The Silence of The Voice

Breaking news on the wire this afternoon. Singer-songwriter Vern Gosdin, known in country music circles as “The Voice,” passed away late Tuesday (April 28) at a Nashville hospital. He was 74. The singer of hits “Chiseled in Stone” and “Set ‘Em Up Joe” reportedly suffered a stroke several weeks ago, complicating the effects of previous strokes which left him in poor health in recent years. Vern had quite the country music resume. He and his brother, Rex, performed as the Gosdin Brothers in their youth, as his family hosted The Gosdin Family Gospel Show on a radio station in Birmingham, Alabama. Vern and Rex then moved to the Los Angeles area in 1961 and to perform in a bluegrass group, the Golden State Boys. That band later became The Hillmen, featuring Chris Hillman, who went on to work with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band. After The Hillmen, the Gosdin Brothers charted one hit, "Hangin' On," which peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard chart in 1967. By the early ‘70’s, Vern semi-retired from professional music to run a retail store in Atlanta, but he continued to perform in area clubs and keep his industry contacts. He knew Emmylou Harris, and it was that collaboration which led to a contract with Elektra Records. "Yesterday's Gone" became his first single for the label and reached No. 9 on the country chart in 1977. After that, the hits kept coming. By 1984, he reached the top of the charts with “I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)." The classic singer with The Voice won his first CMA Award in 1989 when “Chiseled In Stone” was named Song of the Year. Though his influence is still heard in today’s contemporary artists, Vern Gosdin will be missed.