Ferlin Husky
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Ferlin Husky (born December 3, 1927 in Flat River, Missouri) is an American singer who has become well-known as a country-pop chart-topper under various names, including Terry Preston and Simon Crum. In the 1950s and 60s, Husky had several hits, including "Gone" and "Wings of a Dove", both number ones on the country charts.
As a merchant marine, Husky entertained the troops on his ship in World War 2. After the war, Husky became a DJ in Missouri and Bakersfield, California, where he began using the moniker Terry Preston in order to hide his rural roots. As a honky tonk singer, Husky signed with Capital Records in 1953 under the guidance of Cliffie Stone, also the manager for Tennessee Ernie Ford. With Capital Records, he reverted to his given name. A few singles failed before "A Dear John Letter" with Jean Shepard became a #1 hit. The duo was unable to follow it up.
In 1955, Husky had a solo hit with "I Feel Better All Over (More Than Anywhere's Else)"/"Little Tom", and developed Simon Crum as a comic alter ego. As Crum, Husky signed a separate contract with Capitol Records and began releasing records, the biggest of which was 1959's "Country Music is Here to Stay" (No. 2 for three weeks).
In the late 1950s, Husky had a long string of hits, including the #1 "Gone", and he bgan an acting career on the Kraft TV Theatre program and the film Mr. Rock & Roll. Bob Ferguson's "Wings of a Dove" became his biggest hits, topping the country charts for ten weeks and attaining #12 on the pop charts. Once again unable to sustain his momentum, Husky had only a few charting singles until the late 1960s, when he became a country-pop star before briefly retiring in 1977 following heart surgery. He remains a popular concert draw, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere.de:Ferlin Husky