Ferlin Husky, Nashville Legend, Dies at 85
MARCH 18, 2011 TAGS:
Decades before Garth Brooks introduced country music fans to his brooding alter ego, Chris Gaines, Ferlin Husky, the velvety voiced country crooner whose 1957 hit “Gone” helped establish Nashville’s country-pop sound, embodied an alter ego of his own.
His name was Simon Crum. Unlike Brooks’ Gaines, Crum was to be laughed at, a cross-eyed yokel who, tried as he would, couldn’t pull off a song.
For Husky, a natural performer and magnetic Nashville star, Crum couldn’t have been more of a stretch, but his inclusion into Husky otherwise perfect stage shows displayed a twin potential of Husky’s talent: self-mockery and versatility.
Of course, country music fans remember Ferlin Husky, who died Thursday at the age of 85, for his non-comedic music. The spiritual-influenced “Wings of a Dove” from 19__ was a chief example of Husky’s rich baritone and persuasive phrasing.
Husky sold over 20 million records and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He ruled the roost at the Grand Ol’ Opry for years.
As Merle Haggard put it, “There were a lot of years when nobody in the business could follow Ferlin Husky. He was the big live act of the day. A great entertainer.”
His name was Simon Crum. Unlike Brooks’ Gaines, Crum was to be laughed at, a cross-eyed yokel who, tried as he would, couldn’t pull off a song.For Husky, a natural performer and magnetic Nashville star, Crum couldn’t have been more of a stretch, but his inclusion into Husky otherwise perfect stage shows displayed a twin potential of Husky’s talent: self-mockery and versatility.
Of course, country music fans remember Ferlin Husky, who died Thursday at the age of 85, for his non-comedic music. The spiritual-influenced “Wings of a Dove” from 19__ was a chief example of Husky’s rich baritone and persuasive phrasing.
Husky sold over 20 million records and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He ruled the roost at the Grand Ol’ Opry for years.
As Merle Haggard put it, “There were a lot of years when nobody in the business could follow Ferlin Husky. He was the big live act of the day. A great entertainer.”
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