Gene Watson's Peers: Hank Thompson
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry
believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much
so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and
rightly so!
All of Gene's Peers who were contacted in 2006 were most gracious with their
time & words. It is here, within this special part of gene-watson.com, that
you have an opportunity to read a quote from
Hank Thompson, which he submitted
to this site on Sunday 16 July 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to
Hank Thompson who has made a
special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone
Star Hero'.
Hank Thompson
This quote was submitted on Sunday 16 July 2006
'I have known Gene for many years and worked with him
on many occasions. I have always considered him to be one of the best in the
business.
Good luck with Gene's website'.
Thank you, Hank Thompson, for your
support of Gene Watson.
About Hank Thompson...
Hank Thompson was born Henry
William 'Hank' Thompson in Waco, Texas on 3 September 1925 & initially became a harmonica
ace. He later graduated to the guitar. During the 1940s, Hank began
broadcasting on a local radio station where he was sponsored by a flour
company.
In 1943, Hank Thompson joined the US Navy and, upon his discharge three years later,
he secured a spot on KWTX, a radio station in Waco. It was at this time that
he formed a Western Swing band called the Brazos Valley Boys. Hank began his
recording career (with Globe Records) in August 1946 where his initial
session for the label produced the track 'Whoa sailor' which became a
regional hit.
Upon the recommendation of Tex Ritter, Hank Thompson signed with Capitol Records
where, between 1948 & 1965, he enjoyed a very successful period of hit songs
with the label. His first hit was 'Humpty dumpty heart', which went to No.2
& remained on the country music charts for thirty-eight weeks.
Hank also saw the
re-release of 'Whoa sailor' on the Capitol Records label, a
recording which reached No.6 in late 1949.
From the 1950s through to the mid-1970s, Hank Thompson enjoyed an enviable
list of hit songs on Capitol Records including 'The wild side of life' (No.1 in 1952), 'Wake up
Irene' (No.1 in 1953), 'A six pack to go' (No.10 in 1960), 'Oklahoma hills'
(1961), 'Hangover tavern' (1961), 'On tap' (1968), 'In the can or in the
bottle' (1968), 'Smokey the bear' (1968), 'I've come awful close' (1971),
'Cab driver' (1972), 'The older the violin, the sweeter the tune' (1974) &
'Who left the door to heaven open?' (1974).
Hank Thompson's 'The wild side of life', which contained the memorable line
'I didn't know God made honky tonk angels', inspired songwriter J.D. Miller
to write the answer song 'It wasn't God who made honky tonk angels' which
became the first hit single for pioneer female country vocalist Kitty Wells.
Hank Thompson quit Capitol Records in 1965, moving to Warner Bros. Records in 1966 &
then to Dot Records in 1968. In the intervening years, Hank & his Brazos
Valley Boys continued to play dates worldwide & logged occasional hits on
record labels such as ABC, MCA & Churchill.
In the 1970s, Hank Thompson's music reached a whole different group of fans when
British rock band Status Quo had a world wide hit with their version of 'Wild
side of life'.
Hank Thompson made a significant contribution to country music, fusing
honky tonk & western swing & his talents were justly rewarded when he
was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989; he was also
inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997.
In
2000, Hank Thompson released a new album 'Seven Decades' on the Hightone
Records label; the material was closer in sound to his older Capitol Records
material.
On 1 November 2007, Hank Thompson cancelled the remainder of his 2007 'Sunset
Tour' & retired from singing, two days after being released from a Texas
hospital & diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer.
Hank went into hospice
care at his home in Keller, Texas; Thompson's last performance had been on
8 October 2007 in Waco, Texas, his birthplace. Hank Thompson died a month later,
on 6 November 2007, from
lung cancer.
According to his spokesman Tracy Pitcox, who is also president of Heart of
Texas Records, Hank Thompson requested that no funeral be held. On 14 November
2007, a
'celebration of life', which was open to both fans & friends, took place at Billy
Bob's Texas, a Fort Worth, Texas country music nightclub that billed
itself as 'The World's Largest Honky Tonk'.
Hank Thompson
3 September 1925 - 6 November 2007
Visit Hank Thompson's Official Site