Vern Gosdin, nicknamed – The Voice, was an American country music singer best known for the hits I’m Still Crazy, Set ‘Em Up Joe, and I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight).
He was described by country music singer-songwriter Tammy Wynette as ”the only other singer who can hold a candle to George Jones.”
Biography
Gosdin was born on August 5, 1934, in Woodland, Alabama, USA, as Vernon Gosdin.
During his youth, Vern sang with his brothers as a gospel group on a Birmingham radio station.
”My dad didn’t want me to make music,” Gosdin said in an interview. He added: ”He’d been in bands before, and he didn’t want me getting involved with all the bars and the fights.”
In 1953, Vern moved to Atlanta, where he worked as a singer in the evening.
In 1961, Gosdin moved with his brother Rex to Southern California, where they became part of the bluegrass group The Golden State Boys, which also included Don Parmley on banjo and Hal Poindexter on guitar.
In September 1968, The Gosdin Brothers released the first album, Sounds of Goodbye.
In 1976, Vern inked with Elektra Records.
In 1977, Vern released the album ”Till the End.”
He signed with Ovation Records in 1981. In March 1982, Gosdin released another album, titled – ”Today My World Slipped Away.”
He had two #5 hits in 1983 – Way Down Deep and If You’re Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right).
In 1984, he got his first #1 hit, titled – ”I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight).”
On January 15, 1988, Vernon released the album ”Chiseled in Stone” via Columbia Records. It featured guest appearances from Jimmy Burch, Brenda Burch, Buddy Cannon, Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran, and Max D. Barnes. Vern Gosdin’s ”Chiseled in Stone” reached #7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
In 1989, the Country Music Association named Vern’s song ”Chiseled In Stone” as the song of the year.
© Guliver / Getty Images
On June 19, 1989, Gosdin released the album called ”Alone” via Columbia Records. The album featured guest appearances from Buddy Cannon, Mack Vickery, Hank Cochran, and Max D. Barnes. It reached #11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
On August 14, 1990, he released the compilation album ”10 Years of Greatest Hits – Newly Recorded.” The album reached #21 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
On September 15, 1998, Vern released the album ”The Voice” via Beckett and Tharp.
In 2017, he was named in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Buddy Cannon accepted the award on behalf of Vern.
Wife
Vern Gosdin was married to Cathy Gosdin.
Children
He had two sons, Stephen Wayne Gosdin (passed away on July 22, 2016) and Marty Allen Gosdin (murdered in Ellijay, Georgia, in January of 2002).
In addition, Vern had a stepson named Freddie.
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Death
@Getty
He died on April 28, 2009, in Nashville, Tennessee, due to complications from a stroke that he suffered at the start of the month. Vern also had a quintuple coronary bypass operation in 1990 and another stroke in 1988.
American country music singer George Strait said in a statement: ”He was one hell of a country singer and helped me out a lot on my very first tour.”
”They called him ‘The Voice,’ and they didn’t call him that for nothing,” said Emmylou Harris.
Pat Alger, chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, stated: ”Vern Gosdin was one of country music’s great interpreters of a well-written song.”
Gosdin’s remains were buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Vern Gosdin – Net Worth
Gosdin earned most of his wealth from releasing numerous studio albums (The Voice, Nickels and Dimes and Love, Time Stood Still, Today My World Slipped Away, and Till the End) and compilation albums (Very Best of the Voice or Vern Gosdin’s Greatest Hits).
Some of the hits included Dream of Me, Set ‘em Up Joe, Way Down Deep, I Can Tell by the Way You Dance, Who You Gonna Blame It on This Time, That Just About Does It, and I’m Still Crazy.
Therefore, at the time of his death, country music singer Vern Gosdin had an estimated net worth of $1 million.
Featured image source – © Guliver / Getty Images.
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.
Jessisings04 @yahoo.com
Wednesday 9th of August 2023
I will always miss Vern Godsdin singing. He was right there with the best! Love ya Vern.
Frank D.
Sunday 2nd of July 2023
Such a great country singer and the greatest at singing sad country songs !!!!!!!
Sherry Baxley
Friday 3rd of March 2023
I love Vern💖 I treasure all my memories to include my personal visits with him. I own every album, cassette (CD) to include the 7 pack of all his songs. Each personal signed CD and picture are valued. My videos of Vern singing to me… my most prized video is the 2 of us dancing. My first of many of Vern’s appearances was in 1982 in Albany, Georgia at Banana’s Nightclub.
Carolyn
Sunday 11th of December 2022
Vern Gosdin, one of the greatest country singers ever. Shame of the Country Hall of Fame for not inducting him before he passed away. His music outshines todays so called country music. I no longer listen to what's called country music, I play my CD's of great singers from the past like Vern, George Jones, etc., , when country was country.
Mary Odwyer
Monday 2nd of January 2023
@Carolyn, I absolutely love Vern , he has such a beautiful voice, I play his music all the time .Vern is a terrible big loss to this world.
Tom Minnick
Sunday 21st of August 2022
No one I would rather listen to than Vern. I was a Country jock, Pgm dir and general mgr of radio stations. Every true Country music fan considered him as one of the best if not the best.