Hank Snow

Canadian musician (1914–1999)

Hank Snow

Background information
Birth name| Clarence Eugene Snow
Also known as| Hank, The Yodeling Ranger
Hank Snow, The Singing Ranger
Born| (1914-05-09)May 9, 1914
Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died| December 20, 1999(1999-12-20) (aged 85)
Madison, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres| Country
Occupations|

* Singer
* songwriter
* composer
* musician

Instrument(s)| Vocals, guitar
Years active| 1936-1996
Labels| RCA Victor

Musical artist

Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914[1] – December 20, 1999)[2] was a Canadian country music guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the Billboard country charts between 1950 and 1980. Snow had success on country music record charts with his songs including: "I'm Moving On," "The Golden Rocket," "The Rhumba Boogie," "I Don't Hurt Anymore," "Let Me Go, Lover!," "I've Been Everywhere," and "Hello Love."[3][4]

Hank Snow wrote songs about a wide range of topics including joy, freedom, travel, anguish, and love. His work was often inspired by his personal experiences, such as his childhood in a small town in rural Nova Scotia. He experienced extreme poverty, abuse, and physically punishing labor during the Great Depression. His mother encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming an entertainer, like his idol, country star Jimmie Rodgers.[3][4]

Snow received various music awards and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.[4] The Hank Snow Home Town Museum in Liverpool, Nova Scotia is dedicated to his life and work.[5][6]

## Early life

[edit]

Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was born on May 9, 1914 in the small community of Brooklyn in Queens County, Nova Scotia[1] to George Snow (1886-1966) and Maude Marie Hatt (1889-1953).[7][8] He was the fifth of six children, of whom the two eldest died in infancy. His parents were married on November 10, 1909, in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.[7] In his autobiography, Snow describes his parents' struggle to feed their four remaining children during hard financial times. His father worked for low pay as a foreman in sawmills, often far from home, while his mother helped support the family by washing clothes and scrubbing floors. Both parents showed musical talent. Snow said his father loved to sing, and described his mother as an accomplished singer who played piano during silent films at the local theatre and sometimes performed in minstrel shows. She also enjoyed playing her pump organ.[4]

Snow's parents legally separated when he was eight, and the local Overseer of the Poor decided he and his siblings should be taken from their mother due to her financial difficulties. One sister moved in with an aunt while the other two were sent to separate foster homes. Snow went to live with his paternal grandmother, who forbade him from mentioning his mother and abused him.[9] After divorcing his father, Hank's mother married Charles Tanner in 1930.[8] Tanner was frequently violent and abusive towards Snow.[10] Gradually, Snow began visiting his mother in nearby Liverpool, and eventually, after his grandmother's attempt to send him to reform school failed, he was allowed to rejoin his mother.[4]

### Musical beginnings

[edit]

After his mother's remarriage, she ordered a Hawaiian steel guitar and lessons, along with 78 rpm gramophone records. Initially, she forbade Snow from touching it, but later, she was amazed by his skill. He was soon playing for neighbours and others.[4]

### Life at sea

[edit]

Photo of the Bluenose. Snow painted the schooner on cardboard winning 1st prize at the Lunenburg Fisheries Exhibition.

In 1926, Snow worked on a fishing schooner as a "flunky" or cabin boy.[11][2] The job was unpaid, but Snow was allowed to sell cod tongues and fish he caught. After one trip, he used his earnings to buy a guitar and chord book. In 1927 or 1928, he heard radio broadcasts of country artists like Vernon Dalhart and Carson Robison, which inspired him to sing and play for his crewmates.[4]

In August 1930, Snow's schooner nearly wrecked on Sable Island, but they were saved by a change in wind. Witnessing other vessels lost in the storm, he vowed to never return to sea.[4]

### Life after sailing

[edit]

Snow returned home and worked at various odd jobs, including peddling fish, transporting passengers, unloading ships, and working in the woods. In September 1935, he married Minnie Blanche Aalders.[12] Their son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, was born soon after.[4]

## Career

[edit]

### Early music career

[edit]

Snow bought a new guitar and, playing in the style of Jimmie Rodgers, performed in a fish house and a minstrel show in Bridgewater. He later auditioned for Halifax radio station CHNS, and was hired for a Saturday evening show. He adopted the stage name "Hank, The Yodeling Ranger," and performed in various venues, gaining popularity through radio broadcasts.[4]

### Canadian years

[edit]

Snow auditioned for RCA Victor in Montreal, Quebec in 1936, securing a recording contract. His weekly CBC radio show and touring brought him national recognition in Canada, and in the late 1940s his records began to gain popularity with American country music stations.

### Nashville

[edit]

Snow moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1949, releasing records for RCA Victor under the name "Hank Snow, the Singing Ranger." His performance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1950 brought him widespread attention in the United States. His song "I'm Moving On" became a number-one hit, holding the top spot for 21 weeks.[13] Other number-one hits followed, including "The Golden Rocket" and "The Rhumba Boogie".[14] His rendition of Australian country singer Geoff Mack's "I've Been Everywhere" popularized the song in North America. While performing in Renfro Valley, Snow worked with a young Hank Williams.[15] In 1953, Billboard reported that Snow's son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, had signed with RCA Victor and would record with his father.[16]

### Rainbow Ranch

[edit]

After the success of "I've Been Everywhere" and "I'm Movin' On," Snow purchased a ranch home in Madison, Tennessee, which he named Rainbow Ranch. In recent years the home has been restored by Snow's family.[17] The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Davidson County, Tennessee on November 27, 2018.[18]

### Elvis Presley

[edit]

Snow helped launch the career of Elvis Presley by giving him stage time at the Grand Ole Opry and by introducing him to Colonel Tom Parker. They formed a management partnership, but Snow eventually left the management team.[19]

### Later career

[edit]

Snow continued to reference Canada in his work, such as in his 1968 album My Nova Scotia Home. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978 and several Canadian music halls of fame. His autobiography, The Hank Snow Story, was published in 1994. He also established the Hank Snow International Foundation For Prevention Of Child Abuse.[20]

## Illness and death

[edit]

Snow retired in 1996 due to respiratory problems. He died on December 20, 1999, at his Rainbow Ranch in Madison, Tennessee, and was buried in Nashville's Spring Hill Cemetery.[21] His wife Minnie died on May 12, 2003.[22]

## Legacy

[edit]

Hank Snow's statue at the Hank Snow Hometown Museum in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

Many artists have covered his music, including Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Ashley MacIsaac, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris. His song "Hello Love" was used to open broadcasts of Prairie Home Companion. At 59 years and 11 months old, he became the oldest country artist to have a number-one hit, a record that stood for more than 26 years. In Robert Altman's 1975 film Nashville, a character was partly based on Snow.[23] He is portrayed by David Wenham in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.[24] He is referenced in Jimmy Buffett's song "The Wino and I Know".[25] The fictional Finnish snow god, Heikki Lunta, from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is named after him.[26]

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: Hank Snow discography

## See also

[edit]

* Canada portal

* Music of Canada
* List of best-selling music artists

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2315/6. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
2. ^ a b "Hank Snow Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
3. ^ a b Neil Strauss (21 December 1999). "Hank Snow, Country Singer is Dead at 85". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hank Snow with Jack Ownbey and Bob Burris. (1994) The Hank Snow Story: Hank Snow, the Singing Ranger. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
5. ^ "Hank Snow Museum". Hank Snow Home Town Museum. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
6. ^ Jason Schneider. (2009) Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music from Hank Snow to The Band. Toronto: ECW Press.
7. ^ a b Hatt, Dr. William Swasey (1983). Hang on to your Hatts! A genealogy of the Hatt family in America. Sarasota, Florida. p. 98.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
8. ^ a b Tanner (nee Hatt), Maude (October 22, 1953). "Obituary of Maude Tanner (Nee Hatt)". Liverpool Advance, Liverpool Nova Scotia.
9. ^ "About Hank Snow". Hank Snow Home Town Museum.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
10. ^ "Hank Snow Biography". alancackett.com. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
11. ^ The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines flunky, in this sense, as "one performing menial or miscellaneous duties." Snow's duties included forking cod from the deck into a bin where a "throater" would grab the fish, slit its throat and belly before passing it on to another crew member who would remove its head.
12. ^ NS Scotia vital statistics, marriage record Archived 2023-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
13. ^ "Streaming Statistics of Hank Snow". spacemedia.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
14. ^ Boogie Bobs records, archived from the original on 2011-07-08, retrieved 14 December 2009
15. ^ Jim (2012-10-17). "DUQUESNE PENNSYLVANIA – THE SONG!". The Duquesne Hunky. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
16. ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 7 February 1953. p. 42\. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2021 - via Google Books.
17. ^ Sawyer, Bobbie Jean (21 December 2019). "You Can Spend the Night at Hank Snow's Ranch". Wide Open Country. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
18. ^ "National Register Digital Assets - Rainbow Ranch". npgallery. National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
19. ^ Green, Amy (2022-11-15). "Memories of Elvis Presley and Col. Tom Parker from an Insider". Country Reunion Music. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
20. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees - Canadian Country Music Association". members.ccma.org. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
21. ^ "Hank Snow, movin country music hall". The Chicago Tribune. 1999-12-20. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
22. ^ "Tributes". Tributes.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
23. ^ Smith, William Michael. "Lonesome Onry and Mean: Hank Snow, "Movin' On" to Altman's Nashville... and George Wallace". Houston Press. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
24. ^ Jalali, Jessica (June 12, 2022). "Elvis (2022): Where You've Seen The Cast Before". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
25. ^ "Jimmy Buffett Song & Lyrics Database". BuffettNews.com. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
26. ^ Hough, Lucy (June 23, 2013). "The Legend of Heikki Lunta". upsupply.co. Retrieved 2025-01-27.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Wolfe, Charles. (1998). "Hank Snow". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 494–5.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Hank Snow at the Country Music Hall of Fame
* Hank Snow discography at Discogs
* Hank Snow at IMDb
* Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
* Second article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
* Hank Snow Tribute Song
* Rev. Jimmie Rodgers Snow Ministries Archived 2023-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
* The short film Country Style USA Recruitment: Episode 39 is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.

* v
* t
* e

Hank Snow

Studio albums|

* Railroad Man (1963)
* Songs of Tragedy (1964)
* C. B. Atkins & C. E. Snow by Special Request (1969)
* Hello Love (1974)

Compilation albums|

* Hank Snow's Souvenirs (1961)
* More Hank Snow Souvenirs (1964)
* The Hits Of Hank Snow (1978)

Collaboration albums|

* Reminiscing (1964)

Notable singles|

* "I'm Moving On"
* "The Golden Rocket"
* "The Rhumba Boogie"
* "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts"
* "Bluebird Island"
* "The Gold Rush Is Over"
* "Lady's Man"
* "I Went to Your Wedding"
* "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I"
* "I Don't Hurt Anymore"
* "Let Me Go, Lover!"
* "Yellow Roses"
* "I've Been Everywhere"
* "Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)"
* "Hula Love"
* "The Name of the Game Was Love"
* "(The Seashores) Of Old Mexico"
* "Hello Love"

Related articles|

* Discography

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Grand Ole Opry

Current members|

* Trace Adkins
* Lauren Alaina
* Bill Anderson
* Kelsea Ballerini
* Bobby Bare
* Mandy Barnett
* Dierks Bentley
* Clint Black
* Garth Brooks
* T. Graham Brown
* Steven Curtis Chapman
* Henry Cho
* Terri Clark
* Luke Combs
* John Conlee
* Dailey & Vincent
* Diamond Rio
* Sara Evans
* Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
* Crystal Gayle
* Vince Gill
* Emmylou Harris
* The Isaacs
* Alan Jackson
* Chris Janson
* Jamey Johnson
* Alison Krauss
* Lady A
* Little Big Town
* Patty Loveless
* Dustin Lynch
* Barbara Mandrell
* Martina McBride
* Ashley McBryde
* Del McCoury
* Charlie McCoy
* Scotty McCreery
* Reba McEntire
* Ronnie Milsap
* Eddie Montgomery
* Craig Morgan
* Lorrie Morgan
* Gary Mule Deer
* The Oak Ridge Boys
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Brad Paisley
* Jon Pardi
* Dolly Parton
* Carly Pearce
* Stu Phillips
* Jeanne Pruett
* Rascal Flatts
* Riders in the Sky
* Darius Rucker
* Don Schlitz
* Jeannie Seely
* Blake Shelton
* Ricky Van Shelton
* Ricky Skaggs
* Connie Smith
* Mike Snider
* Marty Stuart
* Pam Tillis
* Randy Travis
* Travis Tritt
* Josh Turner
* Carrie Underwood
* Keith Urban
* Rhonda Vincent
* Steve Wariner
* Gene Watson
* The Whites
* Mark Wills
* Lainey Wilson
* Trisha Yearwood
* Chris Young

Former members|

* Roy Acuff
* David "Stringbean" Akeman
* Jack Anglin
* Eddy Arnold
* Ernest Ashworth
* Chet Atkins
* DeFord Bailey
* Bashful Brother Oswald
* Humphrey Bate
* Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers
* Margie Bowes
* Rod Brasfield
* Jim Ed Brown
* The Browns
* Carl Butler and Pearl
* Archie Campbell
* Bill Carlisle
* Martha Carson
* The Carter Sisters
* Maybelle Carter
* Johnny Cash
* June Carter Cash
* Roy Clark
* Zeke Clements
* Patsy Cline
* Jerry Clower
* Stoney Cooper
* Wilma Lee Cooper
* Cowboy Copas
* Charlie Daniels
* Skeeter Davis
* The Delmore Brothers
* The DeZurik Sisters
* Little Jimmy Dickens
* Joe Diffie
* Danny Dill
* Jimmy Driftwood
* Roy Drusky
* The Duke of Paducah
* Holly Dunn
* The Everly Brothers
* Lester Flatt
* Red Foley
* Curly Fox
* Lefty Frizzell
* Troy Gentry
* Don Gibson
* Billy Grammer
* Jack Greene
* The Gully Jumpers
* Theron Hale
* Tom T. Hall
* George Hamilton IV
* Sid Harkreader
* Hawkshaw Hawkins
* George D. Hay
* Hoot Hester
* Goldie Hill
* David Houston
* Jan Howard
* Ferlin Husky
* Stonewall Jackson
* Sonny James
* Norma Jean
* Jim & Jesse
* Johnnie & Jack
* George Jones
* Grandpa Jones
* The Jordanaires
* Doug Kershaw
* Hal Ketchum
* Bradley Kincaid
* Pee Wee King
* Hank Locklin
* Lonzo and Oscar
* Bobby Lord
* The Louvin Brothers
* Charlie Louvin
* Ira Louvin
* Bob Luman
* Loretta Lynn
* Uncle Dave Macon
* Rose Maddox
* Mel McDaniel
* Jesse McReynolds
* McGee Brothers
* Bill Monroe
* George Morgan
* Moon Mullican
* Willie Nelson
* Jimmy C. Newman
* Bobby Osborne
* Sonny Osborne
* Johnny Paycheck
* Minnie Pearl
* Webb Pierce
* Ray Pillow
* Ray Price
* Charley Pride
* Del Reeves
* Jim Reeves
* Leon Rhodes
* Tex Ritter
* Marty Robbins
* Johnny Russell
* Rusty and Doug
* Earl Scruggs
* Jean Shepard
* Mississippi Slim
* Carl Smith
* Fiddlin' Arthur Smith
* Hank Snow
* Red Sovine
* Ralph Stanley
* Texas Ruby
* B. J. Thomas
* Uncle Jimmy Thompson
* Mel Tillis
* Tompall & the Glaser Brothers
* Ernest Tubb
* Justin Tubb
* Leroy Van Dyke
* Porter Wagoner
* Billy Walker
* Charlie Walker
* Kitty Wells
* Dottie West
* Keith Whitley†
* Slim Whitman
* The Wilburn Brothers
* Don Williams
* Hank Williams
* Boxcar Willie
* The Willis Brothers
* Chubby Wise
* Del Wood
* Marion Worth
* Johnnie Wright
* Tammy Wynette
* Faron Young

†Honorary former member; was scheduled to be invited, but died before the invitation was extended

* v
* t
* e

Country Music Hall of Fame 1970s

* The Carter Family (1970)
* Bill Monroe (1970)
* Art Satherley (1971)
* Jimmie Davis (1972)
* Chet Atkins (1973)
* Patsy Cline (1973)
* Owen Bradley (1974)
* Pee Wee King (1974)
* Minnie Pearl (1975)
* Paul Cohen (1976)
* Kitty Wells (1976)
* Merle Travis (1977)
* Grandpa Jones (1978)
* Hubert Long (1979)
* Hank Snow (1979)

* v
* t
* e

Canadian Music Hall of Fame

1978-1990|

* Guy Lombardo (1978)
* Oscar Peterson (1978)
* Hank Snow (1979)
* Paul Anka (1980)
* Joni Mitchell (1981)
* Neil Young (1982)
* Glenn Gould (1983)
* The Crew-Cuts (1984)
* The Diamonds (1984)
* The Four Lads (1984)
* Wilf Carter (1985)
* Gordon Lightfoot (1986)
* The Guess Who (1987)
* No inductee (1988)
* The Band (1989)
* Maureen Forrester (1990)

1990-2000|

* Leonard Cohen (1991)
* Ian & Sylvia (1992)
* Anne Murray (1993)
* Rush (1994)
* Buffy Sainte-Marie (1995)
* David Clayton-Thomas (1996)
* Denny Doherty (1996)
* John Kay (1996)
* Domenic Troiano (1996)
* Zal Yanovsky (1996)
* Gil Evans (1997)
* Lenny Breau (1997)
* Maynard Ferguson (1997)
* Moe Koffman (1997)
* Rob McConnell (1997)
* David Foster (1998)
* Luc Plamondon (1999)
* Bruce Fairbairn (2000)

2001-2010|

* Bruce Cockburn (2001)
* Daniel Lanois (2002)
* Tom Cochrane (2003)
* Bob Ezrin (2004)
* The Tragically Hip (2005)
* Bryan Adams (2006)
* Bob Rock (2007)
* Triumph (2008)
* Loverboy (2009)
* April Wine (2010)

2011-2020|

* Shania Twain (2011)
* Blue Rodeo (2012)
* k.d. lang (2013)
* Bachman–Turner Overdrive (2014)
* Alanis Morissette (2015)
* Burton Cummings (2016)
* Sarah McLachlan (2017)
* Barenaked Ladies (2018)
* Steven Page (2018)
* Corey Hart (2019)
* Andy Kim (2019)
* Bobby Curtola (2019)
* Chilliwack (2019)
* Cowboy Junkies (2019)
* No inductee (2020)

2021-2030|

* Jann Arden (2021)
* Deborah Cox (2022)
* Nickelback (2023)
* Terri Clark (2023)
* Trooper (2023)
* Oliver Jones (2023)
* Diane Dufresne (2023)
* Maestro Fresh Wes (2024)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Australia
* Czech Republic
* Spain
* Netherlands
* Norway

Academics|

* CiNii

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* Discography of American Historical Recordings
* Grammy Awards

People|

* DDB

Other|

* IdRef
* SNAC

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template