his love of the guitar. By the time he finished high school, he was playing on a local radio show, where he was featured as "Hank the Hired Hand." He served in the Navy, and studied electrical engineering at Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas and Princeton. Thompson considered a career in engineering, but remained in show business. He caught the attention of Tex Ritter, who helped him get a contract with Capitol Records. Pitcox said Thompson requested that no funeral be held. A "celebration of life," open to fans and friends, will be held Nov. 14 at Billy Bob's Texas, a Fort Worth honky-tonk. Survivors include his wife, Ann. He had no children.
DALLAS — Hank Thompson has died of lung cancer just days after canceling his tour. The country singer was 82.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Country Singer Hank Thompson Dies of Lung Cancer at 82
Gill, Mandrell Among Walk of Fame Inductees
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Rodney Crowell, Bob DiPiero, Vince Gill and Barbara Mandrell were inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame during ceremonies Monday (Nov. 5) in Hall of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. Inducted posthumously were music publisher and record producer Buddy Killen and rock icon Jimi Hendrix, who spent time playing in Nashville clubs during the early '60s after completing his military service at nearby Fort Campbell, Ky. His sister, Jaine Hendrix, represented the family at Monday's induction.
Jeffrey Steele Rules at BMI Awards
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Jeffrey Steele was named songwriter of the year and his song, "What Hurts the Most," won song of the year honors at Tuesday night's (Nov. 6) BMI Country Awards presentation in Nashville. Steele, who was also named BMI's country songwriter of the year in 2003, co-wrote "What Hurts the Most" with Steve Robson. It was a No. 1 hit for Rascal Flatts. Steele won his latest songwriter of the year prize for composing "What Hurts the Most" and two other Rascal Flatts hits -- "My Wish" and "Me and My Gang" -- along with Steve Holy's "Brand New Girlfriend" and Keith Anderson's "Every Time I Hear Your Name." Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville was named publisher of the year for the sixth consecutive time, and Willie Nelson was honored with the BMI Icon award during the black-tie dinner at the performing right organization's offices on Music Row.
LeAnn Rimes to Tour With Kenny Chesney
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LeAnn Rimes will be Kenny Chesney's special guest next year on his Poets & Pirates tour. Specific dates have not been announced, but work is already underway on the concert production. "I think LeAnn Rimes is as good a singer as there is out there, and she knows how to have fun onstage," Chesney said. "I am a big fan, and everybody better be ready for a pretty incredible time. I know I'm looking forward to seeing her out there and getting to hear her sing." Chesney's upcoming road work follows this year's Flip Flop Summer Tour which included appearances at six NFL stadiums. Ticket sales totaled more than 1.2 million for the 57 dates of his 2007 tour. Rimes performs Tuesday night (Nov. 6) on Dancing With the Stars and will sing with Reba McEntire on Wednesday's CMA Awards show. Both programs will air on ABC.
Rosanne Cash to Undergo Brain Surgery
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Rosanne Cash will undergo brain surgery in New York for a rare but benign condition, it was announced Tuesday (Nov. 6) on her official Web site. The singer-songwriter, daughter of the late Johnny Cash, has been diagnosed with chiari I malformation, a congenital malformation of the skull that affects the brain and spinal cord. "It's nothing like a tumor or hemorrhage or anything," manager, Danny Kahn, told the Associated Press. "It's elective surgery." As a result, Cash has canceled the final four dates of a national tour promoting her latest album, Black Cadillac. The cancellations include shows this week in Kansas City, Lafayette, Ind., and Kent, Ohio, and a Nov. 30 date in Washington, D.C. Following her recover, she plans to return to the studio to finish work on her debut album for Manhattan Records, resume touring and complete a new book to be published in early 2009.
Country Music Pioneer Hank Thompson Retires
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Country Music Hall of Fame member Hank Thompson has announced his retirement from a career that has spanned seven decades. Thompson, 82, was released from the hospital Wednesday (Oct. 31) after being diagnosed with an undisclosed illness. He is recovering at his home near Fort Worth, Texas. A honky-tonk singer and leader of his band, the Brazos Valley Boys, Thompson scored a total of 29 Top 10 singles, including "The Wild Side of Life," which spent 15 weeks at No. 1 in 1949. Other hits include "Humpty Dumpty Heart," "Rub-a-Dub-Dub" and "A Six Pack to Go." Thompson, who has canceled all of his tour dates, last performed on Oct. 8 in Waco, Texas, his birthplace.
John Michael Montgomery Launches New Label
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John Michael Montgomery has created his own record label, Stringtown Records, and will serve a chief executive officer of the new company. The first scheduled release is a new album Montgomery will record with producer Byron Gallimore, who produced his 2004 album, Letters From Home. Sessions have not begun on the project, and no release date has been set. During his tenure on Atlantic Records, Montgomery enjoyed seven No. 1 singles, including 1993's "I Love the Way You Love Me" and 2000's "The Little Girl." Former Decca Records head Shelia Shipley Biddy will serve as Stringtown's president while continuing to work as an artist manager at Hallmark Direction Company, which also represents Montgomery. The new label is expected to sign other artists after the release of Montgomery's album.
Clay Walker Donating $25,000 to Multiple Sclerosis Research
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Clay Walker announced Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 6) at the Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital in Nashville that his foundation, BAMS (Band Against Multiple Sclerosis), will donate $25,000 for research toward a cure for multiple sclerosis. Walker also said the foundation plans to donate a similar amount toward MS research annually during the next three years. Walker, who was diagnosed with MS in 1996, said, "It is important for me to give back now because I have been so blessed." He later added, "There are a lot of people out there who aren't doing so well with multiple sclerosis, and we want to be their ray of hope."