Think back to Christmases in the late ’70s, and remember the Slim Whitman TV ads (All My Best).
“[Slim] was number one in England longer than Elvis and The Beatles.”
A little Wikipedia research revealed many amazing facts about Slim Whitman, but here is one of most interesting:
Whitman was a self-taught left-handed guitarist, although he was right-handed. He had lost almost all of the second finger on his left hand in an accident while working at a meat packing plant.
When a young Paul McCartney purchased his first guitar, the left-handed musician was unsure how to play an instrument that was manufactured and strung for a right-handed player. It was not until McCartney saw a picture of Whitman playing left-handed that he re-strung his guitar so that he too could play left-handed.
Wikipedia
What incredible tenacity and devotion.
And a very strange twist during his service in World War II:
[H]e did not embark on a musical career of his own until the end of World War II after he had served in the South Pacific with the United States Navy. While aboard ship, he sang and entertained members on board. This resulted in the captain blocking his transfer to another ship—hence saving his life, as the other ship later sank with all hands lost.
Wikipedia
Whitman was married to Alma Geraldine “Jerry” Crist for 67 years.
Another interesting fact – Slim died not too long ago, in 2013, but due to a journalistic screw-up, his obituary was posted in Nashville Tennessean in 2008.
For about 24 hours, nobody knew if country singer Slim Whitman was alive or dead – at least not until he called in to a Nashville newspaper January 23rd.
“All of a sudden, on Sunday, January 20, I died,” the 84-year-old Whitman told the Tennessean. “I knew it was a lie. I kept looking at it. I thought, this could sort of get out of hand here. I thought, oh well, if it gets out of hand, I’ll go on a TV show and show them that I’m not dead.”
“It seems like every 10 years something weird happens like that,” Whitman told the paper. “I’m here. … I’m happy to be alive.”
Pollstar
Super-trivia: What does Slim Whitman have in common with these folks?
- Rowan Atkinson
- P. T. Barnum
- Jack Black
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- Gerald Ford
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
- William “The Refrigerator” Perry
- Karl Marx
- Mark Twain
- Pope John Paul II
- Rudyard Kipling
They all made the list of “Premature Obituaries” on Wikipedia.
The ‘stach
The Light Crust Doughboys
In his early years, Slim played with the Light Crust Doughboys.
The Light Crust Doughboys is an American Western swing band from Texas, United States, organized in 1931 by the Burrus Mill and Elevator Company in Saginaw, Texas. The band achieved its peak popularity in the few years leading up to World War II. In addition to launching Western swing pioneers Bob Wills and Milton Brown, it provided a platform for many of the best musicians of the genre, including Tommy Duncan, Cecil Brower, John Parker and Kenneth Pitts.
In 1931, Burrus Mill’s president, W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel, wanted to link radio and advertising to promote the company’s Light Crust Flour.
Wikipedia
“Pappy” O’Daniel
In the late 1920s, O’Daniel assumed responsibility for the Burrus company’s radio advertising. To that end, he wrote songs, sang, and hired a group of musicians to form an old timey band to back his vocals. Originally called the Light Crust Doughboys, notable musicians such as Bob Wills got their start with O’Daniel.
Wikipedia
O’Daniel went on to become both governor of Texas (1931-1941) and United States senator (defeating LBJ by 1,311 votes).
Gov. O’Daniel died in Dallas on May 11, 1969, less than one year before the Beatles released their final studio album (Let It Be, May 8th, 1970).
Slim’s Parents
Slim was born to Lucy Whitman (née Mahon; 1903–1987) and Ottis Dewey Whitman (1896–1961).
Slim’s Popularity in England
Slim was actually more popular in England than in the United States.
The singer Slim Whitman… was a noteworthy figure in country music, since, although he was hugely popular outside the US, for most of his career he was almost forgotten in his own country. In the 1970s, two decades after his American heyday, he still commanded enough of a following in the UK to be voted the No 1 international star in a music poll – four times.
The Guardian
When he passed, The Guardian had a nice tribute:
Elvis and Slim
Here’s something wild: Elvis opened for him!
The singer once encouraged a teen Elvis Presley when Whitman was the headliner on the bill and the rock legend was making his professional debut.
The Guardian
From a Facebook post….
Slim Whitman’s Legacy and Passing
Slim Whitman died on June 19, 2013, at age 90, and is buried next to his wife of 67 years, Jerry.
Slim holds an interesting place in the American zeitgeist, as well as the evolution of country, folk, and gospel music.
Albums
This is only a sample of Slim’s albums….
