Lawrence Hankins Locklin The latter also went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. Billboards 100th anniversary issue listed it as the second-most successful country single of the rock and roll era. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Locklin was born and raised in Florida. He developed a fondness for country music following an accident in his childhood. He learned to play the guitar during his recovery and began performing locally, as well. In his early adulthood, he formed his own band called the Rocky Mountain Playboys, which played gigs and performed on local radio. Locklin was heard singing during one of these gigs, which led to his first recording contract in 1949. He had his first major hit on the Billboard country chart the same year. His 1953 single "Let Me Be the One" was his first to top the country chart.
In 1955, Locklin signed with RCA Victor Records and under the production of Chet Atkins, he had his biggest success as a country artist. He had a string of major hits during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He also joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry and remained a member for nearly 50 years. He became a major concert attraction internationally, as well, touring overseas in Europe beginning in the 1960s and '70s. Locklin also recorded a handful of concept albums during this period, which made him among the genre's first artists to release albums centered around a theme. He later recorded for other labels, including MGM, Plantation, and Coldwater. Despite his country success, Locklin never lived in Nashville, choosing to stay in Florida. Locklin died in 2009 at the age of 91.
Early life
Locklin was born and raised in McLellan, Florida. He was the youngest of four children born to a musically inclined family. Although he had a fondness for music in his early years, he became more interested following an accident. At age 9, he was hit by a school bus. "It almost mashed me flatter than a fritter," he recalled. He learned to play the guitar during his recovery and continued pursuing music through his teenaged years.
Career
1949–1954: Early success
Locklin secured a contract with 4 Star Records through his association with Pappy Daily. Daily brought him to the attention of Bill McCall of 4 Star, where he signed his first recording contract in 1949. He had his first major hit in 1949 with a self-penned single titled "The Same Sweet Girl". Despite having a hit, Locklin did not see many royalties from its success. Because his recording contract allowed for McCall to gain all of the publishing rights, McCall also made all the money from its success. "I never made no money with him. My understanding was that he liked to go to Vegas. I guess Bill was just a guy who liked to take everything," Locklin recalled in 2001. The hit was included on his debut studio album Foreign Love. Marketed toward overseas servicemen, the record was one of several concept albums released by Locklin during his career. It spent a total of 14 weeks at the top of country charts. In the United Kingdom, the song reached the top 10 of the national charts, as well. "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" became the biggest hit of Locklin's career and his biggest-selling single.
Locklin did not reach the top of the country charts again, but he continued having commercial success with RCA Victor. In 1961, he had three top-20 hits with "One Step Ahead of My Past", "From Here to There to You", and "You're the Reason". It was followed by "Happy Journey", which went to number 10 on the country singles list in February 1962. An album of the same name followed in 1962, and it included the top-20 single "We're Gonna Go Fishin'". The song also became a major hit in the United Kingdom. The album was reviewed positively by Billboard in 1962. Writers noted their appreciation for the fact that Locklin chose to sing Acuff's songs in his own style rather than emulate him. In later years, Allmusic rated the album three out of five stars. With an expanding fan base in Ireland, Locklin recorded 1963's Irish Songs, Country Style. Meanwhile, 1965's My Kind of Country Music fared better with critics. Reviewer Thom Owens gave the release 4 1/2 stars and praised his "gift for tear-jerking ballads and pure traditional country." Locklin's 1966 studio release The Girls Get Prettier was his first to chart the Billboard Top Country Albums list, reaching number 26.
In 1968, Locklin returned with his first top 10 hit in several years titled "The Country Hall of Fame". Allmusic gave it a warm response in its review, calling it "one of his best albums of the late '60s." Following its release, Locklin saw declining radio success on the American country charts. He had his last top 40 single on the Billboard country songs survey was 1969's "Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day". His final album for the label was 1972's The Mayor of McLellan, Florida.
thumb|right|200px|Locklin in a trade ad for [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard magazine, 1968]]
1975–2007: Later years
Following his departure from RCA Victor Records, Locklin recorded for various other labels, beginning with MGM Records. Three singles were spawned from the album, but failed to become commercially successful. Four singles were spawned from the album, which were unsuccessful. The honor was given to him after he was nicknamed the "Mayor of McLellan" by radio and television host Ralph Emery.
Locklin's career began slowing after the 1970s. In the early 2000s, his son (Hank Adam Locklin) encouraged his father to return to the recording studio. In 2001, Locklin's first album in decades was released, titled Generations in Song. The project was produced by his son and featured session instrumentation from some of the original Nashville A-Team. It also featured collaborations with Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, and others. The album received positive reviews from writers and critics following its release. Bruce Eder of AllMusic gave it four stars and praised Locklin's voice: "His voice sounds at least three decades fresher than it has a right to, and the harmonizing and the playing are first-rate, along with the arrangements, which makes this more than an exercise in nostalgia." No Depression also gave the album a warm response, calling its production to have "clean arrangements" that allow his "clear voice to shine through." Ken Burke of Country Standard Time also gave the album a positive review. "The Florida-born tenor can boast not only that he clawed his way out of dire poverty, but built a musical legacy that he can share with his family," Burke wrote. The record was issued on Yell Records. It was reviewed favorably by Larry Stephens of Country Standard Time, who praised Locklin's youthful voice and songwriting effort. Also in 2006, Locklin appeared on Country Pop Legends in which he performed "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On", and "Please Help Me I'm Falling". In his final years of performing, Locklin continued appearing at the Grand Ole Opry. In September 2007, he made his last appearance at the venue.
Personal life and death
Locklin was married twice. His first marriage to Willa Jean Murphy began in 1938, but ended in divorce.
He moved to Brewton, where he remained throughout his later years, and died there at home in the early morning on March 8, 2009.
Musical styles
Locklin's musical style stems from country music's honky-tonk and Nashville Sound subgenres. Locklin also emulated the musical styles of Ernest Tubb (among the artists responsible for the formation of country's honky-tonk style). In a 2001 interview, Locklin recounted how Chet Atkins created musical arrangements by using the guitar he kept in his office: "Then, all of a sudden he'd pick it up and hit a chord or two on something or other that floated through his head. He was so good, and he really helped me a lot with RCA." Locklin also helped define the Nashville Sound subgenre of country music.
Locklin's legacy can be linked with his 49-year membership to the Grand Ole Opry. He was known for his "folksy" style of humor and often joked with his Opry audience by saying, "We’ll treat you so many ways you’re bound to like one of ’em." In November 2020, PBS aired a documentary on Locklin's career and legacy titled Hank Locklin: Country Music's Timeless Tenor. Fellow country artists spoke of his influence on their careers, including Dolly Parton and Dwight Yoakam.
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| rowspan="2"| Grammy Awards
| Best Country & Western Record for "Please Help Me, I'm Falling"
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| 1964
| Best Country & Western Vocal Performance – Male for Hank Locklin Sings Hank Williams
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