Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' 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 Ive or IVE may refer to: Music * Ive (group), a South Korean girl group * I've Sound (aka "I've"), a Japanese musical group People * Ive (given name), a Croatian and Slovenian given name * Bert Ive (1875–1939), British-born Australian cinema ...

", and " Hello Love". 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 Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. He experienced

extreme poverty Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, ...

abuse Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...

, and physically punishing labor during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. His mother encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming an entertainer like his idol, country star

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers ( – ) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Country Music", he is best known for his di ...

. Snow received various music awards and is a member of the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The Hank Snow Home Town Museum in

Liverpool, Nova Scotia Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore (Nova Scotia), South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality, which is the local governmen ...

, is dedicated to his life and work.Jason Schneider. (2009) ''Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music from Hank Snow to The Band''. Toronto: ECW Press.

Early life

Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was born on May 9, 1914 in the small community of

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

in Queens County,

, to George Snow (1886–1966) and Maude Marie Hatt (1889–1953). He was the fifth of six children, of whom the two eldest died in infancy. His parents were married on November 10, 1909, in

. 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

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s, 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 film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s at the local theatre and sometimes performed in

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of theater developed in the early 19th century. The shows were performed by mostly white actors wearing blackface makeup for the purpose of portraying racial stereotypes of Afr ...

s. She also enjoyed playing her

pump organ The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reed aerophone, free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ ...

.Hank Snow with Jack Ownbey and Bob Burris. (1994) ''The Hank Snow Story: Hank Snow, the Singing Ranger''. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. Snow's parents legally separated when he was eight, and the local

Overseer of the Poor An overseer of the poor was an official who administered poor relief such as money, food, and clothing in England and various other countries which derived their law from England, such as the United States. England In England, overseers of the po ...

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. After divorcing his father, Hank's mother married Charles Tanner in 1930. Tanner was frequently violent and abusive towards Snow. Gradually, Snow began visiting his mother in nearby

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, and eventually, after his grandmother's attempt to send him to

reform school A reform school was a Prison, penal institution, generally for teenagers, mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies, reformatory, reformatories (commonly called reform schools) were set up from 1854 onward f ...

failed, he was allowed to rejoin his mother.

Musical beginnings

After his mother's remarriage, she ordered a Hawaiian

steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...

and lessons, along with 78 rpm

gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...

s. Initially, she forbade Snow from touching it, but later, she was amazed by his skill. He was soon playing for neighbours and others.

Life at sea

In 1926, Snow worked on a fishing

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

as a "flunky" or

cabin boy A cabin boy or ship's boy is a boy or young man who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship, especially running errands for the captain. The modern merchant navy successor to the cabin boy is the steward's assistant. Duties Cabin boys ...

. 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. In August 1930, Snow's schooner nearly wrecked on

Sable Island Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...

, but they were saved by a change in wind. Witnessing other vessels lost in the storm, he vowed to never return to sea.

Life after sailing

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. Their son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, was born soon after.

Career

Early music career

Snow bought a new guitar and, playing in the style of Jimmie Rodgers, performed in a fish house and a

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.

Canadian years

In 1936, Snow auditioned for the Canadian division of

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, 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

Snow moved to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

in 1949, releasing records for RCA Victor under the name "Hank Snow, the Singing Ranger." His performance at the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

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. Other number-one hits followed, including " The Golden Rocket" and " The Rhumba Boogie". His rendition of Australian country singer Geoff Mack's "

" popularized the song in North America. While performing in Renfro Valley, Snow worked with a young

Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...

. In 1953, ''Billboard'' reported that Snow's son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, had signed with RCA Victor and would record with his father.

Rainbow Ranch

After the success of "I've Been Everywhere" and "I'm Movin' On," Snow purchased a ranch home in

Madison, Tennessee Madison (originally Madison Station) is a former settlement, now a suburban neighborhood of northeast Nashville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. The po ...

, which he named Rainbow Ranch. In recent years the home has been restored by Snow's family. The home was added to the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Davidson County, Tennessee __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Davidson County, Tennessee. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Davidson County, ...

on November 27, 2018.

Elvis Presley

Snow helped launch the career of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

by giving him stage time at the Grand Ole Opry and by introducing him to

Colonel Tom Parker Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997) was a Dutch people, Dutch talent manager and concert promoter, best known as the manager of Elvis Presley. Parker was born in the Netherlands and Il ...

. They formed a management partnership, but Snow eventually left the management team.

Later career

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 The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that i ...

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.

Illness and death

Snow retired in 1996 due to respiratory problems. He died on December 20, 1999, at his Rainbow Ranch in

, and was buried in Nashville's Spring Hill Cemetery. His wife Minnie died on May 12, 2003.

Legacy

Many artists have covered his music, including

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

, Ashley MacIsaac,

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

, and

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...

. 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 Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

'', a character was partly based on Snow. He is portrayed by

David Wenham David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings (film series), ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Friar Carl in ' ...

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...

's '' Elvis''. He is referenced in

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

's song "The Wino and I Know". The fictional Finnish snow god, Heikki Lunta, from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is named after him.

Discography

References

Bibliography

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

External links

*
Hank Snow at the Country Music Hall of Fame
* *
Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

Second article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Snow, Hank 1914 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century Canadian male singers 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters American male composers American male songwriters American yodelers Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Nashville, Tennessee) Canadian country singer-songwriters Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Grand Ole Opry members Naturalized citizens of the United States People from Queens County, Nova Scotia RCA Records Nashville artists Singers from Nova Scotia