Walter Louis Garland (11 November 1930 – 27 December 2004), professionally Hank Garland, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He started as a country musician, played rock and roll as it became popular in the 1950s, and released a jazz album in 1960. His career was cut short when a car accident in 1961 left him unable to perform. 2008 saw the release of the Hank Garland biopic ''Crazy''.

Biography

Born in

Cowpens, South Carolina Cowpens is a town in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,162 at the 2010 census. The town was founded in 1876, and was incorporated in 1880. History The community was named on account of pens for cattle near th ...

, Garland began playing guitar at the age of six, and began to appear on local radio shows at 12. At 14 he moved to

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...

where he met

Don Reno Donald Wesley Reno (February 21, 1926Trischka, Tony, "Don Reno", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977, – October 16, 1984) was an American bluegrass and country musician, best known as a pioneering banjo and guitar player who pa ...

who gave Hank guitar lessons, and worked with him on the

WSPA-FM WSPA-FM (98.9 MHz, "Magic 98.9") is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to serve Spartanburg, South Carolina and covering the Upstate region, including Greenville and Spartanburg. The Audacy, Inc. outlet is licensed by the Federal Commu ...

station in Spartanburg, both playing lead guitar. He moved to Nashville at age 16, staying in Ma Upchurch's boarding house, where he roomed with

Bob Moore Bob Loyce Moore (November 30, 1932 – September 22, 2021) was an American session musician, orchestra leader, and double bassist who was a member of the Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 1960s. He performed on over 17,000 documented record ...

and Dale Potter. At age 18, he recorded his million-selling hit " Sugarfoot Rag". He appeared on the ''Jubilee'' program with

Grady Martin Thomas Grady Martin (January 17, 1929 – December 3, 2001) was an American session guitarist in country music and rockabilly. A member of The Nashville A-Team, he played guitar on hits such as Marty Robbins' " El Paso", Loretta Lynn's " Co ...

's band and on '' The Eddy Arnold Show''. Garland is perhaps best known for his Nashville studio work with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

from 1958 to 1961 which produced such rock hits as: "I Need Your Love Tonight", "A Big Hunk o' Love", " I'm Coming Home", "I Got Stung", "

A Fool Such As I "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I" is a popular song written by Bill Trader and was published in 1952. Recorded as a single by Hank Snow it peaked at number four on the US country charts early in 1953. Since the original Snow version, "F ...

", "Stuck on You", "Little Sister", "(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame", and "I Feel So Bad". He worked with many country music and rock and roll musicians of the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...

Mel Tillis Lonnie Melvin Tillis (August 8, 1932 – November 19, 2017) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, ...

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and suc ...

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

Boots Randolph Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III (June 3, 1927 – July 3, 2007) was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit "Yakety Sax" (which became Benny Hill's signature tune). Randolph was a major part of the "Nashville sound" for most o ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...

, and

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with t ...

. Garland's guitar drove such classic recordings as

Little Jimmy Dickens James Cecil Dickens (December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015), better known by his stage name Little Jimmy Dickens, was an American country music singer and songwriter famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size (4'11" 50 cm, and h ...

' "I Got a Hole in My Pocket"; Benny Joy's "Bundle of Love" and "I'm Gonna Move"; Jimmy Lloyd's (recorded under pseudonym of ( Jimmie Logsdon) "You're Gone Baby" and "I've Got a Rocket in My Pocket";

Lefty Frizzell William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that charted ...

's "You're Humbuggin' Me";

Simon Crum Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

's "Stand Up, Sit Down, Shut Your Mouth"; and

Johnnie Strickland Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Variant ...

's (1935-1994) "She's Mine"; plus, seasonal staples "Jingle Bell Rock" with

Bobby Helms Robert Lee Helms (August 15, 1933 – June 19, 1997) was an American country singer, who is best remembered for his 1957 Christmas hit "Jingle Bell Rock". Additionally, he had two other hit records from that year: " Fraulein" and "My Special Ang ...

, and

's seasonal "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree".

Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoy ...

's "Sweet Sweet Girl" and "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles";

's "Let the Teardrops Fall";

Ronnie Hawkins Ronald Cornett Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022) was an American singer-songwriter, long based in Canada, whose career spanned more than half a century. His career began in Arkansas, United States, where he was born and raised. He ...

' "

Jambalaya Jambalaya ( , ) is an American Creole and Cajun rice dish of French (especially Provençal cuisine), African, and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Ingredients Traditionally, the meat includes sa ...

"; and

Faron Young Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country music producer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. Hits including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and " Live Fast, Love Hard, D ...

's "Alone with You" spotlighted Garland's guitar work. He played with

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 t ...

and

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

in New York and went on to record ''Jazz Winds from a New Direction'' with

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

on vibraphone, Joe Benjamin on double bass, and

Joe Morello Joseph Albert Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was an American jazz drummer best known for serving as the drummer for pianist Dave Brubeck, as part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from 1957 to 1972, including during the quartet's "classic ...

on drums. That session took place in Nashville in 1960. That same year, Garland, along with other members of the Nashville "A-Team" of session players, was invited to perform at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

. For years, these musicians unwound by playing jazz after hours at Nashville's Carousel Club. The group included Gary Burton on vibes, guitarist

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...

, pianist

Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "half step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signatu ...

, saxophonist

, bassist

, drummer

Buddy Harman Murrey Mizell "Buddy" Harman, Jr. (December 23, 1928 – August 21, 2008) was an American country music session musician. Career Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Harman played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Jerry ...

and African-American violinist Brenton Banks, who played in the string sections that adorned many Nashville recordings.

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

had a mobile recording unit there to record their performance, but when rioting prematurely ended the festival, the group performed (with the tapes rolling) on the porch of the mansion where they were staying. The album was released as '' After the Riot in Newport''. At the request of

Gibson Guitar Gibson Brands, Inc. (formerly Gibson Guitar Corporation) is an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company was former ...

company president

Ted McCarty Theodore McCarty (October 10, 1909 – April 1, 2001) was an American businessman who worked with the Wurlitzer Company and the Gibson Guitar Corporation. In 1966, he and Gibson Vice President John Huis bought the Bigsby Electric Guitar Company. At ...

, Garland and guitarist

Billy Byrd William Lewis Byrd (17 February 1920 – 7 August 2001) was an American country music, country lead guitarist (with some jazz leanings) and studio musician who performed with Ernest Tubb, the Oak Ridge Quartet, Tex Ritter, George Hamilton IV, Jim ...

influenced the design of the Byrdland guitar, which derived from the

Gibson L-5 The Gibson L-5 guitar was first produced in 1923 by the Gibson Guitar Corporation, then of Kalamazoo, Michigan, under the direction of acoustical engineer and designer Lloyd Loar, and has been in production ever since. It was considered the pr ...

, having a slimmer body and shorter scale for ease of playing. In September 1961, a car crash left Garland in a coma. He regained consciousness and recovered with the help of his wife, Evelyn, and two daughters (Cheryl & Debra), but the brain injury sustained from the car accident, left him unable to return to the studios. After Evelyn died at the age of 38 in a car crash in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

on December 2, 1965, Garland's parents took care of him until their deaths. He then went to live with his brother, Billy. Garland suffered from constant ill health in his later years and died in

Orange Park, Florida Orange Park is a town in Clay County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Jacksonville, in neighboring Duval County. The population was 8,412 at the 2010 census. The name "Orange Park" is additionally applied to a wider area of northern ...

on December 27, 2004, of complications from a staph infection. He was 74 years old. He is interred in Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park.

Discography

As leader

* ''Velvet Guitar'' (Harmony, 1960) * ''

After the Riot at Newport ''After the Riot at Newport'' is an album by the Nashville All-Stars, which was recorded live after the cancellation of their appearance at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival. History This group of Nashville session players played a mixture of pop a ...

'' with the Nashville All-Stars (RCA Victor, 1961) * ''Jazz Winds from a New Direction'' (Columbia, 1961) * ''The Unforgettable Guitar of Hank Garland'' (Columbia, 1962) * ''Hank Garland and His Sugar Footers'' (Bear Family, 1992) * ''Subtle Swing'' (Sundazed, 2004)

As sideman

Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...

and

Ernest Tubb Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), m ...

, ''Red and Ernie'' (Decca, 1956) *

, ''

Jingle Bell Rock "Jingle Bell Rock" is an American Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. Since its release, it has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Ca ...

'', (Decca 30513A, November 1957) *

50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong: Elvis' Gold Records, Volume 2 (RCA Victor, 1959) *

, Elvis Is Back! (RCA Victor, 1960) * Ray Walker, ''Everybody's Hits But Mine'' (Columbia, 1961) *

, ''Both Sides of an Evening'' (Warner Bros., 1961) *

, ''Girls, Guitars, and Gibson'' (RCA Victor, 1961) *

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...

, ''Blueberry Hill and Other Favorites'' (RCA Camden, 1965)

Notes

References

* Kienzle, Rich (1998). "Hank Garland". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 194–5.
Hank Garland Biography

External links

Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Garland, Hank 1930 births 2004 deaths People from Spartanburg County, South Carolina Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee 20th-century American guitarists American country guitarists American male guitarists American jazz guitarists American rock guitarists American session musicians Deaths from staphylococcal infection Infectious disease deaths in Florida People from Orange Park, Florida Guitarists from Tennessee Country musicians from Tennessee Country musicians from Florida Country musicians from South Carolina Jazz musicians from Tennessee 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians