Don Gibson

The recorded working language is English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are country music. Works named in the authority record are Sweet Dreams, Oh Lonesome Me, I Can't Stop Loving You, Blue Blue Day, Just One Time and Woman (Sensuous Woman).

• Name — Don Gibson • Birth Name — Donald Eugene Gibson • Born — 3 April 1928 • Died — 17 November 2003 • Birthplace — Shelby, North Carolina, U.S. • Place of death — Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. • Instrument — * Vocals • guitar • Genre — Country • Occupation — Singer-songwriter • Years Active — 1949–2003 • Label — Mercury Records, RCA Victor, Hickory

Don Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina, The youngest of five children, he was born to a family of sharecroppers during the Depression. His father, Solon Gibson, worked for the railroad and died when Don was two years old. His mother, Mary, later remarried and the family eventually made living as sharecroppers. Gibson disliked farm work from an early age and sought to distance himself from the life of agricultural labor. Gibson stopped attending school regularly after the second grade, a decision he later regretted. He subsequently became an avid reader, reportedly in part to compensate for his limited formal education. He was also notably shy throughout his childhood and youth and had a pronounced stutter. He was self-conscious about his appearance and voice and would sometimes avoid entering crowded places. Music became an important form of escape for Gibson. He frequented a local pool hall, where he listened to country music, and also heard country performers on the radio. At the age of 14, he bought an inexpensive guitar and began teaching himself to play. Among the performers whose songs he learned were Red Foley and Tennessee Ernie Ford. His early musical development was largely informal, based on listening, imitation, and practice rather than formal musical training.

Gibson's first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording for Mercury Records in 1949. In 1957, he journeyed to Nashville to work with producer Chet Atkins and record his self-penned songs "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You" for RCA Victor. The afternoon session resulted in a double-sided hit on both the country and pop charts. "Oh Lonesome Me" set the pattern for a long series of other RCA hits. "Blue Blue Day", recorded prior to "Oh, Lonesome Me" was a number-une hit in 1958. His later singles included "Look Who's Blue" (1958), "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (1959), "Sea of Heartbreak" (1961), "Lonesome No. 1", "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" (1962), and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)", a number-one country hit in 1972. Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the most successful of which were the number-two country hit "Rings of Gold" (1969) and the top-10 hit "There's a Story Goin' Round" (1970). West and Gibson released an album together in 1969, titled Dottie and Don. He also recorded several duets with Sue Thompson, among these being the top-40 hits "I Think They Call It Love" (1972), "Good Old Fashioned Country Love" (1974), and "Oh, How Love Changes" (1975). His song "I Can't Stop Loving You" has been recorded by over 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Sweet Dreams", a song that became a major 1963 crossover hit for Patsy Cline. Roy Orbison was a fan of Gibson's songwriting, and in 1967, he recorded an album of his songs simply titled Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson. Gibson's wide appeal was also shown in Neil Young's recorded version of "Oh Lonesome Me" on his 1970 album, After the Gold Rush, which is one of the few songs Young has recorded that he did not write.

Gibson married Polly Bratcher prior to 1958. He married Bobbi Patterson in 1967. He died of natural causes on November 17, 2003.

Located in Cleveland County, North Carolina, the Don Gibson Theater opened in November 2009 in historic uptown Shelby. Originally constructed in 1939, the renovated art deco gem features an exhibit of the life and accomplishments of singer-songwriter Don Gibson, an intimate 400-seat music hall, and adjoining function space that can accommodate up to 275 people. The theater showcases a busy schedule of premier musical performances. Past performers have included Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Tom Paxton, Ralph Stanley, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, John Oates, and Gene Watson.

• Year — Album — Chart Positions — Label • US Country — US • 1958 — Songs by Don Gibson — — — — — Lion • Oh Lonesome Me — — — — — RCA • 1959 — No One Stands Alone — — — — • That Gibson Boy — — — — • 1960 — Look Who's Blue — — — — • Sweet Dreams — — — — • 1961 — Girls, Guitars and Gibson — — — — • 1962 — Some Favorites of Mine — — — — • 1964 — I Wrote a Song — 14 — 134 • God Walks These Hills — — — — • 1965 — A Blue Million Tears — — — — • The Best of Don Gibson — — — — • Too Much Hurt — 13 — — • 1966 — Don Gibson with Spanish Guitars — 4 — — • Great Country Songs — 14 — — • 1967 — All My Love — 19 — — • 1968 — The King of Country Soul — 21 — — • More Country Soul — 26 — — • 1969 — Dottie and Don (with Dottie West) — 21 — — • Don Gibson Sings All-Time Country Gold — 17 — — • 1970 — The Best of Don Gibson 2 — — — — • Hits, The Don Gibson Way — 39 — — — Hickory • A Perfect Mountain — — — — • 1971 — Hank Williams as Sung by Don Gibson — — — — • Country Green — 17 — — • 1972 — Woman (Sensuous Woman) — 16 — — • The Two of Us Together (with Sue Thompson) — — — — • 1973 — Touch the Morning / That's What I'll Do — 26 — — — Hickory/MGM • 1974 — Snap Your Fingers — 21 — — • The Very Best of Don Gibson — 30 — — • Bring Back Your Love to Me — 38 — — • 1975 — I'm the Loneliest Man — 47 — — • Oh, How Love Changes (with Sue Thompson) — 43 — — • Don't Stop Loving Me — — — — • 1976 — I'm All Wrapped Up in You — — — — • 1977 — If You Ever Get to Houston — — — — • 1978 — Starting All Over Again — — — — • Look Who's Blue — — — —

• Year — Single — Chart Positions — Album • US Country — US — CAN Country • 1956 — "Sweet Dreams" — 9 — — — — — single only • 1958 — "Oh Lonesome Me" — 1 — 7 — — — Oh Lonesome Me • "I Can't Stop Lovin' You" — 7 — 81 — — • "Blue Blue Day" — 1 — 20 — — • "Give Myself a Party" — 5 — 46 — — — I Wrote a Song • "Look Who's Blue" — 8 — 58 — — — singles only • 1959 — "Who Cares" — 3 — 43 — — • "A Stranger to Me" — 27 — — — — • "Lonesome Old House" — 11 — 71 — — • "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" — 5 — 85 — — — I Wrote a Song • "Heartbreak Avenue" — — — — — — — Oh, Lonesome Me • "I'm Movin' On" — 14 — — — — — single only • 1960 — "Big Hearted Me" — 29 — — — — — Look Who's Blue • "Just One Time" — 2 — 29 — — • "Far, Far Away" — 11 — 72 — — — Sweet Dreams • "Sweet Dreams" (re-recording) — 6 — 93 — — • 1961 — "What About Me" — 22 — 100 — — • "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" — — — 108 — — • "Sea of Heartbreak" — 2 — 21 — — — The Best of Don Gibson • "I Think It's Best" — — — — — — — Girls, Guitars and Gibson • "Lonesome Number One" — 2 — 59 — — — I Wrote a Song • "The Same Old Trouble" — — — — — — — singles only • 1962 — "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" — 5 — 105 — — • "So How Come (No One Loves Me)" — 22 — — — — • 1963 — "Head Over Heels in Love with You" — 12 — — — — • "It Was Worth It All" — — — — — — • "Anything New Gets Old (Except My Love for You)" — 22 — — — — — I Wrote a Song • 1964 — "Oh Such a Stranger" — — — — — — • "Cause I Believe in You" — 23 — — — — — singles only • 1965 — "Again" — 19 — — — — • "Watch Where You're Going" — 10 — — — — • 1966 — "A Born Loser" — 12 — — — — — Great Country Songs • "(Yes) I'm Hurting" — 6 — — — — • "Funny, Familiar, Forgotten Feelings" — 8 — — — — — More Country Soul • 1967 — "A Lost Highway" — 51 — — — — — Great Country Songs • "All My Love" — 23 — — — — — All My Love • 1968 — "Ashes of Love" — 37 — — — — — The King of Country Soul • "Good Morning, Dear" — 71 — — — — • "It's a Long, Long Way to Georgia" — 12 — — — 20 — More Country Soul • "Ever Changing Mind" — 30 — — — — — The King of Country Soul • 1969 — "Solitary" — 28 — — — — — The Best of Don Gibson 2 • "I Will Always" — 21 — — — — — singles only • "There's a Story (Goin' 'Round)" (with Dottie West) — 7 — — — — • 1970 — "Don't Take All Your Loving" — 17 — — — 31 — A Perfect Mountain • "A Perfect Mountain" — 16 — — — — • "Someway" — 37 — — — 31 — Country Green • 1971 — "Guess Away the Blues" — 19 — — — 4 • "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" — 29 — — — 29 — Hank Williams as Sung by Don Gibson • "Country Green" — 5 — — — 7 — Country Green • 1972 — "Far, Far Away" (re-recording) — 12 — — — 6 — Woman (Sensuous Woman) • "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" — 1 — — — 1 • "Is This the Best I'm Gonna Feel" — 11 — — — 3 • 1973 — "If You're Goin' Girl" — 26 — — — 9 — Touch the Morning / That's What I'll Do • "Touch the Morning" — 6 — — — 5 • "That's What I'll Do" — 30 — — — 83 • "Snap Your Fingers" — 12 — — — 23 — Snap Your Fingers • 1974 — "One Day at a Time" — 8 — — — 30 • "Good Old Fashioned Country Love" (with Sue Thompson) — 31 — — — 29 — single only • "Bring Back Your Love to Me" — 9 — — — 14 — Bring Back Your Love to Me • 1975 — "I'll Sing for You" — 27 — — — — • "(There She Goes) I Wish Her Well" — 24 — — — 48 — I'm the Loneliest Man • "Don't Stop Loving Me" — 43 — — — — — Don't Stop Loving Me • "I Don't Think I'll Ever (Get Over You)" — 76 — — — — • 1976 — "You've Got to Stop Hurting Me Darling" — 79 — — — — • "Doing My Time" — 39 — — — — — I'm All Wrapped Up in You • "I'm All Wrapped Up in You" — 23 — — — — • 1977 — "Fan the Flame, Feed the Fire" — 30 — — — — — If You Ever Get to Houston • "If You Ever Get to Houston (Look Me Down)" — 16 — — — — • "When Do We Stop Starting Over" — 67 — — — — • 1978 — "Starting All Over Again" — 16 — — — — — Starting All Over Again • "The Fool" — 22 — — — — • "Oh, Such a Stranger" — 61 — — — — — Look Who's Blue • "I Love You Because" — flip — — — — • "Any Day Now" — 26 — — — 31 • 1979 — "Forever One Day at a Time" — 37 — — — 33 — singles only • 1980 — "Sweet Sensuous Sensations" — 42 — — — — • "I'd Be Crazy Over You" — — — — — — • "Love Fires" — 80 — — — —

• Year — Single — Artist — Chart Positions — Album • US Country — CAN Country • 1969 — "Rings of Gold" — Dottie West — 2 — 1 — Dottie & Don • "Sweet Memories" — 32 — — • 1970 — "Till I Can't Take It Anymore" — 46 — — • 1971 — "The Two of Us Together" — Sue Thompson — 50 — — — The Two of Us Together • 1972 — "Did You Ever Think" — 71 — — • "I Think They Call It Love" — 37 — — • "Cause I Love You" — 64 — — • 1973 — "Go with Me" — 52 — 49 • "Warm Love" — 53 — 52 • 1975 — "No One Will Ever Know" — — — — — Oh, How Love Changes • "Oh, How Love Changes" — 36 — — • "Maybe Tomorrow" — — — — • 1976 — "Get Ready-Here I Come" — 98 — — • "Let's Get Together" — — — —

• Wolfe, Stacey (1998). "Don Gibson". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 199.