38 Years Ago Today, Vern Gosdin Was at No. 1 With a Stone Cold Tribute to a Honky Tonk Hero

After a tonsillectomy robbed Ernest Tubb of his ability to yodel like his country music idol Jimmie Rodgers, he simply went on to create an entirely new subgenre. Tubb’s 1941 hit, “Walking the Floor Over You”, is widely considered the first honky-tonk song ever recorded. Nearly a half century later—on this day (July 25) in 1988—Vern Gosdin ruled Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Set ‘Em Up Joe”, a song that owes much to Tubb’s breakout hit.

Vern Gosdin’s Comeback

Born August 5, 1934, in Woodland, Alabama, Vern Gosdin got his start in California’s burgeoning West Coast country movement in the early 1960s, where he and brother Rex occasionally opened shows for the Byrds as the Gosdin Brothers.

In the 1970s, Gosdin left the music scene behind and moved his family to Georgia, operating a glass company. Music was never far from his mind, however, and he decided to give Nashville another go in the late 1970s.

Gosdin recorded two songs with Emmylou Harris—“Hangin’ On” and “Yesterday’s Gone”. The latter gave him his first top 10 hit in 1977. This kicked off a string of 19 top 10 solo hits between 1977 and 1990—with his first-ever number-one, “I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight)”, arriving in 1984.

He Earned His Second Number-One Hit

For his 1988 album Chiseled in Stone, Vern Gosdin assembled a team of top-notch songwriters including Buddy Cannon, Hank Cochran, and Dean Dillon.

Together, the foursome wrote “Set ‘Em Up Joe”, a tribute to Ernest Tubb that also name-checks Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams Sr.

Presumably, “Joe” is the bartender who is bearing witness to our narrator’s post-breakup crash-out. Every night since his love left him, he has sat at this establishment, downing alcoholic spirits and wearing out the needle on “Walking the Floor Over You”.

I’m gonna spend the night like every night before / Playin’ E.T. I’m gonna play ’em some more / I’ve gotta have a shot of them old troubadours / Set ’em up Joe and play “Walking The Floor”.

“Set ‘Em Up Joe” is a true testament to the emotional heft of country music. So if you cope with relationship woes by wallowing in your sorrow and disappearing into your cups, at least you’ll have a great soundtrack to your anguish.

Released in April 1988, “Set ‘Em Up Joe” marked the second number-one hit of Gosdin’s career. It spent a total of 15 weeks in the Hot Country Songs top 40, including one at the top.

Hailed as “the Voice” of country music, Gosdin would reach number one on that chart one more time two years later, with “I’m Still Crazy”.

Buddy Cannon—one of his “Set ‘Em Up” co-writers—returned to help pen the song, along with Gosdin’s son Steve.

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Despite suffering a stroke in 1998, Vern Gosdin continued writing and singing until his death on April 29, 2009, at age 74.

Featured image by Paul Natkin/Getty Images