Grand Ole Opry Member Spotlight: Hank Locklin

Grand Ole Opry Country Music Show - Nashville

Dierks Bentley - The Opry's Youngest Member

Named country's greatest tenor, Hank Locklin has lived up to this title with his many hits, albums, and performances at the Grand Ole Opry and all over the world. Hank has been a country legend since after World War II, and his amazing talent has been entertaining audiences in North America and the United Kingdom for decades.

Background and Early Career

• Hank was born Lawrence Hankins Locklin in Milton, Florida. Although it was normal for Locklins to become doctors, Hank started pursuing music at age 10 by entering amateur guitar contests.
  In his teens, Hank was a featured guitar picker on WCOA, a Pensacola radio station. During the 1930s and '40s, Hank played with many groups and held several jobs as a farmer, ribbon mill hanker, and shipyard worker in various Southern cities.
• Hank's first Top 10 song was "The Same Sweet Girls" in 1949. Hank enjoyed much success with singles after this song, but his biggest hit was "Please Help Me, I'm Falling," which hit the airwaves in 1960. "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" was number one on the country charts for 14 weeks and in the Top 10 for 30 weeks.

Grand Ole Opry Induction

• Hank was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1960, following the extraordinary success of "Please Help Me, I'm Falling."

Hank Locklin at the Grand Ole Opry

• Having been an Opry member for over 45 years, Hank has been a long time favorite performer at the Opry. Throughout his career, Hank has performed with many different artists, but one of the most memorable duets Hank sang was "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On" with Vince Gill on the Opry's stage in 1995. If you'd like to see when you can catch one of Hank's unforgettable Opry performances, check out our Grand Ole Opry Blog for dates.

Notable Hits You Might Hear at the Grand Ole Opry

• "Please Help Me, I'm Falling"
• "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On"
• "Blue Grass Skirt"
• "Geisha Girl"
• "Followed Closely By Teardrops"
• "The Country Hall of Fame"
• "One Step Ahead of My Past"
• "It's a Little More Like Heaven"
• "The Same Sweet Girls"
• "Let Me Be the One"
• "Followed Closely By My Teardrops"

More Details

• In the 1960s, Hank enjoyed immense popularity in Ireland, which led him to produce his album Irish Songs. Irish Songs is a compilation of traditional Irish songs sang in a unique country style.
• Hank Locklin presently holds the honorary title of Mayor of his birth city, McLellan, Florida.
• See the complete list of current Grand Ole Opry members!