Hank Thompson: King of Honky Tonk Swing

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HANK THOMPSON
King of Honky Tonk Swing

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Hank Thompson has had a career the size of Mount Rushmore. For six decades, he has been a major influence on the world of country music. He revolutionized country music by combining Western Swing with Honky Tonk to form a marvelous mixture consisting of big band instrumentation, fiddle and steel guitar. He redefined the boundaries of country music. He broadened and enriched the entire nature of the music industry by taking his music out of small Texas clubs and bringing it to venues such as the Smithsonian Institute, the Hollywood Palladium, Carnegie Hall and Las Vegas. In fact, fans from all over the world have followed his career, making him one of the most popular individuals in country music today.

He was born Henry William Thompson in Waco, Texas, on September 3, 1925. He was the only child of Jule and Zexia Thompson, Bohemian immigrants who had changed their name from Kocek upon coming to America. As a boy growing up in rural Texas in the early 1930's, he was influenced by the music he heard on the radio (Jimmie Rodgers), in the movies (Gene Autry), and on the 78's owned by his bootlegging neighbor (Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, etc.). The first instrument he learned to play was the harmonica, and when he was 10, he got his first guitar for Christmas. By the early 1940's, he started appearing on talent shows, including one broadcast over radio station WACO. It was here that Henry William became known as "Hank the Hired Hand."

Hank graduated high school in 1943. He joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific as a radioman. His free time included writing songs and singing for his shipmates. "The Navy enhanced my career," he said, "as it gave the opportunity to perform all the time. When I was overseas, I knew the guys were getting tired of hearing the same old songs and so I started writing." Upon leaving the service, he entered college in New Jersey at Princeton University and studied electrical engineering courtesy of the GI Bill. His education also included studies at the University of Texas at Austin and Southern Methodist University. Having had his fill of higher education, he went back home to Waco and started working for KWTX. Soon he assembled his band, the Brazos Valley Boys, and they began to play local dance halls.

It was on the Globe label that Hank recorded his first single, "Whoa Sailor," which was backed by "Swing Wide Your Gate of Love" in 1946. Next came several singles on the Bluebonnet label, including "A Lonely Heart Knows." After hearing Hank, Tex Ritter helped him to get a contract with Capitol. Soon he had a Number Two country hit with "Humpty Dumpty Heart." In 1949 he had six songs which made the charts, including a re-recorded version of "Whoa Sailor" and "Green Light," which made its way all the way up to Number Ten.

In 1951, Hank began working with producer Ken Nelson. He recorded "The Wild Side of Life," his most successful single, which remained at the top of the charts for 15 weeks in 1952 and won him a gold record. Not only did this song help to make Hank famous, but it also jump-started the career of Kitty Wells, by inspiring her answer song, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." Hank had a hit in 1954 with "Wake Up, Irene," his own answer to "Goodnight, Irene." Other hits during the 1950's included singles such as "Waiting in the Lobby of Your Heart" (1952), "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" (1953), "Breakin' the Rules" (1954), "Honky Tonk Girl" (1954), "The New Green Light" (1954), "The Blackboard of My Heart" (1956), and "Squaws Along the Yukon" (1958); and classic albums such as Songs for Rounders (1958), perhaps the greatest honky tonk album of all time.

Although the bulk of Hank's big hits occurred during the 1950's, he continued to have success in the 1960's. In the spring of 1960, he had a Number Ten hit with one of the greatest drinking songs ever, "A Six Pack To Go." In 1961, Hank had a hit with the remake of "Oklahoma Hills." That same year, the live album Hank Thompson at the Golden Nugget was a success and remains to this day as one of the best classic country albums. Two more live albums appeared in 1962, Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys at the State Fair of Texas, and Cheyenne Frontier Days. The were excellent "theme" album, predating those pioneered by Willie Nelson. In 1964, he began working for Warner Brothers, recording songs such as "Where Is the Circus" and "He's Got A Way With Women." ABC/Dot became his label in 1968. He closed out the decade with "On Tap, In the Can, or In the Bottle (1968), followed by "Smoky the Bar" (1969).

Mr. Thompson didn't disappear from the charts in the 1970's, either. He charted with such songs as "Next Time I Fall In Love (I Won't)" (1971), "I've Come Awful Close" (1971), "Cab Driver" (1971), "The Older the Violin, The Sweeter the Music" (1974), "Who Left The Door To Heaven Open" (1974), "Mama Don't Know" (1975), and "I Hear The South Calling Me" (1979). In 1973, Hank opened a school of country music, located in Claremore, Oklahoma and taught there himself. Even though he wasn't as dominant in country music in the late 1970's as he had been ten or twenty years earlier, he still was respected by his fellow musicians and a large number of fans as well. One of the honors he received at this time was his selection as "King of Swing" by Country Music Magazine.

By the early 1980's MCA had taken over ABC/Dot, and in 1980, Hank had a hit single with "Tony's Tank-Up, Drive-In Cafe." Hank remained an active concert performer throughout the 1980's and has made numerous appearances on national country music television shows. He continued to record for various smaller record companies, including Churchill and Step One Records. Hank closed out the decade with his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.

Hank Thompson has been making country music history for almost six decades and there is no indication that he has made any plans to relax on his many accomplishments. And just what were these accomplishments? Some of them include:

Selling over 60 million records internationally.
His was the first country music show to play Las Vegas.
Live at the Golden Nugget was the first live country record.
His act was the first to receive corporate tour sponsorship
The Hank Thompson Show was the first color broadcast of a variety show on TV.
Hank Thompson and The Brazos Valley Boys were the first act to tour with a sound and lighting system.
Billboard Magazine voted The Brazos Valley Boys #1 Country Western Band for 14 years in a row.
And most amazing of all, well into his seventies, Hank still performs over a large number dates a year in the United States and across the world.

In an industry that considers performers like George Strait and Randy Travis to be "old-timers," it is truly a wonder that Hank Thompson remains an active performer - six decades into his illustrious career! Throughout his reign as King of Country Swing he has remained true to himself and his many fans. Although Outlaws like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were given credit for their rebellion against the powers that be in country music back in the 1970's, Hank paved the way for them when he left the Grand Ole Opry way back in 1949. Even if his recent collaborations with modern country music performers seem to indicate otherwise, Hank Thompson will remain a true pioneer of country music and a valuable asset to be treasured by all true country music fans.

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Discography

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Additional Information

Management & Booking:

Hank Thompson Enterprises
5 Rushing Creek Court
Roanoke, TX 76262
D.D. Bray, Manager
1-800-845-8509
Fan Club Information:

Hank Thompson International Fan Club
P.O. Box 1035
Roanoke, TX 76262
Several compilations are now available from Music Mill Entertainment featuring live performances from the Louisiana Hayride show which were broadcast on Shreveport, Louisiana's KWKH from 1948-1960. These are a must for any serious collector of classic country music!

Another fine Classic Country Music site may be found at gentleman-jim.com

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Here are places where you may find Hank Thompson music, etc.:

Hank Thompson Sheet Music

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