Country Legend Vern Gosdin Passed Away
- Country legend Vern Gosdin passed away in his sleep last night at the age of 74.
But Gosdin found his greatest success doing mainstream country, as he scored No. 1 singles with “I Can Tell by the Way You Dance,” the Ernest Tubb quasi-tribute “Set ‘Em Up” and “I’m Still Crazy.”
His recording of “Chiseled in Stone” claimed the Country Music Association’s song of the year honor in 1989, and George Strait found success by rerecording Gosdin’s hit “Today My World Slipped Away.”
- Country Universe’s Dan Milliken listed ten songs he considers absolutely flawless — ranging from Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” to Nickel Creek’s “This Side” — and solicited readers to do the same.
- It’s been a while since Reba McEntire played a gig at the Opry, but she has a four-song set scheduled for May 9.
- The Cherryholmes launched a YouTube channel in conjunction with the premier of the video for “Bleeding.” (via Cybergrass)
- The Washington Post has a brief interview with Taylor Swift and video from a concert she performed at Alexandria’s Bishop Ireton High School. The video is worth watching based on the fan reactions alone.
- The next Zac Brown Band studio album isn’t due until 2010, but Brown hopes to have a live record out later this year.
- Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough were voted off Dancing With the Stars.
- Nathan Rabin continues his exploration of Merle Haggard and his music in week 9 of his Nashville or Bust column and in the process reveals what he believes is the secret to Haggard’s prison songs.
- Former American Idol champion Taylor Hicks plans to send a single to country radio in May.
- Sengelmann Hall, a central Texas dancehall that’s been closed for more than 60 years, is reopening in August.
- Kenny Chesney is scheduled to make his Austin City Limits (the TV program, not the festival) debut on May 12.
- Tim McGraw switched from a Nashville-based management to Red Light Management in Los Angeles.
- Once again, if you’re not following A Truer Sound, you should be. They mostly post recordings of various concerts and today’s posting comes from a 1991 recording of the great Roger Miller at The Birchmere in which he introduces himself as “Roger Miller, one of the best songwriters I ever met.” Check out yesterday’s post, too. It’s a 1997 Billy Joe Shaver concert with his son Eddie in Italy.
- Rodney Hayden and Drew Kennedy are planning to take the New American Voices Tour to Europe, so if any of our overseas readers have suggestions for venues or want to book a date, we’d love to hear from you.
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April 29, 2009 at 10:53 am Permalink
Vern Gosdin, David Poole and Playboy Buddy Rose all die within a 24 hour period…These things do happen in threes…..
April 29, 2009 at 11:05 am Permalink
Vern was known as “The Voice” for a reason. I would regard the best pure singers of the 60s , 70s and 80s as Gosdin, George Jones and Ray Price. “Chisled In Stone” may be the best performance of a really morbid song ever.
RIP
April 29, 2009 at 11:10 am Permalink
Now Chuck Wicks can get back to singing wuss flavored country music.
Vern Gosdin was one of my grandpop’s favorites so I heard a ton of him when I was little. Really sad news.
April 29, 2009 at 11:30 am Permalink
Really sad to hear of Vern Gosdin’s passing. He was one of the few who really had that gift of being able to tear your heart out when he sang. I never felt he got the attention or acclaim that his talent deserved.
April 29, 2009 at 11:36 am Permalink
May Vern RIP. I just heard the news and had to put on the 40 years of the voice box set.
April 29, 2009 at 11:48 am Permalink
Vern did a duet on “Chisled In Stone” with Kimber Sparks a year or two back and his voice was very frail. Vern was always a favorite of other traditional country artists but as mentioned never did as well in the commercial marketplace as his talent deserved. Guess I’ll have to get out Vern’s Gospel album and give track # 9 “I’m Gonna Be Movin” a spin today in his honor. Godspeed Vern.
Taylor Swift was on the Tuesday Night Opry a week ago and I’ve never heard that many screaming tweenies at an Opry show before! Eddie Stuubs tried to teach a little country music history to the ADHD set, but they were too busy texting their girlfriends on their cell phones to listen….
Its amazing a dance hall that hasn’t been used in 60 years can be re-opened in Texas. Here in SoCal if a building sits idle for more than a few months it gets bulldozed and replaced with a condo….
April 29, 2009 at 12:16 pm Permalink
Rest in peace, Vern.
April 29, 2009 at 12:41 pm Permalink
Thank you Vern for all the gifts you gave us.
April 29, 2009 at 12:41 pm Permalink
Former American Idol champion Taylor Hicks plans to send a single to country radio in May.
Of course he does. Grrrrr.
I’m sad to hear of Vern passing, but also of Playboy Buddy Rose passing.
April 29, 2009 at 12:42 pm Permalink
Sorry to hear about Vern – his was one of the great country voices.
April 29, 2009 at 1:18 pm Permalink
Bummer about Vern Gosdin. First time I heard him was in the late ’70s, when he released a single with Emmylou singing harmony, “Hanging On.” Just heard that yesterday on my iPod.
April 29, 2009 at 1:25 pm Permalink
Vern was a treasured gift and will be missed.
April 29, 2009 at 7:26 pm Permalink
It will be nice to see Reba on the Opry again. I wish more big name stars would remember that they are also Opry members.
April 29, 2009 at 7:48 pm Permalink
So true JR!!
April 29, 2009 at 7:57 pm Permalink
Aussie country star Adam Harvey cut a great version of Gosdin’s ‘I Can Tell By The Way You Dance’ a few years back.
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