Stuart Hamblen

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Stuart Hamblen

Stuart Hamblen (* 20th October 1908 as Carl Stuart Hamblen in Kellyville , Marion County , Texas ; † 8. March 1989 in Santa Monica , California ) was an American country singer and songwriter.

Beginnings

Stuart Hamblen was the son of a Texan traveling preacher. As a teenager he was enthusiastic about horses and rodeos . He completed his training as a teacher, but initially tried to gain a foothold in the music business. From the mid-1920s he made regular appearances on Texas radio stations. In 1927, after winning a talent competition, he moved to Camden , New Jersey , and played a few singles there for the Victor label. In the early 1930s he moved on to California, where he joined various bands, including for a short time the popular Beverly Hill Billies .

Career

In California, he quickly rose to become one of the most popular radio stars. In 1934 he had two daily shows on KMTR, a Hollywood broadcaster. With My Mary he could book his first record success. In 1934 he signed a record deal with the renowned Decca label. He was also successful as a songwriter. His song Texas Plains has been interpreted by numerous musicians. He took on minor roles in several Hollywood westerns, mostly that of a villain. He was an avid hunter and owned his own racehorses. His penchant for alcoholic excesses and fights earned him several nights in police custody.

In the 1940s he was one of the most successful show stars in California and the embodiment of the cowboy in almost every way. In 1949 he had a big hit with the self-composed (Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You . In the same year he was converted to a believing Christian by preacher Billy Graham . In 1952 he applied for the office of US President for the Prohibition Party , which campaigned for the reintroduction of Prohibition in the United States . In the election , he achieved 73,412 votes with his vice-presidential candidate Enoch M. Holtwick, which corresponded to a share of 0.1 percent.

After giving up much of his vices, songwriting came more and more to the fore. In 1954 he switched to the Columbia label. Here he achieved a world hit in the same year with This Ole House . Another success was It's No Secret . He gave up his cowboy image in the 1950s. He played mostly gospel music and was also successful with this. In 1970 he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame . Two years later he received the "Pioneer Award" from the Academy of Country Music . In 1976 he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Discography

Albums

year title Label annotation
1956 It's no secret RCA
1957 Grand Old Hymns RCA
1961 The Spell Of The Yukon Columbia
1962 Of God I Sing Columbia
1966 In The Garden (& Other Inspirational Songs) Camden
1967 I believe Harmony

Awards

year Org. Award title
1972 ACM Pioneer Award "Radio's First Country & Western Star"
1970 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

literature

  • Stambler, Irwin / Landon, Grelun: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music . New York / London: St. Martin's Press, 1969, p. 123
  • Dellar, Fred / Thompson, Roy: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Country Music . Foreword by Roy Acuff. 2nd edition London: Salamander Books, 1979, p. 106
  • Fuchs, Walter: History of Country Music. Centers, styles, resumes . Bergisch Gladbach: Gustav Lübbe Verlag, 1980, p. 268f

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Hamblen, Stuart
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hamblen, Carl Stuart (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country singer and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH October 20, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Kellyville , Texas
DATE OF DEATH March 8, 1989
Place of death Santa Monica , California