Post by Rob Durkee on Aug 10, 2011 22:05:10 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Billy Grammer, who was most famous for his early 1959 pop and country chart hit, "Gotta Travel On," died today (August 10, 2011) of natural causes in his home state of Illinois. According to the Grand Ole Opry and Sandy Stert Benjamin of the Interview Factory, he was 85.
"Gotta Travel On" peaked at #6 on the Cash Box Pop Chart in January, 1959, and went on to be ranked the #42 single for the entire year of 1959. The song helped make Grammer a member of the Grand Ole Opry that year. He would go on to become famous for his guitar work. Grammer would do quite a bit of session work. He explained, "Musicians I have talked to through the years have told me that I had a little extra punch, a little extra push."
Grammer would develop what he called "the finest flat-top guitar on the market," a/k/a the Grammer guitar.
According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research, Billy Grammer was born August 28, 1925 in Benton, Illinois. He was one of 13 children in a coal mining family. He spent his childhood on a farm but music was a huge part of his family and social life. After high school and an Army stint, Billy heard about a possible job with disc jockey Connie B Gay. He hitchhiked all the way from Illinois to Arlington, Virginia, where he auditioned and got the job.
Grammer worked at WRAL/Arlington, then first recorded for Plaza Records in 1949. He later toured with country western performers like T. Texas Tyler, Grandpa Jones and Hankshaw Hawkins. In 1955, he began performing on Jimmy Dean's TV shows.
Grammer celebrated the 50th anniversary with the Grand Ole Opry along with his wife, Ruth, family members and friends in February, 2009.
Here's how Billy Grammer's hit, "Gotta Travel On," sounded...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bwWE9ZUWdE
NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Billy Grammer, who was most famous for his early 1959 pop and country chart hit, "Gotta Travel On," died today (August 10, 2011) of natural causes in his home state of Illinois. According to the Grand Ole Opry and Sandy Stert Benjamin of the Interview Factory, he was 85.
"Gotta Travel On" peaked at #6 on the Cash Box Pop Chart in January, 1959, and went on to be ranked the #42 single for the entire year of 1959. The song helped make Grammer a member of the Grand Ole Opry that year. He would go on to become famous for his guitar work. Grammer would do quite a bit of session work. He explained, "Musicians I have talked to through the years have told me that I had a little extra punch, a little extra push."
Grammer would develop what he called "the finest flat-top guitar on the market," a/k/a the Grammer guitar.
According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research, Billy Grammer was born August 28, 1925 in Benton, Illinois. He was one of 13 children in a coal mining family. He spent his childhood on a farm but music was a huge part of his family and social life. After high school and an Army stint, Billy heard about a possible job with disc jockey Connie B Gay. He hitchhiked all the way from Illinois to Arlington, Virginia, where he auditioned and got the job.
Grammer worked at WRAL/Arlington, then first recorded for Plaza Records in 1949. He later toured with country western performers like T. Texas Tyler, Grandpa Jones and Hankshaw Hawkins. In 1955, he began performing on Jimmy Dean's TV shows.
Grammer celebrated the 50th anniversary with the Grand Ole Opry along with his wife, Ruth, family members and friends in February, 2009.
Here's how Billy Grammer's hit, "Gotta Travel On," sounded...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bwWE9ZUWdE
