Going back to Stonewall Jackson for a moment, apparently there is just one country music singer from the 1950s with a No. 1 hit on the Billboard country chart that still survives: Jerry Lee Lewis, who had two in 1957 and 1958, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls Of Fire." "The Killer" is now age 85.
Otherwise, you'd have to go up to 1961 to find the next earliest-surviving singer with a No. 1 country hit: Leroy Van Dyke, who at age 92 still performs; he was best known for "Walk On By," a 19-week No. 1 hit that extended into early 1962. The future game show host that was a country singer, Bill Anderson (now age 84), would be third on the list. He reached No. 1 for the first time in October 1962 with "Mama Sang a Song."
Treasure them while you can, and Stonewall's death, along with others this year (former Monkee Michael Nesmith being the latest example), is a reminder of how time goes so fast and how we're only here for a little while.
Brian
