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-Obits-
RIP: King of Western Swing - Hank Thompson
2007-11-08
In WWII was a Radio Operator. After the war sold 60,000,000 records. Country Music writer/singer for 70 years.
DALLAS (AP) — Hank Thompson, who mixed honky-tonk and Western swing on such hits as "A Six Pack to Go" and "The Wild Side of Life," has died. The country singer and bandleader was 82.

Thompson died of lung cancer late Tuesday at his home in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller, said spokesman Tracy Pitcox, who is also president of Heart of Texas Records. He died just days after canceling his tour and announcing his retirement.
After University of Texas, SMU and Princeton Hank's Education in Electrical Engineering brought many firsts to the music industry.
First act to tour with a sound and lighting system;
First to receive corporate tour sponsorship;
First to record a live album "Hank Thompson, Live At The Golden Nugget In Las Vegas" released on Capitol in 1960;
First country music show to play in Las Vegas;
First to record in Hi-Fi stereo;
First to perform on a color broadcast of a television variety show
Posted by:Unomosing Clomons7725

#7  Note that the above was not a knock on Hank Thompson. Just that Wills is the guys.
Posted by: OldSpook   2007-11-08 15:30  

#6  "Bob Wills is till the King!"

Waylon Jennings lyric
Posted by: borgboy   2007-11-08 10:30  

#5  oops, fat fingers typing - - Rantburg. Please accept no substitutes.............
Posted by: malibu_shrade   2007-11-08 08:31  

#4  OS, I agree with you on Bob. Ever go to Turkey, TX on the last weekend in April for the Bob Wills festival? If, not go man go! Maybe we should have a Rantberg reunion there. Expose them to the clown prince of steel guitar!
Posted by: malibu_shrade   2007-11-08 08:30  

#3  http://music.yahoo.com/track/1809463

Link to Milk Cow BLues (check the other tunes for 30 sec).

Warnign, Western Swing is an aquired taste. It is to Mozart what good Moonshine is to Great Scotch - excellent in its own right but some folks just gonna choke on it; but for thsoe that "get it", its the very best of its type.
Posted by: OldSpook   2007-11-08 01:08  

#2  FYI, great CD I linked to by Asleep at the Wheel and all kinds of country artists doing BoB WIlls tunes. Plues the song I linked to that Waylong Jenning penned, and Asleep at the Whell did a great job of.
Posted by: OldSpook   2007-11-08 01:03  

#1  Sorry, to me the King of Western Swing will always be Bob Wills (With Tommy Duncan and the Texas Playboys).

http://music.yahoo.com/track/1677677

Ahhhwww haaawww
Posted by: OldSpook   2007-11-08 01:01  

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