On the evening of April 28, 2009, honky-tonk singer Vern Gosdin passed away peacefully in the middle of his sleep at a Nashville hospital. His administrative assistant Dawn Hall said he had “a pretty bad stroke” just three weeks before his death. He was 74.
Gosdin had a history of strokes but continued writing and singing up until his death. In fact, he released a box set in December 2008 that includes four decades of his great music and even songs that were never released.
A number of country stars mourned Gosdin’s death, including the King of Country George Strait, who said Gosdin helped him on his very first tour. Meanwhile, hitmaker Josh Turner also referred to Gosdin as one of his “unofficial vocal coaches.”
“He taught me what ‘country soul music’ was. Country music has lost one of its ambassadors,” Turner said.
For You
The Man Who Spent Decades Making Music
Born in Woodland, Alabama, Vern Gosdin spent decades making music. He was nicknamed “The Voice” for his unique tone and heart-wrenching way that will bring you emotion like nothing else.
While his musical career encompassed a variety of genres – from gospel music, bluegrass, folk-rock – he’s one of country music’s most deep-rooted traditional singers. Vern Gosdin Songs, such as “Set’ Em Up Joe,” “Who You Gonna Blame It on This Time,” and “Chiseled in Stone,” achieved mainstream country success in the ’80s and are now considered among the classics in the genre.
Though it’s been more than two decades since his passing, his influence is still evident in a new generation of country acts. Those who knew Gosdin best feel his legacy will continue to shine.
