Country Singer and Songwriter. King, who purchased his first guitar at age 12, is best known for recording "Wolverton Mountain" (co-written with Merle Kilgore) in 1962. He signed with Columbia Records in 1961 and scored immediately with a country top 10 hit with "Big River, Big Man" and followed that with another hit, "The Comancheros". In 1962, he recorded "Wolverton Mountain," which was based on his uncle, Clifton Clowers, who lived in Arkansas. The song became an immediate hit, staying at number one for nine weeks during its 26-week run on the Billboard country chart. It was also a Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies, and was awarded gold disc status. The following year he had a hit with "The Burning Of Atlanta" which also reached the top 10 on the country charts and crossed over to the pop charts. From 1963 through 1972, he charted with several more country hits including "Sheepskin Valley", "Building a Bridge", "Hey Lucille!", "Sam Hill", "Tiger Woman", "Little Buddy", "Catch a Little Raindrop" and "All For The Love Of A Girl" before leaving Columbia in 1973 after 29 hits. King, who was one of the original members of the 'Louisiana Hayride', the Saturday-night show where Elvis Presley got his start, also performed as an actor in several movies and on television and was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. In 1981, the state of Arkansas honored King by declaring each August 7th, "Wolverton Mountain Day".
Country Singer and Songwriter. King, who purchased his first guitar at age 12, is best known for recording "Wolverton Mountain" (co-written with Merle Kilgore) in 1962. He signed with Columbia Records in 1961 and scored immediately with a country top 10 hit with "Big River, Big Man" and followed that with another hit, "The Comancheros". In 1962, he recorded "Wolverton Mountain," which was based on his uncle, Clifton Clowers, who lived in Arkansas. The song became an immediate hit, staying at number one for nine weeks during its 26-week run on the Billboard country chart. It was also a Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies, and was awarded gold disc status. The following year he had a hit with "The Burning Of Atlanta" which also reached the top 10 on the country charts and crossed over to the pop charts. From 1963 through 1972, he charted with several more country hits including "Sheepskin Valley", "Building a Bridge", "Hey Lucille!", "Sam Hill", "Tiger Woman", "Little Buddy", "Catch a Little Raindrop" and "All For The Love Of A Girl" before leaving Columbia in 1973 after 29 hits. King, who was one of the original members of the 'Louisiana Hayride', the Saturday-night show where Elvis Presley got his start, also performed as an actor in several movies and on television and was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. In 1981, the state of Arkansas honored King by declaring each August 7th, "Wolverton Mountain Day".
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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