The Hank Thompson Centennial

Born 100 years ago today, country artist Hank Thompson (1925-2007). Not nearly as big a name as Hank Williams or Hank Snow, awareness of Thompson broke through to the mainstream in a big way when the story of his later years was fictionalized in Thomas Cobb’s 1987 novel Crazy Heart, which then became Scott Cooper’s first film in 2009, which earned Jeff Bridges an Oscar for his performance in the lead role.

A native of Waco, Thompson began his life as a professional musician after completing his World War Two service. His band The Brazos Valley Boys was patterned after the Western Swing sound of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, though as a singer Thompson was more in the mold of Ernest Tubbs. Billboard voted them Top Country Western Band 14 years in a row and they had numerous charting country hits, though they never crossed over to the pop charts. This despite the support of major labels: Capitol (1947-64), Warner Brothers (1966-67), and Dot and its successors ABC and MCA (1968-80). The band was at peak visibility in the 1960s thanks to several country hits and national tv appearances onThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Jimmy Dean Show,The Joey Bishop Show,Hee Haw, et al.

By the ’80s the hits had stopped coming, though Thompson never stopped recording or touring. Crazy Heart depicts a lonely, alcoholic who plays small bars and relies on pick-up bands. His classic style is at odds with the sounds of modern country. The real Thompson kept a version of the Brazos Valley Boys going, and the band in fact outlived him. And he was joined by younger, and/or more popular stars like Lyle Lovett, George Jones, Tanya Tucker, Kitty Wells, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Delaney & Bonnie, et al on the 1997 album Hank Thompson and Friends. His final album was a retrospective called Seven Decades (2000).

For more on show biz history consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, and stay tuned for my upcomingElectric Vaudeville: A Century of Radio and TV Variety.