Hank Cochran
Hank Cochran | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Garland Perry Cochran[1] |
| Born | August 2, 1935[1] Isola, Mississippi,U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 2010(aged 74) Nashville, Tennessee,U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) |
|
| Years active | 1955–2010 |
| Labels | |
Garland Perry"Hank"Cochran(August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an Americancountry musicsinger and songwriter.[2]Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits byPatsy Cline,Ray Price,Eddy Arnold,and others. Cochran was also a recording artist between 1962 and 1980, scoring seven times on theBillboardcountry music charts, with his greatest solo success being the No. 20 "Sally Was a Good Old Girl." In 2014, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.[3]
Biography
[edit]Hank Cochran was born August 2, 1935, inIsola, Mississippi,during theGreat Depression.[4]By the time he turned three, Cochran already had pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, and mumps. The doctor feared he wouldn't survive to adulthood. His parents divorced when he was nine years old. He then moved with his father toMemphis, Tennessee,and was placed in anorphanage.After running away twice, he then was sent to live with his grandparents, inGreenville, Mississippi.His uncle Otis Cochran taught him to play the guitar as the pairhitchhikedfrom Mississippi to southeasternNew Mexicoto work in theoilfields.[5]After returning to Mississippi as a teenager, Cochran went to California and picked olives. While there, he formed The Cochran Brothers, a duo withEddie Cochran.[5]
In 1960 at the age of 24, he hitchhiked for Hollywood, but ended up going toNashville,and teamed withHarlan Howardto write the song "I Fall to Pieces".[2][4]It became a major success forPatsy Cline(recorded November 16, 1960), reaching No. 1 on theBillboard country music chartsand No. 12 on theBillboardHot 100(chart for all music categories). Cline also recorded Cochran's "She's Got You"(recorded December 17, 1961, it was another major hit, No. 1 on the country charts and No. 14 on the Hot 100), and" Why Can't He Be You "(recorded September 5, 1962).
In 1960, during a date at a movie theater, the film inspired him to compose a new song. He left the theater quickly, and by the time he got home fifteen minutes later, composed "Make the World Go Away."Ray Pricerecorded the song, and it scored No. 2 on the Billboard country charts in 1963. The next yearEddy Arnold,who recorded it in as a pop-oriented Nashville Sound arrangement, made the song his signature hit and one of the biggest sellers in country music history, scoring No. 1 on the country music charts, then in 1965 No. 6 on the overall Billboard Hot 100 charts (his highest rated song ever).[5][4]Arnold also recorded the song "I Want to Go with You".[2]
Cochran wrote several successful songs sung byBurl Ives( "A Little Bitty Tear","Funny Way of Laughin'","The Same Old Hurt "). He also wrote songs forGeorge Strait( "The Chair"withDean Dillonand "Ocean Front Property"with Dillon and Royce Porter),Keith Whitley( "Miami, My Amy"also with Dillon and Porter),Merle Haggard( "It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)" ), "Don't You Ever Get Tired (of Hurting Me)", a No. 1 scoring record forRonnie Milsap,andMickey Gilley( "That's All That Matters" ).
While working at publishing company Pamper Music, some evenings, he performed in a Nashville tavern namedTootsie's Orchid Lounge.While there, he noticed an amazing new talent. He encouraged management to contract the young songwriter,Willie Nelson,giving Nelson a raise owed to him at the time.[5]
Two of his fondest memories were working withNatalie Cole(among other artists) on a 2003 tribute album to Patsy Cline (Remembering Patsy Cline), because of his love for her fatherNat King Cole,[5]and his collaboration withVern Gosdinfor the 1988 albumChiseled in Stone(Gosdin's highest rated album at No. 7).[6]
In 2008, singer Lea Anne Creswell came to Cochran's home to choose songs for a new album, subsequently calledLea Anne Sings Hank Cochran and....[7]
Marriages
[edit]Cochran was married five times. His fourth wife was country music vocalistJeannie Seely.They were married twelve years and divorced in 1981. In 1982, he married his fifth wife Suzi and they were married until his death in 2010.[5]
Death
[edit]Cochran had surgery for pancreatic cancer in July 2008. In April 2010, he had a second surgery to remove and repair a grapefruit sized aortic aneurysm. Cochran's health did not improve, and he died on July 15, 2010, at age 74.[8]
Tributes
[edit]In October 2012, singerJamey JohnsonreleasedLiving for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran,featuring his renditions of sixteen Cochran compositions.[9]
Awards and honors
[edit]Awards and honors include:[5]
- 1967: Walkway of Stars –Country Music Association
- 1974:Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
- 2003: Mississippi Music Hall of Fame
- 2014: Country Music Hall of Fame inductee[3]
Artist recordings
[edit]Notable artists who have recorded Hank Cochran songs include:[5]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Hits from the Heart | — | RCA |
| Going on Training | — | ||
| 1968 | The Heart of Hank | 41 | Monument |
| 1978 | With a Little Help from My Friends | — | Capitol |
| 1980 | Make the World Go Away | — | Elektra |
| Honeysuckle Rose (credited as "Willie Nelson & Family" ) |
1 | Columbia |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions[1] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 1962 | "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" | 20 | Going on Training |
| "I'd Fight the World" | 23 | Hits from the Heart | |
| 1963 | "A Good Country Song" | 25 | single only |
| 1967 | "All of Me Belongs to You" | 70 | The Heart of Hank |
| 1978 | "Willie" | 91 | With a Little Help from My Friends |
| "Ain't Life Hell"(withWillie Nelson) | 77 | ||
| 1980 | "A Little Bitty Tear"(with Willie Nelson) | 57 | Make the World Go Away |
References
[edit]- Oermann, Robert K. (1998). – "Hank Cochran". –The Encyclopedia of Country Music.– Paul Kingsbury, Editor. – New York: Oxford University Press. – pp. 101–2. –ISBN978-0-19-517608-7
- ^abcdeWhitburn, Joel (2008).Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008.Record Research, Inc. p. 97.ISBN978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^abcColin Larkin,ed. (1997).The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music(Concise ed.).Virgin Books.pp. 277/8.ISBN1-85227-745-9.
- ^ab"Country Hall of Fame Taps Ronnie Milsap, Mac Wiseman, Hank Cochran".Rolling Stone. April 2, 2014.RetrievedApril 22,2014.
- ^abc"Hank Cochran Historical Marker".www.hmdb.org.RetrievedOctober 26,2022.
- ^abcdefghWatkins, Billy. – "Everybody wants to sing". –The Clarion-Ledger.– August 6, 2003.
- ^Cooper, Peter. – "The man, the mystery and the mega-hits". –The Tennessean.– March 23, 2007.
- ^Moon, Troy. – "Songwriter lends talent to CD, but will Willie be at release party?". –Pensacola News Journal.– May 18, 2001.
- ^Schneider, Jason (August 2, 1935)."Country Music Hero Hank Cochran Dies at 74 • News •".Exclaim.ca. Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2012.RetrievedMarch 25,2012.
- ^"Jamey Johnson Album, 'Hank Cochran: Living for a Song' Due October 16 - the Boot".The Boot.Archived fromthe originalon May 22, 2013.RetrievedMarch 27,2013.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1935 births
- 2010 deaths
- American male singer-songwriters
- American country singer-songwriters
- Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Tennessee
- People from Humphreys County, Mississippi
- Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee
- Ekko Records artists
- Cash Records artists
- RCA Victor artists
- Liberty Records artists
- Monument Records artists
- Singer-songwriters from Tennessee
- Singer-songwriters from Mississippi
- Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Country musicians from Tennessee
- Country musicians from Mississippi