Search results
American country music singer and songwriter
- Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his 1962 million-selling hit, "Wolverton Mountain".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_King
People also ask
What does Claude King mean?
Where was Claude King born?
Who is Claude King?
How old was Claude King when he died?
Who were some famous people who listened to King's songs?
Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his 1962 million-selling hit, "Wolverton Mountain".
Jul 2, 2024 · Famous for his hit song “Wolverton Mountain,” Claude King has become one of the most prominent names in the industry. Throughout his career, the country singer has sold over a million records and gained many followers, eventually becoming a standard among many aspiring country artists today.
- Female
- February 8, 1983
"Wolverton Mountain" is a country music song and 1962 crossover hit that established Claude King's career as an American country singer-songwriter. The song was a rewrite of the original version by Merle Kilgore, which was based on a real person named Clifton Clowers (Kilgore's uncle). [1]
Mar 7, 2013 · Claude King was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his 1962 million-selling hit, "Wolverton Mountain".
- Overview
- Biography
- Discography
Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an Americancountry music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain".
King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ofShreveport in northwestern Louisiana. At a young age, he was interested in music but also in athletics and the outdoors. He purchased a guitar at the age of twelve, and although he learned to play, most of his time was devoted to sports. He received a baseball scholarship to the University of Idaho at Moscow, Idaho.
From 1942 to 1945, he served in the United States Navy during World War II.
King formed a band with his friends Buddy Attaway and Tillman Franks called the Rainbow Boys. The trio played around Shreveport in their spare time while working an assortment of otherJOBS.He joined the Louisiana Hayride, aTELEVISION and radio showproduced at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium and broadcast throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom. King was frequently on the same programs with Elvis Presley, Tex Ritter,Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells, Jimmie Davis,Slim Whitman, Faron Young, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Tommy Tomlinson, and Lefty Frizzell.
King recorded a few songs for Gotham Records though none was successful. In 1961, he became more serious about a musical career and signed with the Nashvilledivision of Columbia Records. He struck immediately, cutting "Big River, Big Man," both a country top 10 and a small pop crossover success. He soon followed with "The Comancheros" inspired by the John Wayne film of the same name It was a top 10 country hit in late 1961 and crossed over into the popular chart.
King released his best-known recording in the spring of 1962. "Wolverton Mountain," written with Nashville veteran Merle Kilgore, is based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, an uncle of Kilgore's who lived on Wolverton Mountain north of Morrilton,Arkansas. King and Kilgore agree that the original composition of the song lacked polish and that King eventually shaped the song into the hit that it became. According to long-time King guitarist, Robin Vosbury, Merle Kilgore came to numerous shows and asked everybody to call him "Uncle Clifton." The song became an immediate hit. For nine weeks beginning on June 30, 1962, it ranked No. 1 the onBillboard country chart, on which it remained for a total of twenty-six weeks. It was also a Top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100. Having sold more than one million copies, it was awarded gold disc status.
King followed up with a song about the 1864 battle of Atlanta in the American Civil War. "The Burning Of Atlanta" also reached the Top 10 on the country chart and made the pop chart. In late 1962, King recorded "I've Got The World By The Tail," which narrowly missed the country Top 10.
Albums Singles
•A"Wolverton Mountain" peaked at No. 3 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.
Mar 7, 2013 · His first single for the label, “Big River, Big Man,” peaked at No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and was the first of 19 top 40 records through 1971.
“Wolverton Mountain” did typecast Claude as a “saga singer,” but for the brief time that sagas were selling, King was the monarch of the mound. Claude was born on a farm in Keithville, Louisiana, on February 5, 1923.
