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"The Voice" Vern Gosdin Dies

Posted by Webb on 04/29/2009
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Vern-Gosdin
Vern Gosdin died late Tuesday, April 28, at a Nashville Hopsital at age 74 from complications of a stroke he suffered several weeks ago. Gosdin achieved success in the 1980s as a singer and songwriter. His hits included "Set 'Em Up Joe" and "Chiseled in Stone." Gosdin was known as "the Voice."

Gosdin, from Woodland, Ala., had early success as an act with his brother Res and appeared on his family hosted The Gosdin Family Gospel Show on a radio station in Birmingham. Vern and Rex Gosdin were members of the bluegrass group, the Golden State Boys. That band evolved into another bluegrass group, the Hillmen, featuring Chris Hillman, who later became a founding member of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band.

Gosdin's career was resurrected with Elektra Records in the late 70s when "Yesterday's Gone" became his first single for the label and reached No. 9 on the Country chart in 1977.

Gosdin scored other hits in the late '70s and early '80s, including his first No. 1 hit in 1984 with "I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)." After moving to Columbia Records in the late '80s, he quickly scored a series of Top 10 singles with songs he co-wrote, including "Do You Believe Me Now," "Chiseled in Stone," "Who You Gonna Blame It On This Time" and "That Just About Does It." He had two other original songs from that era -- "Set' Em Up Joe" and "I'm Still Crazy" -- reach No. 1.

In 1989, Gosdin and one of his longtime songwriting collaborators, Max D. Barnes, shared a CMA Award for song of the year for "Chiseled in Stone."

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.