I heard Hank Cochran Past away

[Scott Henderson]

Has anybody else heard about this? Great songwriter...

[John Tyson]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD9GVL0680

[Mitch Drumm]

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2009/ ... e-captain/

[David Coplin]

Hank was one of the very best of many great song writers. I can't imagine playing a job anytime
within the last 35 - 40 years without singing or playing several of his great songs. It is hard to count the number of monster hits that were recorded
from songs that he wrote. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

David

[Tommy Minniear]

His contribution to country music is beyond measure!
Over the years, whenever a song was good enough that I checked writers credits and would learn that Hank Cochran was the writer, I have always kind of grinned and thought, "I should have known". Although, his writing was so varied that there wasn't any one thing that made you know it was a Hank Cochran song, outside of the fact that a song might be good enough to be a Hank Cochran song.

Another of my musical heroes has gone home.

[Walter Stettner]

One of the all time great songwriters, we lose these heroes way too fast.

My condolences to his family and a great big thanks to Hank for all the wonderful songs he wrote.

Kind Regards, Walter

[Don Euton]

Hank Cochran was one of the GREATEST country song writers of all time. Hank Cochran and Harland Howard were a couple of my favorite song writers. They, together, wrote the hit, " I Fall To Pieces ". I just picked up one of my Ray Price albums " Touch My Heart ", and read the lable. Hank co- wrote " A Way To Survive ", and wrote three other of Ray`s hits on that album, " Just For The Record", "Its Only Love", and " I lie Alot" . On another album, was one of Hank`s songs, "You`re Stronger Than Me" .
Alot of singers were able to get to the top by recording the songs Hank wrote.
His contribution to country music will never be forgotten!

[robert kramer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/arts/ ... l?_r=1&hpw

[Jeff Evans]

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2009/ ... e-captain/

Very nice interview, Mitch. Thanks.

[Ken Lang]

Hank always said, "I don't write em, I just write em down."

[Alan Brookes]

Hank Cochran photo courtesy of So Much Moore Media.

Hank Cochran, a legendary songwriter who had hits in four decades, died Thursday after battling pancreatic cancer. A longtime member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, his words and melodies were significant in the careers of such signature artists as George Strait, Patsy Cline, Keith Whitley and Eddy Arnold.

Hank was part of the first generation of Nashville’s full-time songwriters. Born in Mississippi, he was living and performing in California when he signed his first songwriting contract in 1959 with Pamper Music, a publishing company owned in part by Ray Price. In January 1960, he moved to Music City, where he became a regular at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, a legendary music-business hangout. Tootsie’s provided an informal meeting room for country’s artists and writers, including Harlan Howard, Mel Tillis, Marty Robbins and Willie Nelson, who Hank first met there. He helped Willie get signed to Pamper and even gave up a raise to make sure the company could afford Willie.

Hank’s legend was practically cemented when he and Harlan co-wrote “I Fall To Pieces,” a landmark Patsy Cline song with a nicely contoured melody and deftly direct lyrics. It was not just a great calling card. The National Endowment for the Arts named it one of 365 culturally significant recordings in a new-millennium list of the Songs of the Century.

But it was just one of many Hank Cochran successes. Eddy Arnold recorded his ballads “I Want To Go With You” and “Make The World Go Away,” which Martina McBride revived on her Timeless album. George Strait picked up two of his biggest hits with Hank songs: “Ocean Front Property” and “The Chair.” Burl Ives’ rendition of “A Little Bitty Tear” brought Hank a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Jeannie Seely, married to Hank for a decade, earned her biggest hit with his “Don’t Touch Me.” Mickey Gilley connected with his love song “That’s All That Matters.” Keith Whitley breathed life into “Miami, My Amy.” And Vern Gosdin turned to Hank for a half-dozen hits, including “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” “What Would Your Memories Do” and “Right In The Wrong Direction.”

Hank’s song “She’s Got You” found public success twice, first in the hands of Patsy Cline and later in a rendition by Loretta Lynn. Even more impressively, “Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me” became a hit three times over. Ray Price cut it in 1965 as the flip side to the Hank-written “A Way To Survive,” Ray had a duet version with Willie Nelson in 1980, and Ronnie Milsap revived it in 1988.

In addition to writing, Hank produced a trio of Merle Haggard singles in the 1970s, including “Ramblin’ Fever” and the poetic “I’m Always On A Mountain When I Fall,” and he performed on the soundtrack of Willie’s 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose.

Known for his easy-going demeanor and frequent laughter, Hank was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame in 2003.

His final years were marked by numerous health battles. He had a triple bypass heart surgery in 2005 and underwent cancer treatment in 2008. In March, he had an emergency operation to repair an aortic aneurysm the size of a grapefruit.

BMI recognized his 50th anniversary as a songwriter in 2009 with a surprise party in Nashville that was attended by the likes of Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Bobby Bare, Lee Ann Womack, ex-wife Jeannie Seely and Jamey Johnson. On Wednesday, Jamey was once again at Hank’s side, joined by Billy Ray Cyrus and songwriter-producer Buddy Cannon, who all sang songs with Hank at his home in Hendersonville, Tenn. Hank died the next morning, just a few weeks short of his 75th birthday. The songs — “I Fall To Pieces,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Make The World Go Away” — they’ll all continue to live for ages.

A public memorial is expected at a future date.

Posted to GAC News & Notes by Tom Roland at 2:56 pm, July 16, 2010

[Tommy Shown]

Hank will surely be missed. He was a real talent,It's a shame that all the great writers,singers and musicians have gone.Wasn't he married to Jeanie Sealy at one time?
Tommy Shown