Golden Hits Of The 60s” 

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HANK LOCKLIN

“PLEASE HELP ME, I’M FALLING“

(Don Robertson, Hal Blair)

RCA 7692

No. 8    August 1, 1960

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Hank, who was born Lawrence Hankins Locklin in Mclellan, Florida, on February 15, 1918, was like a

lot of pickers.   When just a wee  one,  he learned the ways of the guitar and hit the talent contests.  He

also picked a lot of cotton, and during the Depression, he worked road projects for the  government’s

Works Progress Administration.   In the  meantime, Hank played at clubs,barn yard parties, wherever

he could.

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In the late ’40s, Decca and then 4-Star Records enlisted Hank to cut some country sides.  His first Decca

disk in 1949, “The Same Sweet Girl,” proved a C & W winner (#8).   A few others made the country

charts, and Hank secured a regular slot on the “Louisiana Hayride” radio show.  His popularity

increased,  and RCA signed Locklin to a long-term recording contract.  Hank’s “Geisha Girl” ( #4) and

self-penned “Send Me The Pillow You Dream On” (#5) charted big on the country listings and crossed

over into the lower reaches of Billboard’s Hot 100.  But no one could have expected that his pure­

country rendition  of DON ROBERTSON’S “Please Help Me,I’m Fallin’ ” would crash into the pop top 1o.

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Because–it is an educated assumption–his follow-up singles were considered too conventionally

country to garner airplay on the mainstream pop stations, none of  Hank’s successive releases did well

on the pop charts.  Country fans treated him much better, though not many of his 45s ever climbed into

the upper reaches of the C & W charts.

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In the mid-’60s, Hank returned to live in his hometown of  Mclellan, Florida where he was elected

mayor in short course.  In the ’70s, he had his own TV program broadcast in Houston and Dallas.  Hank

still lives on his ramblin’ Singin’ L Ranch and occasionally ventures forth to sing some of  his country

tunes for the Plantation or Country Artist labels.