Claude King dies, reported Fox News on March 7. The country singer and original member of the Louisiana Hayride was 90. King was best known for the 1962 hit "Wolverton Mountain." "Claude was a legend in the Louisiana music industry, one of the greatest songwriters, and a wonderful friend. Claude and Tillman Franks were on the Hayride from the very beginning," said Maggie Warwick, owner of the Louisiana Hayride trademark and the production company, Louisiana Hayride Co. "He had a gift for melody and lyrics that was very definable. The range and melody and the feeling that goes with his songs, when you hear it, it's very unique and identifiable with Claude King. He had a personal style that was all his own."
Claude, a Louisiana native, said he grew up ". . . about as poor as you can be" on a farm. He grew to love music at an early age, and he bought his first guitar from a neighbor farmer. King attended college and served in the military. Then he explored his interest in music.
Claude credits Barbara Jean, his wife of 67 years, for being in tuned with what the public wanted to hear. The man who enjoyed recording exclusively in Nashville also appeared in two movies, the 1971 "Swamp Girl" and the 1972 "Year of the Yahoo!" In addition, King appeared on TV shows, such as Dick Clark's "American Bandstand."
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