Airdate – Nov 7, 2021
Over the years country music has been blessed with a number of talented artists who became recognized as icons in the industry. Singer/songwriters and performers such as Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton readily come to mine.
Sharing the spotlight with them was another country star who hailed from the province of Nova Scotia in Canada – a performer who has been recognized as one of the most influential artists in all of country music.
*****
The career of our featured artist spans over 50 years. From 1949 to 1980 he made it onto the Billboard country charts 85 times, racking up forty-three Top 10 hits, including seven releases that peaked at #1.
A remarkable feat for a man who endured extreme poverty, physical and psychological abuse, and punishing labor during the Great Depression.
That background growing up could possibly be why his baritone voice echoed his joy for freedom and travel as well as his anguish for tortured love.
On December 31, 1949 he made his debut on the country charts with “Marriage Vow,” a 78 rpm release. It made it to #10 position.
His next three releases went to #1 with the first of these, “I’m Movin’ On” remaining at the top position on the country charts for twenty-one weeks!
On December 27, 1952, he released a song on the country charts that would be quite successfully covered in early 1953 by top female pop artist Jo Stafford and the great Tommy Edwards of “It’s All In The Game” fame.
Twenty years later Bob Dylan would grace the Billboard Hot 100 with his version of this song.
However, the most successful arrangement of the song came in 1959. The artist … Elvis Presley. Elvis’ cover went platinum and made it to the #2 position on the pop charts.
In 1953 the original version of this song went to #3 on the country charts – not bad for an artist who nine years later would proclaim in song that “I’ve Been Everywhere.”
Yes, we are highlighting the legendary Hank Snow, who recognized a good song when he heard it – a man who had no trouble admitting that “(Now And Then, There’s) A Fool Such As I,” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.
YouTube video of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT_0J1H-q38