Country Music Legend Hank Thompson Dies of Lung Cancer
Country music singer Hank Thompson, a legendary singer and musician whose work spanned over seventy years, passed away on Tuesday due to lung cancer. Thompson was an accomplished, award winning musician who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997. On November 1, Hank cancelled the remainder of his 2007 tour and retired from singing after learning of his lung cancer. Only a few days later he succumbed to the illness.
Thompson and his band, The Brazos Valley Boys, were, according to Billboard Magazine, the No. 1 Country Western Band for 14 years in a row. His music style was a mix of big-band, fiddle and classic country (see the clip below).
Hank began his music career after serving in the Navy in WWII as a radioman. His first hit song, “Whoa Sailor,†hit the radio in 1946. His fame grew in the 1950s and 60s. He became a legend to future generations of country singers.
You can view several online memorial videos on Youtube for Hank Thompson. Here is one to enjoy.
March 18th, 2009 at 8:12 am
One of the greatest Western and Country singers ever to come down the Pike.
He left a superior legacy for all to enjoy.