Keep it cool. No sad stuff!

By Bill Mack
Truckers Connection

1/10/2008

As I positioned myself at the keyboard with the decision to write about an old friend who had recently passed away, I was immediately reminded to “Keep it cool. No sad stuff!”

That’s what Hank Thompson would have spoken, had he been in the room with me. Hank was a rarity: he was a super-star who managed to be an important part of the country music industry for 70 years, enjoying every single minute. 

During my last interview with him several months ago in Fort Worth, Hank laughed, “This is a business where you’re supposed to have fun. Sure, you can sing th’ sad songs, but don’t live th’ sad life. After you finish singing that tear-jerking tune, go right into a happy one. And never forget th’ fact that those good folks who came out to hear you sing paid good money to absorb your feelings. When you’re on that stage, you’re allowing them to study your ‘feelings’ via your performance.” Then, he added, “A person’s feelings are contagious. It’s that way in all avenues of life. If you’re feelin’ ‘down,’ those around you will pick up on it and begin feeling th’ same way, in no time. So it’s best to keep a positive, happy attitude, allowing everybody in the room with you to share th’ same spirit. This applies to a small room, with a friend or two spending some time with you, as well as a huge music hall filled with several thousand people.

“Always allow those people to leave th’ room…or th’ hall…with a happy feeling after sharing some time with you.”

I saw Hank Thompson and his band, The Brazos Valley Boys, for the first time in Shamrock, Texas while I was still in high school. I took my high school sweetheart to the community hall after receiving some complimentary tickets from a chum who couldn’t attend the gig because he had come down with the flu. I wasn’t a country music fan at the time, but I realized I might benefit by taking my gal to see this new “hillbilly” singer who was beginning to show some action through his back-to-back hits on Capitol Records. I’ll never forget her words as we entered the hall while Hank was warbling at the microphone with his big white hat sitting cute and proud on the back of his head: “Oh! He’s so handsome!” After the show, she managed to get Hank’s autograph, placing him in an even higher spot of importance in her teenaged heart. As I recall, this “personal” act by Hank managed to make me a bit jealous.

I had no idea that Hank Thompson would eventually become a very close, personal friend. Certainly, there was not a single thought given to the fact that, over 40 years after his appearance in Shamrock, Texas, this monumental singer would record one of my musical compositions (“I’ll Still Be Here Tomorrow”— Curb Records).

William Henry Thompson was born in Waco, Texas, on September 3, 1925. Thanks to an old neighbor lady who owned a state-of-the-art Victrola and a collection of 78 rpm recordings by such ancient acts as the Carter Family, Vernon Dalhart and Jimmie Rodgers, Hank became a fan of country music at the age of five. His dedication to this brand of music became a fixation that allowed his name to become a household reference all over the world. Eventually, he would receive almost every conceivable award, including a revered spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame, in 1989.

Hank was never a fixture in Nashville, although he did appear on the world-famous Grand Ole Opry several times. Instead, he planted himself in Oklahoma and his native state, Texas. He was to become one of the most respected western-swing bandleaders in history. His band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the Number-One Country Music Band for over a dozen consecutive years!

Hank Thompson could lay claim to many firsts: he starred on the first music-based television show to be broadcast in color; he was the first artist to travel with his own sound and lighting systems; he was the first to record a “live” album; and he was the first to record a “live” album in Las Vegas. Add to these “firsts” the fact that he, along with Frank Sinatra, was the first artist to record in seven consecutive decades, and you can see why Hank Thompson deserved to be very proud of what he had managed to achieve. However, his pride was never to become a noticeable factor in his makeup. Although he had managed to become a superstar, he retained a touch of his Waco-taught humbleness. To those who were privileged to know him, Hank was a bit uncomfortable when references were made in the direction of his mentioned accomplishments. He also preferred “no big deal” be made over the fact that he was one of our better-informed individuals: he attended three universities, including Princeton and the University of Texas.

And let’s not forget: Hank Thompson sold over 60 million recordings during his seven decades of genuine entertainment!

I spent a lot of time with Hank, including a couple of cruises and countless hours of conversations consisting of loud laughter. He loved to exchange funny stories about “happenings” in the country music field.

I was among many who were constantly telling Hank he should write a book. Now, the book is on-the-market. It’s titled My Side Of Life (Branch-Smith), an outstanding biography written by his good friend and personal attorney, Warren Kice. Sad to say, one of his last wishes was that the book would be available before the cancer ended his life on November 6, 2007. It hit the book stores less than a month after his passing. My Side Of Life is a genuine study of an irreplaceable figure in entertainment. It also consists of many treasured photos.

Hank informed his beautiful wife, Ann, that he didn’t want a funeral. Instead, he wanted friends to gather at Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s biggest honky-tonk, located in Fort Worth, for a get-together in his memory.