Another music legend is gone!
American country musician and songwriter, Thomas T. Hall, popularly called Tom Hall, has passed away at age 85. The country music legend’s demise which happened on August 20, 2021, was confirmed and reported by several news outlets a few hours ago.
For many years, Hall gave his body, spirit, and soul to writing his amazing and mind-blowing songs whose lyrics will forever be etched in the memories of his fans worldwide. This sad death has put both the country music world and country music lovers in a sad state.
After receiving the news of his demise, Twitter users took to the social media app to bid farewell to the iconic singer, and show support for the beautiful family he left behind. Hall, who came into prominence in 1963 when he released “DJ For A Day,” a song that was released by another country singer, Johnson C. Newman.
During his career, he recorded several chart-topping sounds, that made him a force to be reckoned with in the industry. He was also a recipient of several accolades, including a Grammy Award, and his name will be remembered for years to come, as one of the few country musicians that put his heart and soul into every sound that he ever recorded and released to the world. Hall is survived by one son, Dean Hall. Goodbye legend.
Keep reading to know more about the singer’s early life, career, and his last public appearance.
Tom Hall’s Beginning
Hall was born on May 25, 1936, to Virgil Lee Hall and Della Hall in Olive Hill, Kentucky, United States of America. At a young age, the superstar already knew what he wanted to become, but he went through a few hoops before arriving at his destination as a musician.
During his teenage, Hill gathered a group he named Kentucky Travelers, to perform songs for an audience at a traveling theater before the movies began. However, at age 21, he decided to enlist for the Army and was taken away to serve in Germany.
During his service, the singer found every and any opportunity to sing for the soldiers and the Armed Forces radio show. During this time, he wrote songs one after the other and performed them for anyone that cared to listen. After he was discharged in 1961, he enlisted at a college to work as a disc jockey.
Prior to his music career, Hill did other menial jobs including a radio station announcer for different outlets. Finally, his big break in music came in 1963, and from that moment, he never looked back.
Tom Hall’s Songwriting Career
Hall wrote his first song at age 9, but it was not until he was 27 years old, that he became a professional singer and songwriter recognized by the world.
After staking his claim in the music industry with a hit debut song, the actor relocated to Nashville to pick up a part-time job as a songwriter for Newkeys Music, where he charged $5o per week. During his time with the company, Hall wrote more than six songs a day, and in no time, his colleagues nicknamed him ‘The Storyteller.’
Some of the singer’s lyrics were recorded into full songs by iconic musicians like Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Alan Jackson, and many more. In 1968, one of Hall’s written pieces titled Harper Valley PTA” registered as a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
This special sound sold about six million copies worldwide and won a Grammy Award. Although Hall received recognition for writing these incredible sounds, he also wanted to be known as a musician, and it did not take time for him to find room to explore his singing talents in the industry.
Recording Career
Although Hall spent many years of his career writing for others stars, he also recorded some amazing pieces that are still remembered in the country music world to date.
Between the 1960s and 80s, Hall recorded and released more than seven sounds including; “That Song Is Driving Me Crazy,” “A Week In A Country Jail,” “I Like Beer,” “I Care,” “The Year Clayton Delaney Died,” a song about a man named Lonnie Easterly, who died from Tuberculosis, “I Love,” and so on.
Many of his songs charted at No. 1 on the country music board, which increased the musician’s popularity in and out of the industry. In 1986, the now-late singer and actor decided to leave his songwriting career behind, and focus on his personal sounds.
However, in 1994, he revealed that he would also take a permanent step back from performing altogether. The musician lived a relatively quiet life for a long time, and his last media presence was recorded in 2011, a year after he suffered a stroke, and was released from a rehabilitation center.
Tom Hall: The Legacy
During his lifetime, Hall showed exemplary skills in songwriting, acting, and recording. Although he did not record any sounds over the years, he was still an actionable and integral part of the country music industry.
He not only left an indelible mark on his close friends and colleagues, he also paved the way for future songwriters and singers in the same field. Although the musician is no more, his legacy and works throughout the years will remain in the sands of time.
Following reports of his demise, several stars took to their social media page to pay tribute to the iconic songwriter, who graced our hearts and screens for decades.
American neotraditional country musician, Ricky Skaggs paid tribute to the singer on Facebook saying; “I was saddened to hear of Tom T. Hall’s passing. I loved him. He was a great Kentuckian with a heart of gold. He was a kind and gentle man. Lots of people come to Nashville to write songs, but Tom T. came to tell stories. These stories are everyone’s story, they are America’s story. Now he can truly say, ‘me and Jesus have our own thing going,'” accompanied by a soulful photo.
