Ferlin Husky Dies

The Country Music Hall of Famer who brought us the hits "Wings Of A Dove" "Gone" and "A Dear John Letter" has died at the age of 85 on March 17, 2011.

Ferlin Husky had his first Number One hit in 1953 with "A Dear John Letter," a duet with Jean Shepard.  Sadly, of all the singers who had Number One hits that year, Jean is now the only one still living.  Ferlin was a new star the year that singers like Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, Webb Pierce, Hank Thompson, and Carl Smith were the hot stars on Country Radio.

This quote from Merle Haggard, taken from FerlinHusky.com, describes the level of popularity that Ferlin had reached during his peak.

“There were a lot of years when nobody in the business could follow Ferlin Husky. He was the big live act of the day. A great entertainer.”

Ferlin started recording in 1949, but changed his name to Terry Preston, because he thought his real name sounded too "made up."  By 1953, he started using his original name and broke through with Jean Shepard on his frist Number One hit, "A Dear John Letter."  In 1957 his career rises as he hits the air with "Gone."  The song would also make history as one of the first recordings to start using what would later be dubbed, "The Nashville Sound."  Simply replacing steel and fiddle with lush orchestration and background choruses.  The Jordanaires backed up Ferlin on this slick production which crossed over to the top 5 on the pop charts.

In addition to his mainstream hits, like "Wings Of A Dove," Ferlin also incorporated comedy into his act by playing the character Simon Crum.  He also appeared in several films and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Although he has had several heart problems over the years, he did live to see his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.