Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the Billboard country charts between 1950 and 1980. Snow had success on country music record charts with his songs including: "I'm Moving On", "The Golden Rocket", "The Rhumba Boogie", "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Let Me Go, Lover!", "I've Been Everywhere", and "Hello Love".

Early life

Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was born on May 9, 1914 in the small community of Brooklyn in Queens County, Nova Scotia, He was the fifth of six children, of whom the two eldest died in infancy. His parents were married on November 10, 1909, in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

Snow's parents legally separated when he was eight, and the local Overseer of the Poor decided he and his siblings should be taken from their mother due to her financial difficulties. One sister moved in with an aunt while the other two were sent to separate foster homes. Snow went to live with his paternal grandmother, who forbade him from mentioning his mother and abused him. After divorcing his father, Hank's mother married Charles Tanner in 1930. Gradually, Snow began visiting his mother in nearby Liverpool, and eventually, after his grandmother's attempt to send him to reform school failed, he was allowed to rejoin his mother. The job was unpaid, but Snow was allowed to sell cod tongues and fish he caught. After one trip, he used his earnings to buy a guitar and chord book. In 1927 or 1928, he heard radio broadcasts of country artists like Vernon Dalhart and Carson Robison, which inspired him to sing and play for his crewmates. Their son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, was born soon after. Other number-one hits followed, including "The Golden Rocket" and "The Rhumba Boogie". His rendition of Australian country singer Geoff Mack's "I've Been Everywhere" popularized the song in North America. While performing in Renfro Valley, Snow worked with a young Hank Williams. In 1953, Billboard reported that Snow's son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, had signed with RCA Victor and would record with his father.

Rainbow Ranch

After the success of "I've Been Everywhere" and "I'm Movin' On," Snow purchased a ranch home in Madison, Tennessee, which he named Rainbow Ranch. In recent years the home has been restored by Snow's family. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Davidson County, Tennessee on November 27, 2018.

Elvis Presley

Snow helped launch the career of Elvis Presley by giving him stage time at the Grand Ole Opry and by introducing him to Colonel Tom Parker. They formed a management partnership, but Snow eventually left the management team.

Later career

Snow continued to reference Canada in his work, such as in his 1968 album My Nova Scotia Home. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978 and several Canadian music halls of fame. His autobiography, The Hank Snow Story, was published in 1994. He also established the Hank Snow International Foundation For Prevention Of Child Abuse.

Illness and death

Snow retired in 1996 due to respiratory problems. He died on December 20, 1999, at his Rainbow Ranch in Madison, Tennessee, and was buried in Nashville's Spring Hill Cemetery. His wife Minnie died on May 12, 2003.

Legacy

alt=From Dennis Jarvis|thumb|Hank Snow's statue at the Hank Snow Hometown Museum in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

Many artists have covered his music, including Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Ashley MacIsaac, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris. His song "Hello Love" was used to open broadcasts of Prairie Home Companion. At 59 years and 11 months old, he became the oldest country artist to have a number-one hit, a record that stood for more than 26 years. In Robert Altman's 1975 film Nashville, a character was partly based on Snow. He is portrayed by David Wenham in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. He is referenced in Jimmy Buffett's song "The Wino and I Know". The fictional Finnish snow god, Heikki Lunta, from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is named after him.

Discography

See also

  • Music of Canada
  • List of best-selling music artists

References

Bibliography

  • Wolfe, Charles. (1998). "Hank Snow". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 494–5.
  • Hank Snow at the Country Music Hall of Fame
  • Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
  • Second article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
  • Hank Snow Tribute Song