From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Sep 3, 2002  1:16 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Hank Thompson
 
HANK THOMPSON (By Shaun Mather)

Born 3 September 1925, Waco, Texas

The son of Bohemian immigrants, Hank Thompson grew up idolizing Western
swing and country musicians like Bob Wills, Gene Autry and Jimmie Rodgers.
Following a spell in the Navy he joined the radio business, forming the
Brazos Valley Boys, a band he dubbed who soon became a popular local live
act. They made their debut for the Globe label in 1946 with Whoa Sailor. A
couple of singles followed for Bluebonnet, before he was signed by Capitol
in 1947, an association that would last for the next 18 years. It was two
years before he scored his first major hit for them with Humpty Dumpty
Heart, he ended the year with another five hits. In 1951, he hooked up with
producer Ken Nelson and hit with The Wild Side of Life (# 1 for 15 weeks),
which inspired an answer record by Kitty Wells called It Wasn't God Who
Made Honky Tonk Angels, which also topped the country charts.

He enjoyed 27 Top 20 hits during the '50s with five Top Tens in 1954
alone. He was the first country artist to tour with a sound and lighting
system, the first to receive corporate sponsorship, and the first to record
in high-fidelity stereo. He was instrumental in helping the careers of Merle
Travis and Wanda Jackson. He cut two semi-concept albums that have
withstood the test of time, Dance Ranch (1958) and Songs For Rounders
(1959) and in 1961 he recorded the first live album ever released in the
history of country music, At The Golden Nugget.

In 1965 he moved to Warner Bros. then ABC/Dot in 1968, and was elected to
the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989. His welcoming voice and always
strong band support have ensured that he has been able to stay in the
business and even today records and tours.

Bear Family has released a 12 CD-set : Hank Thompson and his Brazos
Valley Boys (BCD 15904). 323 songs from 1946-1964.
But there are also several good single-CD comps, like Vintage Collection
(20 Capitol tracks).
More info: http://www.infocs.com/hank/