On this day (August 5) in 1934, Vern Gosdin was born in Woodland, Alabama. Nicknamed “The Voice,” he was present in the early days of California’s folk rock boom. There, he shared the stage with the Byrds. Decades later, he found himself in Nashville when neotraditional country music dominated the charts and airwaves. His classic honky tonk style helped his career find a second wind.
When he was young, Gosdin and his brothers sang in a gospel quartet. Later, his family hosted The Gosdin Family Gospel Show on the Birmingham, Alabama-based WVOK. Then, when he was in his mid-20s, he and his brother Rex moved to the West Coast.
Videos by American Songwriter
According to AllMusic, they arrived in Long Beach, California, in 1961. There, they played bluegrass and joined a band called the Golden State Boys. That band later became the Hillmen and featured future Byrds member Chris Hillman.
After the band folded, Vern and Rex started performing country music as the Gosdin Brothers. They had a minor hit in 1967 with “Hangin’ On.” They were also occasionally the Byrds’ opening act. However, Gosdin’s time in California was relatively short-lived.
Vern Gosdin Presses Pause
Vern Gosdin took a step back from the music world in the early 1970s. He left California and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he started a family, ran a store, and settled down. That didn’t last long either. He began playing shows in local clubs not long after landing in Georgia. It didn’t take long for him to start taking trips to Nashville.
In the mid-1970s, he met up with Emmylou Harris, whom he knew from his time in California. They recorded a demo with a cover of his previous hit and “Yesterday’s Gone.” The tape led to a record deal with Elektra Records, where he released “Hangin’ On,” with Harris singing harmony, as his debut single as a solo artist. It reached No. 16, and the B-side broke into the top 10.
Gosdin Goes Solo
Vern Gosdin had a successful run throughout the late 1970s, releasing a string of top 40 country hits. His singles started slipping down the charts in the early 1980s. The lull was short, though.
By 1983, he was doing better than ever. “If You’re Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right),” “Way Down Deep,” and “I Wonder Where We’d Be Tonight” broke into the top 10. The next year, Gosdin topped the chart for the first time with “I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight).”
By the late 1980s, the neotraditional movement spearheaded by artists like George Strait and Randy Travis was in full swing. The music that Gosdin had been making for roughly 20 years was Nashville’s next big thing. The commercial peak of his career came between 1987 and 1989. He topped the chart with “Set ‘Em Up Joe” and “I’m Still Crazy” during that period. He also scored a string of top 10 hits.
By the early 1990s, Gosdin’s singles were slipping down the chart again. He missed the top 10 for the first time in three years in 1990. He only found himself in that territory two more times in his career. “Right in the Wrong Direction” and “Is It Raining At Your House” peaked at No. 10.
As rock-infused country became the toast of the town, traditional honky tonk fell out of fashion. Vern Gosdin didn’t chase the trend, though. Instead, he held to what he’d been doing since he first came to Nashville. He continued writing songs and performing until he died in 2009.
Featured Image by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
-
Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner -
NEW YORK – JANUARY 1: Carson Robison of the CBS Radio country and western music performers, Carson Robison and His Buckaroos (aka: Carson Robison and His Pioneers) poses for a portrait in New York, NY. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
(MANDATORY CREDIT Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney of Wings perform on stage at Wembley Pool, London on 19th October 1976. (Photo by Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music via Getty Images) -
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 10: NOKIA THEATER Photo of Randy SCRUGGS, performing live onstage at the benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns) -
NEW YORK – JANUARY 6: Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performs on stage with his back up singers The Jordanaires on the Ed Sullivan Show on January 6, 1957 in New York City, New York. On the left are Jordanaires Neal Matthews Jr (1929 – 2000, far left) and Gordon Stoker (1925 – 2013). (Photo by Steve Oroz/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
