Hank Cochran
Encyclopedia
Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music
singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline
, Ray Price
, Eddy Arnold
and others. Cochran was also a recording artist between 1962 and 1980, scoring seven times on the Billboard (magazine)
country music charts, with his greatest solo success being the #20 "Sally Was a Good Old Girl".
in Isola, Mississippi
, he contracted pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, and mumps all about the same time at age 2. The doctor didn't believe that he would survive. His parents divorced when he was 9 years old. He relocated with his father to Memphis, Tennessee
, but then was put into an orphanage
. He was sent to live with his grandparents, in Waynesboro, Mississippi
, after he had run away from the orphanage twice. His uncle Otis Cochran taught him how to play the guitar
as the pair hitchhiked
from Mississippi to southeastern New Mexico
to work in the oilfields. After returning to Mississippi in his teens, he went to California
and picked olives. While there he formed The Cochran Brothers, a duo with un-related Eddie Cochran
.
Aged 24 he moved to Nashville
in 1960, and teamed with Harlan Howard
to write the song "I Fall to Pieces
." It became a major success for Patsy Cline
(recorded November 16, 1960), reaching #1 on the Billboard country music charts
and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
(chart for all music categories). Cline also recorded Cochran's "She's Got You
" (recorded December 17, 1961, it was another major hit, #1 on the country charts and #14 on the Hot 100), and "Why Can't He Be You" (recorded September 5, 1962).
In 1960, he was on a date at a movie theater when the film inspired him. He left the theater quickly, and by the time he got home fifteen minutes later had composed "Make the World Go Away
." Ray Price
recorded the song, and it scored #2 on the Billboard country charts in 1963. The next year Eddy Arnold
would make the song his signature hit, scoring #1 on the country music charts and then in 1965 #6 on the overall Billboard Hot 100 charts (his highest rated song ever). Arnold would also record the song "I Want to Go with You
".
Cochran wrote several successful songs sung by Burl Ives
("A Little Bitty Tear
", "It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin'
", "The Same Old Hurt"). He also wrote songs for George Strait
("The Chair
" with Dean Dillon
and "Ocean Front Property
" with Dillon and Royce 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 for Ronnie Milsap
, and Mickey Gilley
("That's All That Matters").
While working at publishing company Pamper Music, he used to spend nights performing in a Nashville tavern named Tootsie's Orchid Lounge
. There he took notice of a new performer whose talent left Cochran amazed. He encouraged management to contract the young songwriter, Willie Nelson
, giving Nelson a raise that was owed to him at the time.
Two of his fondest memories were working with Natalie Cole
(among other artists) on a 2003 tribute album to Patsy Cline (Remembering Patsy Cline
), because of his love for her father Nat King Cole
, and his collaboration with Vern Gosdin
for the 1988 album Chiseled in Stone
(Gosdin's highest rated album at #7).
In 2008, he let singer Lea Anne Creswell come to his home and choose an album's worth of songs, which the artist released with the album title Lea Anne Sings Hank Cochran and ....
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
, Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
, Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
and others. Cochran was also a recording artist between 1962 and 1980, scoring seven times on the Billboard (magazine)
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country music charts, with his greatest solo success being the #20 "Sally Was a Good Old Girl".
Biography
Born during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in Isola, Mississippi
Isola, Mississippi
Isola is a town in Humphreys County, Mississippi. The population was 768 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Isola is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, he contracted pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, and mumps all about the same time at age 2. The doctor didn't believe that he would survive. His parents divorced when he was 9 years old. He relocated with his father to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, but then was put into an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
. He was sent to live with his grandparents, in Waynesboro, Mississippi
Waynesboro, Mississippi
Waynesboro is a city in Wayne County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,197 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County.-Geography:Waynesboro is located at , just east of the Chickasawhay River....
, after he had run away from the orphanage twice. His uncle Otis Cochran taught him how to play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
as the pair hitchhiked
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
from Mississippi to southeastern New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to work in the oilfields. After returning to Mississippi in his teens, he went to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and picked olives. While there he formed The Cochran Brothers, a duo with un-related Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
.
Aged 24 he moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1960, and teamed with Harlan Howard
Harlan Howard
Harlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...
to write the song "I Fall to Pieces
I Fall to Pieces
"I Fall to Pieces" is a single released by Patsy Cline in 1961, and was featured on her 1961 studio album, Patsy Cline Showcase. "I Fall to Pieces" was Cline's first #1 hit on the Country charts, and her second hit single to cross over onto the Pop charts...
." It became a major success for Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
(recorded November 16, 1960), reaching #1 on the Billboard country music charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(chart for all music categories). Cline also recorded Cochran's "She's Got You
She's Got You
"She's Got You" is a famous pop song written by Hank Cochran and was first recorded and released as a single by Patsy Cline in 1962. Musically the song is an upbeat jazz-pop song with country overtones to support it.-History:...
" (recorded December 17, 1961, it was another major hit, #1 on the country charts and #14 on the Hot 100), and "Why Can't He Be You" (recorded September 5, 1962).
In 1960, he was on a date at a movie theater when the film inspired him. He left the theater quickly, and by the time he got home fifteen minutes later had composed "Make the World Go Away
Make the World Go Away
"Make the World Go Away" is a country-popular music song composed by Hank Cochran. It has become a Top 40 popular success three times: for Timi Yuro , for Eddy Arnold , and for the brother-sister duo Donny and Marie Osmond . The original version of the song was recorded by Ray Price during...
." Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
recorded the song, and it scored #2 on the Billboard country charts in 1963. The next year Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
would make the song his signature hit, scoring #1 on the country music charts and then in 1965 #6 on the overall Billboard Hot 100 charts (his highest rated song ever). Arnold would also record the song "I Want to Go with You
I Want to Go with You
"I Want to Go with You" is the title of a popular song from 1966 by the American country music singer Eddy Arnold. The song was written by country music singer-songwriter Hank Cochran....
".
Cochran wrote several successful songs sung by Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
("A Little Bitty Tear
A Little Bitty Tear
"A Little Bitty Tear" is a song written by the American country music singer-songwriter Hank Cochran. It has been recorded by many musical acts, including Cochran himself and Burl Ives.-History:...
", "It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin'
It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin'
It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin' is a 1962 album by Burl Ives, recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. It scored No. 24 on Billboard s 1962 Pop Albums Chart. During the same year, the title song, composed by Hank Cochran, scored No. 3 on Billboard's Contemporary Adult Singles Chart, No. 9 on the...
", "The Same Old Hurt"). He also wrote songs for George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
("The Chair
The Chair (song)
"The Chair" is a song recorded by country music artist George Strait. It was the lead-off single to his 1985 album Something Special. It peaked at #1 on the country music chart in both the United States and Canada in 1985....
" with Dean Dillon
Dean Dillon
Dean Dillon is an American country music artist. Between 1982 and 1993, Dillon recorded six studio albums on various labels, and charted several singles on the Billboard country charts. Although he has not charted since 1993, Dillon has continued to write several hit songs for other artists, most...
and "Ocean Front Property
Ocean Front Property
Ocean Front Property is American country music singer George Strait's seventh studio album. It was released on MCA Records in 1987. It is certified 2× Multi-platinum by the RIAA. It is also Strait's first CD to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart...
" with Dillon and Royce Porter), Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
("It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)"), "Don't You Ever Get Tired (of Hurting Me)", a No. 1 scoring record for Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
, and Mickey Gilley
Mickey Gilley
Mickey Leroy Gilley is an American country music singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s, bringing him further success on not just the country charts, but the pop charts as...
("That's All That Matters").
While working at publishing company Pamper Music, he used to spend nights performing in a Nashville tavern named Tootsie's Orchid Lounge
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge is a Honky Tonk bar located in Nashville, Tennessee behind the Ryman Auditorium. Tootsie's has two stages that host live local talent each night; covering modern day country music artist such as Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, and other popular country music artists as well as...
. There he took notice of a new performer whose talent left Cochran amazed. He encouraged management to contract the young songwriter, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, giving Nelson a raise that was owed to him at the time.
Two of his fondest memories were working with Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
(among other artists) on a 2003 tribute album to Patsy Cline (Remembering Patsy Cline
Remembering Patsy Cline
-Chart performance:...
), because of his love for her father Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, and his collaboration with Vern Gosdin
Vern Gosdin
Vern Gosdin was an American country music singer. He idolized The Louvin Brothers and The Blue Sky Boys as a young man and sang in a gospel quartet called The Gosdin Brothers. An inheritor of the soulful honky tonk style of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard, Gosdin was nicknamed "The Voice" by his...
for the 1988 album Chiseled in Stone
Chiseled in Stone (album)
Chiseled in Stone is a studio album by American country music artist Vern Gosdin. It was released in 1988 via Columbia Records. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.-Track listing:#"Do You Believe Me Now" Chiseled in Stone is a studio album by American country...
(Gosdin's highest rated album at #7).
In 2008, he let singer Lea Anne Creswell come to his home and choose an album's worth of songs, which the artist released with the album title Lea Anne Sings Hank Cochran and ....
Death
He had cancerous tumors removed surgically from his pancreas and lymph node at a Nashville Hospital in July 2008. Cochran had a grapefruit-sized aortic aneurysm removed at a Nashville hospital in April 2010. He died on July 15, 2010, aged 74.Awards and honors
Awards and honors include:- 1967: Walkway of Stars – Country Music AssociationCountry Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- 1974: Nashville Songwriters Hall of FameNashville Songwriters Hall of FameThe Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with music community in the city of...
- 2003: Mississippi Music Hall of Fame
Artist recordings
Notable artists who have recorded his songs include:
|
Rebecca Lynn Howard Rebecca Lynn Howard is an American country music artist. She has charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and has released three studio albums... Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice ..... George Jones George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.... Norah Jones Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies... Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he... Henry Mancini Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995... Dean Martin Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"... Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma... Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s... Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references.... |
Johnny Paycheck Johnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"... Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... Ray Price (musician) Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music... Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound... Linda Ronstadt Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden... Dinah Shore Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality... Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".... George Strait George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional... Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love.... |
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
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 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||
| 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" (with Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... ) |
77 | ||
| 1980 | "A Little Bitty Tear A Little Bitty Tear "A Little Bitty Tear" is a song written by the American country music singer-songwriter Hank Cochran. It has been recorded by many musical acts, including Cochran himself and Burl Ives.-History:... " (with Willie Nelson) |
57 | Make the World Go Away |