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WHOA SAILOR! HANK THOMPSON HAS GONE

HANK THOMPSON Thom6000

Country Music Hall of Famer, and Western Swing Legend, Hank Thompson passed away at his residence in Keller, Texas, just after announcing his retirement.

WHOA SAILOR! HANK THOMPSON HAS GONE

Country Music Hall of Famer, and Western Swing Legend, Hank Thompson passed away at his residence in Keller, Texas, just after announcing his retirement. Hank played his last show October 08, 2007 and was battling aggressive lung cancer. He remained conscious until the last couple of hours and passed away peacefully at about 10:45 PM on Tuesday, November 06, 2007. A quiet end for that fabulous entertainer who bring us the all time classic song “The Wild Side of Life”. That good-looking guy, six-feet-two inches tall, 180 pounds, with a keen sense of humor and warm smile will probably bring some “swing” beyond the sunset.

Henry William Thompson was born on September 2, 1925, in Waco, Texas, from immigrant parents. He grew up idolizing musicians like Jimmie Rodgers, Gene Autry, the Carter Family, Bob Wills and Vernon Dalhart. Thompson began playing French harp, winning several amateur contests, before turning to the guitar after seeing Gene Autry’s movies. About 12 or 13 years old, he won a prize on Harley Sadler’s tent show who was touring Texas. He started to work hard on many local talent shows as a teenager and got his first radio program, when still school student, was on WACO, the only radio station in Waco. He became a regular on matinee cast for $ 5 a week and had soon a regular spot and identifying himself to listeners as "Hank The Hired Hand”. He had a local morning program for a grocery store and flour company. He would pick his guitar and sing on Saturday afternoons for the folks down at the store. During his high school years, Hank worked evenings and Saturdays in radio repair shops, where he became fascinated by the study of electronics and even taught himself Morse Code. Hank graduated from Waco High School on January 22, 1943 and then he joined the Navy for three years as Radio Technician and was stationed in San Diego as instructor in radio. He also became part of an entertainer unit that toured Pacific bases, West coast camps and the South Pacific. He also took advantage of training programs and studied electrical engineering in the University of Texas and Princeton University who made him one of the country music’s better-educated stars. From the Navy, he also brings tattoos … just like many of us!

In 1946, he formed his first band The Brazos Valley Boys and, a first session in august 1946, gave birth to "Whoa Sailor"/”Swing Wide Your Gate of Love” soon released on the small Globe label followed by “Humpty Dumpty Heart”. Then, working for KWTX in Waco, he recorded “A Lonely Heart Knows”/”My Starry-Eyed Texas Gal” for Bluebonnet records (107) and “California Women” /”What Are you Gonna Do” (123) before, with the help of Hal Horton – a KRLD (Dallas) DJ – he was able to catch the attention of Tex Ritter who bring the young singer name to the Capitol Records officials in 1947. A contract was settled in October 1947 and Hank and his Brazos Valley Boys bring them music that included sophisticated, swing-inspired arrangements but which never lost the swing and stomp favoured by those who plugged dimes into honky-tonk jukeboxes. His strong emphasis on Western Swing and what we call Honky Tonk Music bring him countless fans who liked that sound because they could dance to it. Hank has been one of their leading recording artists from then to 1966. On “Capitol” was also his friend Merle Travis, a great guitar picker, who worked on several of his sessions. The first “Capitol” session was set in Dallas in late 1947 and gave a new birth to “Humpty Dumpty Heart” b/w “Yesterday’s Mail”. That record matched with Eddy Arnold for the top spot on the charts. Next session was cut in Hollywood and “Green Light” went Top 10.

Perhaps inspired by the helping hand he’d gotten from Ritter after he heard Wanda Jackson on KLPR, a local radio in Oklahoma City when she was still in high school, and he brought her into his own recording studio and on stage with the Brazos Valley Boys at the legendary Trianon Ballroom and on KWTV in Oklahoma City. Being an expert on sound and Hi-Fi, hank had build his own recording studio and equipment in his ranch type home on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. After “Capitol” turned Wanda down to be too young, he helped her to have her first record for “Decca”. In Hollywood, she recorded a duet with former Brazos sidemen Billy Gray on March 24, 1954 and “You Can’t Have My Love” will be her first single (Decca 29140). On Aug 24, 1954, she recorded at Hank Thompson another duet with Billy covering the classic Jimmy Lee Fautheree and Johnny Mathis song “If you don’t, Somebody Else Will” soon issued on “Decca 29267” . Billy Gray fronted Hank’s band for years except for a brief period when he decided to go out on his own with Hank’s blessing. Wanda still said about Hank “I am forever grateful for his talented, charming, and intelligent role model that i had. Even now, each time i work with him, I realise I’m still learning things from this wonderful man”. Quite a compliment by that great artist! Funny to know they were also reunited on the same record label in 1980 for two “best of” LP’s (Gusto 0057 and 0060). Hank also discovered Jean Shepherd and helped set up her record deal at Capitol where she secured a big hit dueting with Ferlin Huskey on “A Dear John Letter”.

H. Thompson - C and W Jamboree May 55

Hank will not have the pleasure to see Wanda Jackson elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from Cleveland ‘cause she missed, once again, the final ballot by two votes in September 07. Anyway, Hank will stay as the man who discovered the rockin’gal with the nasty voice who can’t be stopped when she start erupting. He bring to “Capitol” a great rockin’ female voice and even tried himself his hands to Rock’n’Roll, in 1958, with “Rockin’ in the Congo” (F 3623). Still a favourite one in rockin’ socks hop and ballroom floors worldwide.

H. Thompson - Louisiana Hayride July 8 1950

Hank’s first major hit for Capitol was the nursery rhyme influenced "Humpty Dumpty Heart" in 1949 followed by his all-time great "The Wild Side of Life” in 1952. That song inspired an answer song in the form of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" recorded by Kitty Wells for “Decca” records. It became the first number one song by a female in Country Music. He wasn't really that excited about that song, first recorded by Jimmie Heap and the Melody masters, who came out as the B side of the single. Like it happened often, the disc jockeys turned it over and it became a smash hit. Among his great waxings are “Whoa Sailor”, “Swing Wide the Gate of Love”, “Give a Little, Take a Little”, “A Six Pack to Go”, “Wake Up Irene” (a answer song to songster Leadbelly’s “Goodnite Irene”), “The New green Light”, “Rub-a-Dub Dub”, “Oklahoma Hills”, “The Black board of my Heart” or “Honky Tonk Girl”. By 1955, Hank has already recorded 44 singles and two album for “Capitol” and his total records sales were over 14 millions. Although many of his more memorable waxings dealt with beer drinking themes, Hank’s repertoire ran the gamut of country song subject mater.

H. Thompson and Glen

The first song ever recorded by Dave Rich, later a big country singer on RCA and the one who helped the Everly Brothers to secure them deal with “Cadence” records, was Hank’s “It’s Better to Have Loved A Little” (Capitol 2169). That’s probably not the only one who started with Hank’s songs since the 50’s until now. Hank was inspiration and mentor for many from Wanda Jackson to Marty Stuart or lesser know Rockabilly cats like Larry Nolen who recorded for “Starday”.

Hank and his band were regular on many State fairs and they used to be at the Texas State fair in Dallas every year from 1959 to 1964. By 1955, that fair was the largest in the nation with 2,500,00 paid admissions each year. The first year, they performed on the back of a big flat bed truck (16 wheeler) then later on they got a much bigger stage built. Not only Elvis Presley or Jerry Lee Lewis played flat bed truck in the 50’s. Each time they were introduced on stage by Bob « Git It » Kelly, who wrote songs for Gene Vincent and Mac Curtis, and was working for WRR Radio.

H. Thompson - Country song roundup June 58

Hank was a great outdoor man and liked squirrel hunting and deep sea fishing. Another of his hobbies in the 50’s was his large collection of beautiful authentic Western Suits and shirt –many from his own designs - who helped to establish him as one of the most colourful and best-dresses men in the Western music field before came Webb Pierce or Porter Wagoner.

He recorded twenty one songs that reached the Top Twenty on the charts and sold over sixty million records during his career. Thompson became the first Country entertainer to record in seven different decades and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989. He was also the first to record a live album “Live at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas” in 1960 and the first to broadcast his television show for in color. Hank also became the first entertainer to take Western Swing into the domain of fashionable ballrooms in New York or St. Paul or leading amusement parks like the New Lagoon in Salt Lake City in 1959. His band was voted N° 1 Country and Western Band for fourteen consecutive years in the 50’s and 60’s as result of his thousands dollars spending in perfecting and presenting his “Brazos Valley Boys” – one of the greatest Country & Western aggregations since the 50’s. A good band would enable him to offer the people, as well as the promoters, a double bill featuring a solo artist know by his recording plus a top western dance band. Hank had always encouraged them to be innovative and to raise a different sound from the very popular Bob Wills one. In the 90’s, “The Brazos Valley Boys” used to back Tommy Horton, Johnny Horton’s son, on various stage shows across Texas. They are still a Top band today.

H. Thompson advert - C and W Jamboree April 55

Hank had probably sold over 60 million records and his recordings had been on “Best Seller”, “Most Played On Juke Boxes” and “Most Played By Disc Jockeys” charts for decades. He won himself many awards as artist, band leader, songs writer or music publisher. What was the “special something” that Hank had to offer? His million fans through the years might give a thousand different answer. One given to me yesterday was “He was an Okie like us”. Hank sums it up pretty well himself with one of his favourite sayings: “Just be yourself the best way you know how.”

Country music world suffer here a severe lost once again and, I bet my Blue Suede Shoes, that there will be many tears in beers tonight. Hey, Mister Bartender, Don’t be so slow!

Dominique “Imperial” ANGLARES

Sound of the 50’s (France)

www.rockabillyhall.com

H. Thompson- Louisiana Hayride April 10 1953