Hank Thompson, the Country Music Hall Of Fame member dubbed 'The King Of Western Swing', has died at age 82 of lung cancer.
Thompson had been performing up until last month, with his last show taking place in his home town of Waco, Texas on October 8. That day was declared 'Hank Thompson Day' by the local authorities.In a career spanning seven decades, Thompson sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. His breakthrough hit came in 1952, when 'The Wild Side Of Life' spent some 15 weeks atop the singles chart. Other hits included 'Humpty Dumpty Heart' and 'A Six Pack To Go'.
Thompson also played a role in launching the career of Kitty Wells, who became the first female solo artist to top the country charts with 'It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels'. The song was a response to a line in 'The Wild Side Of Life', in which Thompson sung, "I didn't know God made honky-tonk angels".
A record label spokeswoman said, "[Thompson] remained conscious until the last couple of hours and passed away peacefully surrounded by his friends and family."
