On Sunday, January 3rd at 11 am, join me for the Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight featuring the music and life of Hank Thompson.  We get started at 9 am with country classics at 98.1 FM Minnesota’s New Country, online and on your mobile device

Between 1948 and 1974 Hank Thompson scored 28 Top Ten hits and continued to chart into the 1980’s.  Thompson’s musical style was a mix of Honky-Tonk and Western Swing paired with a mixture of fiddles, electric guitar, steel guitar along with his smooth baritone vocals.

While in the Navy he took advantage of training programs. He studied electrical engineering at Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas and Princeton University making him one of country music’s better educated stars.  After leaving the Navy he never used his engineering knowledge.

Hank continued to entertain on the radio and clubs.  In 1958 Thompson recorded his signature song Squaws Along the Yukon, which scored a number two position on the country chart.

He  was married to Anna Thompson for 37 years.

His last public performance was October 8, 2007 in Waco, Texas.  He was a smoker for most of his adult life and in mid-October of 2007, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer.  He lost his battle less than a month later, on November 6, 2007 at the age 82.

Hank requested no funeral be held.  On November 14th a celebration of life open to both friends and family took place at Billy Bob’s, a Fort Worth, Texas country nightclub.

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