Hank Thompson

Country Music Hall of Fame member Hank Thompson has died of lung cancer in his native Texas. He was 82.

Thompson, who had 29 hits in the Top 10 between 1948 and 1974, died just days after canceling a tour, his spokesman said Wednesday. He died late Tuesday at his home in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller, said Tracy Pitcox, who is also president of Heart of Texas Records.

Just last week, Thompson canceled the rest of his tour after being hospitalized.

“He was battling aggressive lung cancer,” Pitcox said in a statement. “He remained conscious until the last couple of hours and passed away peacefully at about 10:45 pm on Tuesday night surrounded by his friends and family.”

The last show Thompson played was Oct. 8 in his native Waco. That day was declared “Hank Thompson Day” by Gov. Rick Perry and Waco Mayor Virginia DuPuy.

Thompson’s Web site, hankthompson.com, posted this message: “There will be a celebration of Hank’s life and all of his fans are invited. The event will be held on November 14, 2007 at Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Ft.Worth, Texas Time: 2:00PM until ?”

Thompson’s widow, Ann, has requested that, in lieu of flowers, a donation in her husband’s name be made to The Heart of Texas Country Music Museum, 1701 Bridge St,, Brady, TX 76825, or to a favorite charity.

According to a biography posted on the Web site, www.countrystandardtime.com, Thompson was born on Sept 2, 1925, in Waco, Texas. He grew up idolizing musicians like Jimmie Rodgers, Gene Autry, the Carter Family and Vernon Dalhart. He began playing the guitar and entering local talent shows as a teenager. His first radio program was on WACO where he was featured as “Hank The Hired Hand.”

After graduating from high school, Thompson joined the Navy as an electrical engineer, a field he would continue to study at Princeton after the service. In 1946, he formed his first band The Brazos Valley Boys.

Around 1950, Thompson put together a more permanent group and began to play what he once called “honky tonk swing” in an interview. “People liked that kind of music because they could dance to it,” he said.

In 1946, he recorded his first single, “Whoa Sailor” for Globe Records. He then recorded for Bluebonnet before catching the attention of Tex Ritter, who helped Thompson obtain a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1947. He would remain on their roster for more than 18 years.

Thompson’s first major hit for Capitol was “Humpty Dumpty Heart” in 1949 followed by his signature song “The Wild Side of Life.” That song inspired an answer song in the form of “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” recorded by Kitty Wells. It became the first No. 1 song by a female in country music.

Thompson was the first country entertainer to travel with his own light and sound system, the first to have a corporate sponsor, the first to record in high fidelity stereo and the first to broadcast his television show in color. In 1961, Thompson recorded the historic album “Live At The Golden Nugget,” the first live album ever recorded.

He recorded 21 songs that reached the top 20 on the charts and sold more than 60 million records during his career. Thompson became the first country entertainer to record in seven different decades.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.

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Tim Graves

Tim Graves & Cherokee will headline The Bluegrass Family Gathering festival, now in its 11th year, Dec. 7-8 at Craig’s RV Park in Arcadia, Fla. The festival will run from noon to 10 p.m. both days.

Other bands scheduled to perform are Swinging Bridge, Florida Bluegrass Express, the Bluegrass Parlor Band, Ernie Evans Band, the Wilson Family, the Hall Family and Generations Bluegrass.

Festival tickets are $30 per person, and campers may begin arriving on Monday, Dec. 3.

Information about the festival and camping accommodations are available by calling the RV park at 863-494-1820 or by emailing contact@craigsrv.com.

According to the facility’s Web site, “Craig’s RV Park was literally built on Bluegrass music and our residents return each season for the music events at the park. … Each March the Bluegrass Family Gatherings featuring some of the best in local, regional and national Bluegrass artists.”

The park is also home to the Southwest Florida Bluegrass Association’s monthly Jam/Fests.

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