More Info on Hank LocklinSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Infobox musical artist| | name = Hank Locklin| | caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Lawrence Hankins Locklin| alias =| Born = birth date|1918|2|15| McLellan, Florida, United States|USA | Died = death date and age|2009|3|8|1918|2|15 Brewton, Alabama|Brewton , Alabama , United States|USA | instrument = guitar | genre = country music | occupation = singer-songwriter | years_active = 1949& ndash;2009| label = RCA Victor|RCA , Four Star Records|4 Star Records | associated_acts =| website =| notable_instruments = Guitar Lawrence Hankins Locklin (February 15, 1918& ndash;March 8, 2009), better known as Hank Locklin , was an United States|American country music singer-songwriter . A member of the Grand Ole Opry for nearly 50 years, Locklin had a long recording career with RCA Victor and scored big with the hits, " Please Help Me, I'm Falling ", " Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On " and "Geisha Girl" from 1957& ndash;60. His singles charted from 1949& ndash;71.
Biography
Born in McLellan in the Florida Panhandle , Locklin grew up working in the cotton fields to supplement his family’s low income. He began playing the guitar at the age of nine during his recovery after being seriously injured when hit by a school bus.
His first marriage to Willa Jean Murphy ended in divorce. In 1970 he married Anita Crooks of Brewton, Alabama . He had a son and four daughters, 12 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a few close great nieces and nephews such as Sarah Locklin. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/arts/music/10locklin.html NY Times Obituary 9 March 2009
Locklin was one of country music's early honky tonk singers. He first recorded for Royalty, a small label in northeast Texas, but soon moved to Four Star Records|4 Star Records , a regional country music label, before signing a long contract with the major RCA Victor . He had an estimated 15 million record sales worldwide and his songs were recorded by many other artists, including Willie Nelson , Dolly Parton , Roy Rogers , Dwight Yoakam and Dean Martin . He regularly appeared on the Grand Ole Opry beginning in 1960, making his final appearance in 2007.
He had 70 chart singles, including six number ones on Billboard (magazine)|Billboard 's country chart. Locklin's biggest chart-topper|hits included "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On", "Geisha Girl" and his signature "Please Help Me, I'm Falling", which went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music record chart|chart . Billboard 's 100th anniversary issue listed it as the second most successful country single of the rock and roll era. Other hits for Locklin included "Happy Journey" (1961), "Happy Birthday To Me" (1962) and "The Country Hall Of Fame" (1968).
In the 1960s he built a ranch house called The Singing L in the field in McClellan where he had picked cotton as a boy. He was later made the honorary mayor of the town.
Locklin had a strong following in Europe , and in Ireland & mdash;his popularity was such that in 1963 he recorded an album called Irish Songs Country Style . He has a fan club in Langeli, Bjerkreim , Norway . The obituary in The Times described Locklin as "the last remaining link between country music’s hillbilly roots and the lusher, modern pop sound of Nashville." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article5882877.ece The Times Obituary 11 March 2009
In 2006, he appeared on the Public Broadcasting Service|PBS special, Country Pop Legends in which he performed "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On," and "Please Help Me I'm Falling". Until his death at the age of 91 in 2009, he was the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry . Hank had recently released his 65th album, By the Grace of God , a collection of gospel music|gospel songs.
He moved to Brewton, where he remained throughout his later years, and died there, at his house, in the early morning on March 8, 2009.cite news|url= http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/40960202.html|title=Grand Ole Opry member Hank Locklin dies in Alabama|date=2009-03-09|publisher= Associated Press via WVLT-TV |accessdate=2009-03-09
A"Love Song for You" peaked at #29 on the RPM (magazine)|RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.
Guest singles
Year
Single
Artist
US Country
1967
"Chet's Tune"
Some of Chet's Friends
38
Bibliography
Trott, Walt (1998). "Hank Locklin". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music . Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp.& nbsp;300–1.
References
reflist
External links
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/locklin_hank/artist.jhtml CMT.com : Hank Locklin at CMT.com
IMDb name|id=1285118
Persondata | NAME =Locklin, Hank | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1918-02-15 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH =2009-03-08 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Locklin, Hank Category:1918 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Apex Records artists Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Four Star Records artists Category:People from Florida Category:RCA Victor artists
